Is It Safe to Get Botox When You're Young?
The broad answer is yes . . . as far as we know. Given that the FDA only approved the usage of Botox for frown lines in 2002 — and forehead lines, even later, in 2017 — that means research on its effects on the skin over a long period of time isn't yet available.
"There are no long-term studies about what Botox does for people who get it repetitively for a number of years," said dermatologist Kavita Mariwalla, MD, FAAD. "We know it does not harm you, but it's hard to do a controlled study for what your muscle mass would have been if you hadn't done it, because it would require split face testing — meaning you'd have to inject just one side and not the other, and no one would agree to that."
The good news is that collagen — which is essentially what gives your skin that firm, youthful look — won't be affected if you start treatment early, but your muscle mass might. "Think of it as: if you don't use it, you lose it," Dr. Mariwalla said. "If you aren't using your forehead muscles after a while, they just get weaker. Over a long period of time, in theory, they get thinner, so you could start looking a little bony."