[subtitle]According to two physicians performing research on the affects of individuals undergoing anti-aging cosmetic procedures in their 20s and 30s, it may never be too early to begin treating signs of aging with dermal fillers, laser therapies and various neuromodulators.
Dr. Heather Hamilton and Dr. Kenneth Arndt of the Massachusetts-based SkinCare Physicians facility provide empirical evidence supporting this startling claim in their controversial opinion article recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Dermatology. In the article, Drs. Hamilton and Arndt suggest that people who initiate a regular treatment program of noninvasive cosmetic procedures before signs of aging develop on the skin, these proactive individuals will have smoother, less aged-looking facial skin as they enter their 40s and 50s. In fact, these two Drs. say that the sooner you start opting for injectable neuromodulators and laser therapies to inhibit repetitive muscle contractions, the better.
Why Wrinkles Appear
Primarily responsible for premature facial wrinkling and folding is the fact that we are always constricting our facial muscles in response to environmental triggers such as temperature, smells, sounds and the need to express ourselves nonverbally. Eventually, those muscles essentially “freeze” in positions that ultimately form those telltale signs of aging, such as permanent line patterns around the eyes (“crow’s feet”), deep wrinkling between the brows and folds alongside the nose called nasolabial folds.
Without being aware of it, we constantly “bunch up” our facial muscles, constantly force them to remain in a state of rigid, unmoving expressions. Whether we are frowning or furrowing our eyebrows, smiling, laughing, pursing our lips around a cigarette, drinking from cans and glasses or squinting for extended periods in bright sunshine, we are unwittingly creating the wrinkles, folds and lines that will eventually mark our faces as we age. Intensifying the way we essentially torture our facial muscles each day are also environmental factors that promote skin aging, such as UV radiation, pollution, extreme climates and unhealthy food.
Early Cosmetic Intervention
The authors of the JAMA Dermatology Viewpoint enhance their argument for early cosmetic intervention by citing research results involving identical twin sisters in their late 30s who decided to undergo Botox injections for removal of forehead and glabella (between the eyebrows) wrinkling. One sister began having regular injections of Botox at age 25 while the other sister chose to have just two injections of Botox over a seven-year period. Comparing the facial skin of the sisters seven years later when they were 32 years old found that the sister who experienced regular injections of Botox had no forehead or between-the-eyebrows wrinkling while the sister who did not have regular injections exhibited clearly visible lines and wrinkles in those same areas.
So what does this mean concerning the question of preventative, anti-aging skin care through noninvasive cosmetic procedures? In answer to this inquiry, Drs. Hamilton and Arndt offered several substantiated facts in the article about the benefits of dermal fillers and neuromodulators such as the popular Dysport and Botox:
Dermal Filler Injections and Botox
Other physicians have also concurred with Drs. Hamilton and Arndt regarding the efficacy of dermal filler injections to prevent repetitive constriction of facial muscles that create wrinkles and folds. Neuromodulators like Botox and Dysport work to inhibit muscle rigidity by stopping nerve impulses and reducing muscle activity. This keeps muscles in a more relaxed state which helps prevent permanent furrowing, wrinkling and folding from occurring.
Moreover, many cosmetic dermatologists are now advocating the use of neuromodulators for patients who experience abnormally strong muscle contractions between the eyebrows or have family members exhibiting deep wrinkling and folding of facial skin. Additional clinical research results continue to reveal the benefits of having early, noninvasive anti-aging cosmetic procedures performed before wrinkles are permitted to form. Inevitably, the question of whether it is “too early” to undergo safe and effective skin rejuvenation techniques in your 20s and 30s will be considered a moot point outweighed by the health advantages of the latest dermal fillers, laser therapies and neuromodulators.
