Skin Care

At What Age Do You Really Need Botox?

Can preventative Botox stop a wrinkle in its tracks? A dermatologist weighs in on when six women should get Botox to keep aging at bay

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In Your Mid-20s While Bowe says most people in their early- and mid-20s don't need Botox, it can be a way to discourage the kind of dramatic expressions that lead to permanent wrinkles. She compares it to putting a cast on a broken arm or leg -- if you can't move it, your body has the chance to repair it. Plus, the patient learns to relax it more often.

Diagnosis: According to Bowe, 24-year-old Allie, shown here, doesn't yet need preventative Botox, but Bowe can point out areas where she may need it in the future.

"She has one vertical crease between her eyebrows. Most people have two, but her facial structure and expression habits have created just one. I can also tell she is someone who will struggle with under-eye issues." Her thin skin and fair complexion means sun damage (aka wrinkles) will show up right away.

Treatment: Bowe rarely treats wrinkles in patients under 25 with injections, though she says sometimes she will in cases of extreme damage from the sun. For now, she recommends broad-spectrum sunglasses and a good eye cream with peptides, which trigger collagen formation and help form elastin. We like Juice Beauty Green Apple Brightening Eye Cream.

In a few years, Bowe predicts a patient like Allie could benefit from about six to ten injections every six months between the eyebrows and the outer border of the eyes.

Annual Cost: Between $100 and $200

SEE NEXT PAGE: In Your Late 20s

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RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream

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Juice Beauty Green Apple Brightening Eye Cream

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