The two women featured in these photographs (Kelly le Brock and Nigella Lawson) are the same age (57). Both exceptionally beautiful in their prime, the different ways in which they have aged is significant. Admittedly genes play a part but it’s clear that looking after yourself in your earlier years has an enormous effect on how the aging process plays out.

 

 

Prevention is better than cure is a common phrase in medicine, and now that we understand the nuances of aging, we can identify and slow down the processes that combine to make us look old (i.e. sad, stressed, saggy, tired, angry and generally world weary).

When watching the fantastic “The Keepers” series on Netflix recently, there were a number of women from “The class of ‘72” recounting their experiences from school. Their mid to late 60’s selves were juxtaposed against their teenage year-book photos. As sad and as serious as the content was, I couldn’t help myself thinking “Oh! If only we’d stayed on top of your lower face with Botox and intervened with that chin support….” Or, “Sweet Jesus, do we all turn into men? Such a shame she didn’t stay on top of those cheek bones and get that brow-lift”.

I know there are some practitioners who are not keen on having a young patient demographic, but me… Having had Botox for the last 13 years (from aged 26), I am a great believer in getting in there early to prevent the negative signs of ageing.

I caveat this with two things:

• As in my earlier blog, we do not want to turn youthful beauty into a caricature of itself.
• One must graciously accept some positive signs of ageing – e.g. smile lines and a little more laxity in the skin, in line with your years. Otherwise, you’ll just look odd, which is far worse than looking old.

The three things to keep in check are…

Problem – Volume loss and soft tissue descent (everything going south!) Shadows and sag.

Solution – Small, perfectly placed deposits of filler to keep the facial fat pads in their rightful place, rather than eroding and/or descending interrupting the youthful flow of the face.

Problem – The downward pull of the facial muscles becoming stronger, the muscles that lift becoming weaker. Looking angry, sad, etched and frazzled.

Solution – Carefully placed / delicate Botox in the face and neck depressor muscles to keep them at bay, so the elevator muscles can do their thang without the counteracting force of the depressors! Airbrushing the skin and lifting the face and jawline.

Problem – Wear and tear on the skin. Uneven tone, crêpey quality, decreased collagen/elastin, dehydration.

Solution – Prescription products, peels, micro-needling and injectable skin boosters to keep the skin looking healthy, hydrated and generally plumptious!

There are usually benefits to non-surgical interventions, whatever the life-stage. However, maintaining a youthful appearance (when your appearance is still, naturally youthful) is the most effective path.