Botox vs Retinol. £600 vs £30 but which can show the best results?
Anti-aging
Preventative Botox….
One might say this form of Botox is not as much a cure to anti-aging, but instead should be seen as a prevention method to those dreaded fine lines and wrinkles. Meaning that the ideal candidate for this treatment would be between the age of 20–30, as early signs of ageing begin to show.
How does it work?
Now, we all have our own idea (good or bad), of what botox is, but let’s take a look at what science has to say… Preventative botox is argued to be a defensive method, aimed to target the muscles in our face, by blocking our nerve cells. With these nerves blocked, relaxed and unresponsive, the muscles in your face are no longer being told to form a facial expression, essentially stopping the repetitive facial movements that cause deep wrinkles or face lines.
“If you imagine a sheet of paper that gets crumpled up, it’s much harder to smooth out if it is scrunched all the way up into a ball — it would be much easier to simply not crumple it quite so much in the first place.” Dr Owens, cosmetic expert.
The most common facial areas injected are: smile lines, lines in between the eyebrows, lines surrounding the eyes and our forehead, or frownlines.
Aftercare of Botox?
Botox works quick. After the initial effects of physically feeling your face frozen into shape, within the next 4–7 days a visible effect will start to be seen. You will start to feel limited movement within your face muscles, and your expressions will become less expressive.
Essentially, your wrinkles are no longer able to take shape.
Downsides to Botox?
As amazing as all this now sounds, there is always another side to the coin.
Prevention botox comes with its risks and downsides. Celebrity skin expert Lisa Harris has publicly shown her resentment towards these injections. She states ‘starting at a young age and having them regularly will weaken the muscles of the face. In time the muscles will become atrophic and not be able to hold the skin up adequately. As a result this will age the skin in the long run.’
Meaning that these anti-aging injections may be speeding up nature’s ageing process.
How ironic!
How much will this service cost me?
Potentially one of the most asked questions when weighing up the pros and cons to botox. On average preventative botox comes in at a sum of £400- £700, depending on the areas of your face you chose to fill.
Retinol….
Retinol, a new word to many of us. But in the anti-aging industry this word is considered holy. So, let me introduce to you all an over the counter, drug store Vitamin A enriched magic concoction, with anti-aging benefits as its USP.
How does it work?
Retinol works in many ways, but one of which being is that it is a stimulator of collagen cell turnover, the exact cells that keep our skin glowing and fight against the natural ageing process.
Picture that person you always think of when referring to having a natural glow… all that this person has is an abundance of collagen proteins. Collagen, found in many sources, one of which being retinol.
Effectiveness of Retinol
A study published showed that a 0.1% retinol moisturiser used daily improved the appearance of fine lines, pigmentation, elasticity, firmness and photo-damage at 8 weeks, compared to a moisturiser without retinol.
The most visible effects of retinol will be seen from 10–12 weeks of use.
Experts recommend retinol application before bed, as this is when our skin has time to repair itself and best absorb the ingredients that we use within our skincare routine.
Downsides to retinol?
One piece of advice that experts stress with the use of retinol, is that a SPF must be used simultaneously with any retinol. This is due to the common side effect of slightly weakening your most outer, protective layer of skin cells. With these cells weaker, it makes us more sensitive to UV rays and sun sensitivity.
So………………………Retinol + SPF = Skin that will love you.
How much do I need to spend on a good retinol?
When looking for the right retinol, it can become overwhelming through the vast expanse of options available on the market. Within the drugstore options available to us many reviews this year have shown us brands such as L’Oreal, Neutrogena, Olay, CeraVe and the Ordinary are the most effective, all of these of which are under £30.
To summarise:
Prevention Botox:
- 20–30 age of ideal candidate
- Should start before wrinkles are seen
- 4–7 days and effects will be seen
- £400-£700
Retinol
- 20–30 age of ideal candidate
- Can see effects even when wrinkles are years old
- 10–12 weeks until best results are shown
- Under £30
“Each product does a different job and the two together are synergistic. Retinol works overtime to stimulate collagen to give smoother, firmer skin while Botox helps to relax muscles that are causing the skin to wrinkle.” Reyes-bergano.
The experts:
Dr Owens.,Preventative Botox pros and cons | Expert advice (harpersbazaar.com)
Liz Harris, Preventative Botox pros and cons | Expert advice (harpersbazaar.com)
Reyes- Bergano Retinol vs Botox: A Guide to Preventative Treatments (camillestyles.com)
