TIME TO GET OFF STARTING BLOCKS IF YOU WANT TO TRY TOX

If you’ve never dabbled in a little “tox” – as it’s playfully termed by loyalists – then you’re probably quite curious.

Do you already know someone who’s had it done? (According to the stats – then probably yes.) How do you know if you need it? And when do you start?

Like so many things in life, it is so deeply personal. Some people would consider injectables completely invasive, while others consider Botox to be simply a part of their anti-ageing routine. It really is down to how you view the world.

For anyone who has considered it in a preventative capacity, we have some important information for you. There is a golden age to start and it’s younger than you think, according to cosmetic physician Dr Phoebe Jones.

“The most common question I get asked from patients is ‘What is the magic number when it comes to starting anti-wrinkle procedures?’ And if I had to put an age on it, I would say around 27,” Dr Jones said. “This is the age when we start to lose collagen and elasticity in the skin.

“For the majority of people, starting smaller doses of anti-wrinkle injections in their late 20s or early 30s is ideal for preventative purposes. Anti-wrinkle injections are performed to ensure that fine lines will soften and not become deeply set.

“If left untreated, these fine lines become more difficult to treat, which is why we encourage people to receive anti-wrinkle injections in their late 20s or early 30s rather than hold off until their 40s or 50s.

“In saying that, there is no such thing as it being too late to get anti-wrinkle injections. More mature patients will just have some deep lines at rest, which won’t resolve completely with one anti-wrinkle injection treatment, and we may encourage combining these injections with dermal fillers to fill the lines.

“While an individual’s age is a contributing factor to deciding on when to get anti-wrinkle injections, there is no fixed age and other factors come into play. For example, people with overly expressive faces may start a little earlier than their late 20s.

“Additionally, lifestyle factors including the time spent in the sun without protection and smoking can really speed up the skin’s ageing process. Becoming fastidious about sun protection is invaluable for your skin.”