Anti-Aging for the 20 Something....

If I read your fortune and told you that in ten years you are going to lose your job what would you do?

Go back to school so you can be more qualified for other fields?

Start saving extra money?

Buy lottery tickets?

Quit today and save yourself the hassle?

Whatever path you chose, you would certainly do something. It would be foolish to have a glimpse into the future and not do anything about it today. Luckily for you, I can see into the future. And while I might not be able to read your fortune about your career, I can tell all you 20 somethings one thing: you are starting to age. Yes, I'm talking to you. You are starting to age today and in ten years it'll be even worse. I know what you're thinking: I just graduated college/grad school, I just started my career, I still get carded at bars, I'm too young to age! The truth is that once you hit your 20 somethings you are starting to age, like it or not.

I always thought myself that I had a baby face and that I was going to look like this forever, that is until one day I looked in the mirror and saw a new crease in my forhead. I'm only 23 but my face was already starting to change. Do me a favor, find yourself a mirror and raise your eyebrows as high as you can. Now scrunch your eyebrows. Release those expressions and give your face a second to rest. Now look into the mirror, do you see any lines on your forehead or in between your brows at rest? If so, your face is also showing signs of aging.

See the aging process is simple: there are all sorts of muscles in our face that allow us to show expression: frown, smile, look surprised etc.  Ever have your mom tell you, "keep making that frown and your face will freeze that way"? Well she has a point: over time (lets say 20 years or so) those muscles strengthen and with each time you make a certain expression you are creating a groove under the skin. As we get older, our skin loses the ability to jump back into place and as a result, those grooves become permanent marks on the skin.

Lets say however that you currently don't have any grooves on your skin, do you still need to worry about aging skin? This brings me back to my question I first asked you at the beginning: If I told you your future, even if it was something that might not happen for ten or more years, wouldn't you still want to take action today so you could be prepared? The same can be said for your skin: just because you aren't showing signs of aging now doesn't mean that you wont eventually, because  I can assure you, you will! There is another reason to start the anti-aging process now even if you have no visible wrinkles: go back to that eyebrow raising and furrowing we did earlier. As we age those muscles get stronger and stronger making those expressions not only more dramatic but more permanent. If you take action today and prevent those muscles from getting stronger, you are less likely to develop those strong grooves later on.

So now you know why you get those grooves, but how exactly do you prevent them? The answer is surprisingly easy: neurotoxin injections. Neurotoxins, made popular by the brand name, Botox, temporarily prevent the muscles they are injected into from moving. Here at Dr. Lenahan's office we use what we feel is a superior form of Botox, Dysport. Dysport has all the benefits of Botox but lasts longer (3-5 months) and sets in quicker (3-5 days). Basically when injected, Dysport keeps you from making those dramatic frowns and eyebrow raising that will later turn into deep wrinkles.

Five days ago I had Dysport injected into my forehead at Dr. Lenahan's office. I was admittedly really nervous to get it done since I am scared of needles and I have little to no pain tolerance. The process, which took about 15 minutes, was almost completely painless; to be honest I didn't even feel the needle going in for most of it. Today, five days later and I cannot believe how dramatic the difference is. Before the injection my forehead would scrunch up and leave serious grooves. Today my forehead is smoother and I can't make those lines anymore. I was a little worried that I would look expressionless or "frozen" like one of the Real Housewives, but I can still move my eyebrows, I just cant move them enough to cause wrinkles. While this injection isn't going to last forever and I'll need to come back in 3-5 months to get it done again, the more treatments you get the more effective they become over time and the length I need to wait between injections can increase to 6-9 months. Most importantly, I feel more confident with the way I look and I feel better knowing that I'm taking steps today so I look and feel younger tomorrow.

Before Dysport Injections (Brows Raised)

Five Days After Dysport Injections (Brows Raised)

Interested? You're in luck because currently you can get your Dysport at a discount. For a limited time at Dr. Lenahan's we are offering a "Wrinkle Free Friday" promotion. If you book an appointment to get injected on a Friday you can save 10% off a Dysport injection in one area, 20% off a Dysport injection in two areas or 30% off a Dysport injection in three areas. You really have no reason not to see what Dysport can do for you and your skin.