55-Year-Old Nurse Describes What it’s Like to Stop Botox After 20 Years

What it’s Like to Stop Botox After 20 Years | RefinedMD, Los Gatos

55-Year-Old Nurse Describes What it’s Like to Stop Botox After 20 Years

Remember when SATC’s Samantha offered a “mani, pedi, mini Botox” session to help her girlfriends feel better? This was back in the 90s and, at the time, she promised that “everyone would be doing it” (getting Botox regularly) soon enough—and she was right. At RefinedMD, Botox and other injectables have long been the most popular non-surgical treatment for men and women alike. Now that SATC is 20+ years behind us, we actually know what it’s like to get Botox for 20 years. And one nurse knows what it’s like when you stop.

Before we delve into the mechanics of it, let’s take a look at Botox trends today. “Baby Botox,” or getting small amounts of Botox as a preventative measure, is very popular amongst 20-something year-olds. Essentially, they are “training” muscles that cause unwanted lines and wrinkles to be weak. The goal is to delay the onset of wrinkles (since there is no stopping them entirely). And, according to science, that will work well. After all, muscles work the same no matter where they are in our body, to some capacity. Stronger muscles that are “worked” regularly are bigger. Weaker muscles don’t do much. Botox paralyzes muscles that cause lines and wrinkles, but, when used regularly, also weakens those muscles. So, what does that mean?

What the RN Says

According to a California nurse, the most common side effects of Botox are widely known by users such as temporary swelling, pain, and sometimes bruising at the injection site (pro tip: to reduce side effects, only see a medical professional for all of your injectable needs). However, this nurse recently decided to stop her routine injections to see what happened. On TikTok, she asked, “Have you ever wondered what happens when a person uses Botox for 20 years and then stops? Wonder no more—this is it. Look. Wrinkles in movement only.”

Six months ago, she stopped getting injections. What she discovered was that, basically, there is very little movement in the facial muscles that had been injected with the neuromodulator over the years. This suggests that these muscles have indeed atrophied, or grown very weak over the past two decades. But what else can you expect? “You’ll notice I don’t have muscle movement because I haven’t used [these] muscles in so long. So now I’m basically rebuilding my muscles.”

She did notice that some movement and wrinkles are “partially returning,” but are far from fully developed. Of course, she also doesn’t know what she would have looked like at 55 without getting Botox for years. This isn’t a newcomer to Botox who fully knows and remembers what her creases and wrinkles look like. She’s also quick to reassure her followers that there is no “need” to stop Botox. However, for those who are concerned about muscle weakening, “Just take breaks,” she says. She wants to try to keep her muscles active at this point, but there is no need for this. After all, Botox freezes those muscles so that’s what you’re achieving with this injectable anyway.

There are some muscles in the body (ahem, face) that simply don’t need to be strong. The muscles that cause unwanted lines and wrinkles are among them. If a nurse can go two decades with “frozen” facial muscles—and no side effects besides weakened muscles—then that is anecdotal evidence that Botox is a relatively safe procedure in the long-term. Of course, you don’t need to rely just on anecdotes. Botox is a well-established, proven minimally invasive injectable with countless peer-reviewed studies backing its efficacy.

Your Botox Journey

Have you been getting Botox for awhile and ready to shake things up? Interested in a different neuromodulator or perhaps a different procedure entirely to achieve your goals? We’re here to help. Also remember that the skill of the injector is just as important as choosing the right procedure. Botox is a temporary solution that typically lasts 3 – 6 months, but can last longer and look even more beautiful with expert injection.

Learn more about Botox and complementary procedures during a consultation. You can get in touch with RefinedMD by calling the office or, for the quickest response, simply complete the online contact form now.