Good results look like you on a well-rested day.
There's no single right age, but many people who start anti-wrinkle injections in their late twenties or thirties do so because lines are starting to stay put when their face is relaxed. If your lines only show when you frown or raise your eyebrows, you probably don't need treatment yet. Under 18s can't have cosmetic anti-wrinkle injections in England at all.
That's the honest version. Here's how we think about anti-wrinkle injections in Manchester for younger patients at Skin Dr., our clinic inside Whitefield Dental.
Is there a legal minimum age?
Yes. Since the Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Act 2021, it's an offence in England to give anti-wrinkle injections or fillers to anyone under 18 for cosmetic reasons. Any clinic that offers them to a 17-year-old is breaking the law.
Being over 18 doesn't automatically make you a good candidate, though. That's a clinical decision, made at a face-to-face consultation.
What is preventative anti-wrinkle treatment?
It's treatment aimed at softening the muscle movement that creates lines before those lines become fixed. Our anti-wrinkle page says the treatment can be used preventively to slow the development of wrinkles, and that's the main reason people in their twenties and thirties ask about it.
The idea makes sense if you have strong expression lines. Some people frown a lot when they concentrate, and a deep line between the brows can appear years before any other sign of ageing. Treating early may help slow that crease deepening.
It makes less sense if your skin is smooth at rest. Then you'd be paying every 3 to 6 months to treat something you don't have yet.
Signs it may be worth starting
Lines between your brows or across your forehead are still faintly there when your face is relaxed
Make-up settles into the same creases by the afternoon
One strong expression, such as a frown, is starting to leave a mark
Signs it's worth waiting
Lines only appear while you're moving your face
You're mainly worried about volume, not lines (that's a different treatment)
You're pregnant or breastfeeding, when anti-wrinkle treatment may not be suitable
What does a first appointment involve?
Every first appointment starts with a consultation. We talk about which areas bother you, look at how your face moves, go through your medical history and decide together whether treatment suits you. The treatment itself takes about 10 to 20 minutes. You'll usually see it start working within 3 to 7 days, with the full effect by 10 to 14 days. Results generally last 3 to 6 months.
We treat forehead lines, frown lines between the eyebrows and crow's feet around the eyes. Side effects are usually mild, such as slight bruising or a temporary headache. Less often, a brow or eyelid can droop for a while, or one side can look slightly different from the other. We go through all of this with you before you decide. The NHS advice on cosmetic procedures is worth reading too, especially the section on choosing who treats you.
Why we sometimes say not yet
Treatments at Skin Dr. are led by Dr Ali Nahiyeh, our skin aesthetics doctor.
Saying no, or not yet, is part of the job. If treatment won't make a visible difference, we'll tell you.
Anti-wrinkle treatment should soften lines without stopping you looking like yourself.
Anti-wrinkle injections or filler: which do you need?
They do different jobs. Anti-wrinkle injections relax the muscles that cause expression lines, so they suit forehead lines, frown lines and crow's feet. Dermal filler adds volume, so it's used for things like thinner lips or hollows that come from losing fullness over time. Some younger patients who ask about anti-wrinkle injections in Manchester are really bothered by something else, such as tired-looking under-eyes. Working out which is which is the point of the consultation.
Should you go somewhere local for anti-wrinkle injections in Manchester?
It helps. Anti-wrinkle treatment is ongoing, so you'll be coming back every few months, and it's easier with a clinic you can reach without much effort. Skin Dr. is inside Whitefield Dental at 118 Radcliffe New Road, about ten minutes' walk from Whitefield Metrolink stop. We see Face & Aesthetics patients on Sundays from 10am to 4pm as well as during the week, which suits people who can't get away from work.
Book anti-wrinkle injections in Manchester
If you're not sure whether you need anti-wrinkle injections in Manchester yet, book a free 15-minute consultation with our team. We'll give you a straight answer, including if that answer is to wait. You can also see our other medical aesthetics treatments.
Whitefield Dental is at 118 Radcliffe New Road, Whitefield, Manchester M45 7WQ. Call us on 0161 524 9883 or email dentist@whitefielddentalpractice.co.uk. We're open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 9am to 6pm, Tuesday 9am to 8pm, Friday 8am to 3pm and Saturday 9am to 1pm by pre-booking, with Face & Aesthetics appointments on Sundays from 10am to 4pm.
Frequently asked questions
-
18. In England it's an offence to give cosmetic anti-wrinkle injections to anyone under 18.
-
Not legally, but many 25-year-olds don't need it. If your lines only show when you move your face, it's usually worth waiting.
-
Results generally last about 3 to 6 months, so most people come back two to four times a year.
-
Most people feel a quick scratch at each injection point. The appointment takes about 10 to 20 minutes.
-
Treatments at Skin Dr. are led by Dr Ali Nahiyeh, our skin aesthetics doctor, after a face-to-face consultation.
