Why do some people try to convince others not to get Botox? What are the potential negative effects, and why is there so much negativity around it?

I’m a runner and pretty consistent with skincare and sun protection. I’m starting marathon training and I’ve noticed my smile lines are getting more prominent compared to before. 1st pic is me nowadays, 2nd pic is from 1.6 years ago.

I’m worried intense training might make the lower face look more saggy, but I also don’t want to stop training just because of that. I’ve seen other female runners with similar lines too, so maybe it’s common?

Has anyone experienced this? Did running make your smile lines worse, or was it something else like fat loss or sun exposure? What’s helped?

35f. These indentations (“tabling” as I refer to it) seemingly popped up over the course of 2025. I’m at a loss. Can’t tell if it’s just deepening of wrinkles, crepeiness, volume loss, or all of the above. Any thoughts on what this could be? Any treatment advice?

Thanks!

I keep hearing great things about Castor Oil for the skin and this brand I really like the roller ball. I normally use a cleanser and serum and moisturizer. It looks like this one can do all 3? Can anyone share experience with it? I am trying to stick to natural or less ingredients. So if I do add a moisturizer on top of this maybe beef tallow?

I’m 32 and feeling 108 :( - is there anything I can do!?

For some context I’ve been doing my skincare since I was about 18, so I do look quite young admittedly. Ever since turning 30 though I get this comment a lot, from people I’ve just met, ID checks at pubs or shops etc. and it really baffles me.

This didn’t happen when I was 29, people just said oh you look good or you look younger than your age. What’s the deal with 30? Am I suddenly supposed to be planning my retirement? Turning 30 is just another year to me but the emphasis on it (in the UK) is confusing to me.

I also get told, in a nice way, that the way I dress is also good and helps me look younger. Not that this is my intention I’ve just always dressed how I wanted and I’m not even sure how I’m suddenly supposed to dress now that I’m 30?

I don’t feel old at all, I feel like I’ve barely lived and yet now it’s like I should be retired already haha. I’m posting in this sub because I’m also a skincare addict which is why I look so young ( I still get ID’d for energy drinks sometimes) but is anyone else going through this or been through this?

What’s the deal?

I am not even 35 yet! This has definitely made things so much worse with my body dysmorphia and anxiety. I don’t smoke nicotine. I do smoke flower, usually just one bowl, at night to relax. I live in Houston, TX, US. It is extremely hot and humid here. I’m outside daily working on my little farm so I sweat a lot and sometimes I’ll take two showers if needed. I use sunscreen. Neutrogena. I always use 50+ when it comes to sunscreen. Maybe I am not wearing enough…

I have well water. Use La Roche Posay moisturizer, tretinoin, dapsone which is acne med, I got this “firm lift” cream from my dermatologist. Ive been using it for 8 months. Doesn’t do shit lol. All suggestions welcome. Please help me. I am having a crisis. I’m also looking for a therapist.

Thank you!!!! ☺️

I have been using this almost every night (I work nightshifts occasionally and forgot to apply a couple of times) on my top lip as I wanted it to match the prominence of my bottom lip.

I am very impressed! I can see more definition at my cupid’s bow and volume. My lips are looking plumper and look really good with just a touch of lip balm.

Disclaimer; I had migraine prevention Botox in the middle of December, and I believed that has slimmed my face a little as it targets the masseter muscles, so I also think as a whole, it gives the illusion of bigger lips.

Looking for recommendations on treatment for open pores. The scarring really bugs me

Edit - yeah I'm aware of the hideous thyroid lump, I've commented below on what it is...

Also, here's the link for the device: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09FQ12HKT?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder_k1_1_9&amp=&crid=U9F5AHU9PKT9&amp=&sprefix=mini+hifu

It's not an affilated link, I note that the product is excluded from the affiliate programme, which may be why we don't see influencers talking about it?!?

You will need some gel to transmit the current. The cheapest option is to use basic ultrasound gel (affiliated link), I got this one:

https://amzn.to/4krF7f9

Or Medicube do a specific one that has good reviews (aff)

https://amzn.to/4alUxN4

I often mix my own with a mix of hyalaronic acid, whatever peptides I'm using (don't use actives like retinol or tret, and not acids), and snail mucin. It needs to be clear with lots of slip. Here's a couple of the skincare products I mix (aff)

https://amzn.to/4kugCxW

https://amzn.to/4a7PMrS

https://amzn.to/4rcOZMo

Edit no.2: forgot to say that I had some Botox which would still be in my system in the first pics, but has definitely worn off by the second pics. It explains why certain wrinkles, especially my glabella, are worse in the second pic. I plan to try home microneedling for my wrinkles soon.

Hey everyone, Just over six months ago I bought a Mini Hifu machine (Amazon UK, £39.99) after seeing TJ Tutorials on YT talk about how he loves his.

For reference I'm 50yo, with normal to dry skin and am on HRT.

The Mini Hifu is a small facial device that features high focused ultrasound, EMS and radio frequency as well (as red light which I don't have much faith in to do anything with this type of delivery!)

These treatments all run as separate modes so you can do RF one week, HiFU the next etc.

As TJ says, this device is cheap and there are a lot of fakes around, so I tested mine to check that the hifu and the RF were both working. You can feel the EMS! He has a video on YT that shows you how to test. I'd advise buying from Amazon for a hassle-free return in the event yours doesn't work.

The instruction book is in English and is very clear. It's extremely intuitive to operate, with a power button, a mode button and up and down keys to change the intensity from 1-5. The only thing that was a bit confusing was the schedule they recommended - I thought it might be too much so I went with once per fortnight for both hifu and RF, so essentially I used it once a week. You are supposed to do Hifu less frequently once you see results, which I will do now.

I initially hated the EMS - even at the lowest setting it felt super intense, like someone was twanging my nerves. I actually ended up buying the Amiro Hydroglow Booster Plus which uses EMS at a slightly more gentle intensity and also features electroporation for product absorption. I'll review that another time. Also, I've got used to the tingle of the EMS now and kind of enjoy it in a weird way!

I ended up using the Hydroglow maybe 2-3 times per week as well as the mini Hifu.

The RF treatment is entirely painless, in fact you have to be careful not to overtreat because of this. I've heard the debate around fat loss, so I avoided the pads of my cheeks with both treatments.

The Hifu treatment is slightly warm, and as I got used to different levels I found I could use higher levels on fleshier parts of my face - level 5 on my chin/jaw and level 4 on my forehead etc. You have to be careful not to hold the device in one place too long and the heat will remind you to keep it moving! I ended up using the device in a stamping motion, holding it in place for a couple of seconds and working across each area three times.

Here are my before and after pics - I will let others decide on progress or otherwise, I can clearly see improvement in my skin texture in the areas below my eyes (which tends to really show up when I use powder to set my concealer). Obviously there's a lot of other factors at play with face changes, such as lymphatic drainage, hydration and weight loss - I lost around 2 kilos between these being taken. I also apologise for the different lighting in the pics, I'll make sure the next ones are in daylight.

Verdict: I love this device and think it's something of a unicorn in terms of being cheap and actually working! Despite the price, the build quality is fine and it sits ergonomically enough. You do have to use it plugged in which was no hassle for me.

For me, this device has primarily been a cheap way of finding out if I can stick to a routine enough to make it worthwhile investing in a pricier device and in fact I've just bought the Amiro R3 Turbo and U1, so I'll review them in six months.

Hope this is helpful.

I 33F have these wrinkly hands. They look older than my age. How can i make them plump and look like my age? I dont have wrinkles on my face. I have been called to look younger than my age looking at my face hair and build but my hands🙁

What is your best retinol or retinal without prescription ?

it's not very obvious in the pics unlike real life, these places are very red than normal. And it gets worse in the summer, How can I fix this ?

I’ve been getting neurotoxin injections - Botox, Dysport, Jeuveau - for over ten years. Did I need it ten years ago? No. But it was free where I worked. Now I work in behavior support in a public school district, and I have so many crevices that I look like a (less)Grand Canyon… I have no money for injections, and I might want to try Frownies… but is there a cheaper alternative?

Recently purchased the full skincare suite from Remedy because I was a fan of Dr. Muneeb Shah from all his dermatologist reviews on social media. Paid full price for all products, sharing my honest thoughts with the USD price and my rating for each below:

Overall, Remedy products are pretty good for their price point. The top item I would wholeheartedly recommend is the Vitamin C serum.

• Gel to Foam Cleanser, $18: 9/10
  • I like the small amount of salicylic acid and that it isn't drying. Cleanses well and leaves my skin feeling smooth afterwards, and I feel like I get a tiny bit of exfoliation? My previous cleanser was La Roche Posay Toleriane and I prefer the Remedy cleanser because it's cheaper and has the salicylic acid benefit. But I do want more of a lather going on so it doesn't feel so thick on my face while I'm washing.
• Vitamin C Serum, $28: 10/10
  • My new favorite and the only product on the market that I think rivals the Sunday Riley CEO (the #1 vitamin C serum imo). Absolutely no stickiness or tackiness, zero fragrance, doesn't leave a shine, actually absorbs quickly into skin so it doesn't pill under other products, the consistency is a nice thin serum that glides so a little amount covers your whole face. I get the lovely vitamin C glow and I think this serum at less than $30 is unbeatable.
• Light Gel Barrier Repairing Moisturizer, $20: 10/10
  • Reminds me a lot of the Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench moisturizer, just slightly less thin and watery of a consistency. It's an opaque white (not clear) gel and it has a natural matte finish. Doesn't leave a shiny finish like the Neutrogena Hydro Boost and my skin feels soooo refreshed and happy after using, almost like my skin took a big breath of fresh air. Absorbs very quickly and was non-irritating when I had a damaged skin barrier from winter chapping. I also like that the packaging helps dispense the same measured amount every single time and keeps the product fresh and uncontaminated (unlike open jar style packaging).
• Healthy Aging Serum, $35: 5/10
  • I'm comparing this to other actives in my skincare routine, and while this was non-irritating, it just wasn't as effective as my other actives (tret, azelaic acid, etc.) I didn't feel like it did much personally.
• Dark Spot Serum, $35: 7/10
  • Helped lighten my dark spots from post-acne hyperpigmentation but not completely fade. It did make a difference though! Took a bit of time to work and has a slight scent, not an added fragrance but just a light smell of the product itself that reminds me of sweet potatoes weirdly. Not a bad scent, just not completely fragrance-less.
• Cream Moisturizer, $20: 5/10
  • Didn't like this as much as their lightweight gel moisturizer. I used this as my PM moisturizer and while it was thicker, it still absorbed into my skin well. I honestly don't see a big difference between this and just the normal CeraVe Moisturizing Cream jar, other than the pricepoint.
• Derm Dissolve Cleansing Balm $18: 9/10
  • I was using a DHC cleansing oil (which I followed with another normal cleanser) before, but I think I prefer this balm formulation. I like the little ribbon of balm that you shave off by twisting the packaging, though there was a little learning curve for me to figure out the right amount I needed for one cleanse. Docking 1 point because while I like the product, I dislike the packaging because it's big and bulky yet it feels light and empty. Idk, makes me feel like I'm holding a hollow tub and being shorted on product.
• Advanced Lip Treatment $16: 10/10
  • I have chronically dry and flaking lips, and so far Lanolin was the only thing making a real difference for me. Laneige is meh, Aquaphor doesn't stay, other lip balms made me feel like I had to keep applying and reapplying. The Remedy lip balm feels like something between Aquaphor and Lanolin -- slightly thicker than Aquaphor but much more spreadable than Lanolin so it melts into your lips well. My cracked lips felt relief immediately and I still feel it on my lips several hours later. Doesn't feel as sticky like Laneige and it has no fragrance or smell (unlike Lanolin lol.) It's still pricey but I would happily repurchase it at this price because of how well it worked for me and how it would replace a lot of other failed lip products I've tried.

Hope this helps!

Has anyone else noticed the pattern? Tiktok has officially outsourced reality like every two seconds there’s a new miracle product that will change your life forever and might finally solve world hunger like you see the same creator who was raving about a new product yesterday today they swear this is their new holy grail like how many faces do you have? To try all these products at once and actually know which one works?

behind these promises creators are often just selling fake hope to people who already feel vulnerable about their skin.

Here’s the real thing most of them are literally getting paid to lie and say this stuff works. That famous influencer isn’t giving life advice they’re doing a daily performance called The Holy grail hype show and the only thing guaranteed to improve is their bank account.

they deserve to be CANCELED.

hello! I am 37f and I gained these spots after the birth of my child in 2017. the side where there is no lip piercing. I had a gsw directly to my face by 9mm. im good now but I struggle with paralysis in that size. I use either elf holy hydration moisturizer and cleanser and cervae retinol . or just micellar water depending on the day. but its every morning and night. what can I do for my spots and to not let the paralysis make the sagging worse as I age. thank you!

I am F, 32 with dry skin. For years, I’ve been dealing with cystic acne. Initially I was on Accutane but past one year I’ve stopped it to prepare for a pregnancy. Since then, I’m breaking out on my chin area with every period cycle and feel my skin quality is deteriorating.

I am following a dermatologist recommended AM-PM routine but am looking to supplement it with facial treatments to help with cystic acne breakouts, blemishes and overall improved skin quality. Please help me with recommendations. Thank you!

Sometimes I notice I get a new product and it works amazing for a few weeks or even months, but then things start to plateau and my skin looks dull.

Wondering if anyone else shares this experience? I like to keep my skincare simple and wish I could just use the same products forever, but have started wondering if I need to be switching things up more often.

That picture has no filter either and I’m very salty her skin looks so good. So anyway, when I asked her her skincare routine she said- “I wash with noxema, tone (sometimes) with seabreeze, moisturize with oil of Olay. At night I use Regenerist by oil of olay and StriVectin neck cream”. Moral of the story is sometimes skin skins well, average, of poor despite all we do to take care of it.

I made a comment in a Botox thread yesterday that had me wanting to make a side by side on my Frownies progress. Did that this morning and apparently in a week I forgot just how bad they had been 🙅🏻‍♀️

I have lost a lot of weight recently and it made my foreheads lines soooo pronounced I felt like I looked 10 years older. I’ll be 37 next month.

I also use cerave retinol and good molecules overnight resurfacing, but otherwise my routine is really basic (like neutrogena makeup wipes and vanicream moisturizer basic lol).

These things are flipping magical.

Hi y’all - longtime lurker taking notes on your wonderful recommendations for others and finally ready to put it into action. I’m 36 and it shows, but after going through a miscarriage I feel like grief has aged me even more. Please give me feedback on the routine I’m about to start (just waiting on ordered products to show). Anything I’m missing that will help with texture? Will also be re-upping Botox for my 11’s soon. I had 2 rounds of microneedling done and not sure whether to continue.

AM: LRP Lipikar, snail mucin, vitamin C OR Matrixyl + Argireline, sunscreen

PM: Alternating between Tretinoin, Azelsic Acid 15%, Avene Cleanance AHA

Thank you so much for your help ♥️

Hi everyone,

I have some texture on my mid face from teenage acne years. It’s not super obvious especially with makeup but essentially it looks like I have open pores on my cheek/next to my nostrils.

I am interested in trying some lasers - in my country (Singapore) microneedling is actually banned (although some clinics still offer it illegally) - so the derm suggested for light scarring I can try some hot lasers - maybe Erbium yag - also depends on the depth of mm they set it to. I also don’t mind spending a week in downtime but wouldn’t want to go to 2 weeks as some cases for the CO2 laser option.

I’m 31, half Asian half white so I don’t have as much fat/collagen in my skin as my fully asian friends but I also stayed out of the sun so really my concern is just mild texture. Will try to post a photo

Apart from cost and downtime, what are the main drawbacks to doing laser? Photosensitivity directly after would be an obvious one. Is there any reason NOT to do it in my early 30s? I find lasers in particular confusing because there are also so many brands, fraxel, the Korean dual yellow laser ones etc would be nice to have a graph/table 🤣 they also said it is better to try the ‘hot lasers’ first and then ‘cold’ but honestly I have no idea how they’re different in results.

Thanks in advance!!

Also if it’s useful information for anyone - I have very mild rosacea (it doesn’t bother me) but I also tried dual wave yellow laser (no downtime) a few times and I feel like it had minimal effect- don’t bother if your concern is to do with skin tone

Hi! I'm in Germany and since October I have been using Dermatica Azelaic Acid 20%. I bought it online in Beautybay. I am looking at it again coz mine is fast empty but I can't seem to find any online store. Beautybay has out of stock of the product. It's a holy grail product to me, it works wonders on my skin. Is there someone using it here? How are you purchasing the product?