One of the many things social media has changed in our culture is the age at which people start thinking about aesthetic treatments, specifically treatments that were previously associated with rejuvenation. Ten or fifteen years ago, injectables were targeted to people with visible signs of ageing like wrinkles and laxity, usually in their 40s, 50s and over. Now, it’s not unusual to see people in their 20s confused about if they should be starting “preventative treatment”, if they should enhance facial volume before they lose it, or if they should do something now to avoid needing more later.
All of us Aesthetic Nurses hear versions of this question regularly: Am I too young? Should I start now? Am I already late?
Treatments that were once viewed as medical procedures are now presented online as part of routine beauty maintenance, almost in the same category as having your hair coloured or your nails done. Advice is everywhere. Twenty-second videos disregard individual circumstances to suggest ideal ages to start injectables, influencers document appointments as part of everyday life, and there can be an impression that everyone is doing something to their face.
But faces do not age according to a timetable. Two people of the same age can look completely different biologically. Genetics, sun exposure, smoking history, skin quality, lifestyle, weight fluctuations and even facial anatomy all influence how someone changes over time. This is one of the reasons I’m cautious about age-based rules.
In your 20s, for most people, the skin is still functioning very efficiently. Collagen production remains strong, elastin levels are usually great, and facial fat compartments and bone structure are still naturally supporting the face. Skin tends to recover more quickly and maintain its elasticity better than it will later on. At this stage, good skincare usually matters more than injectables do, and daily sun protection, healthy lifestyle habits and understanding your skin properly can make significant long-term difference instead of rushing into advanced treatments.
That doesn’t mean injectables are never appropriate in your 20s. There are situations where treatment can be reasonable and carefully considered.
For example, some people develop stronger frown lines at a younger age, often due to genetics or very active muscle movement. Others may have facial asymmetries that bother them or lips that have always felt disproportionately thin. Sometimes a treatment doesn’t have anything to do with ageing at all; it’s simply about addressing something that has affected confidence for years.
Preventative treatments have become a popular discussion point, particularly preventative botulinum toxin. The theory: reducing repetitive muscle movement early may help delay the formation of deeper lines later. Although there is some logic behind that idea, I believe the conversation is oversimplified.
Preventative does not mean necessary, and it certainly does not mean that everyone in their 20s should begin treatment.
One of my concerns is that younger patients can sometimes arrive feeling they are already behind. They point to very subtle features and describe them as problems: a line that only appears while smiling, natural asymmetry, movement around the eyes, normal texture in the skin. Sometimes what I’m seeing clinically and what the patient believes they are seeing are very different things.
Social media has changed perception in ways that I think we’re still trying to understand. We now spend huge amounts of time looking at our own faces close-up, often through front-facing cameras, filters and edited images. Small details become magnified.
As practitioners, that creates a responsibility that goes beyond simply providing treatment. A consultation should not begin with ‘what can I inject?’, it should begin with ‘why are we doing this?’.
By the time many people move into their 30s and 40s, we often start seeing more structural facial changes. These changes happen slowly and naturally. For some people, treatments at this stage can help soften features or support overall facial ageing. But even then, the aim should never be to stop time, because good aesthetic work should respect the face rather than compete with it.
So, are you too young for injectables? Possibly. Possibly not. Age alone rarely gives the answer.
The better questions are:
‘Is there a genuine concern?’
‘Is treatment appropriate?’
‘Is treatment being considered for the right reasons?’
