Why this woman had Botox at 26

When you're walking down the street lost in thought and a builder bellows "Cheer up, love", the natural response is a four-letter expletive followed by "off". With today's modern advances in science and technology, however, there is an alternative: Botox.

Fed up with having a "permanent frown" and constant comments from strangers, Helen Sutton, a 26-year-old make-up artist from Hove, faced the dilemma of having non-invasive cosmetic surgery in her mid-20s.

"The lines on my forehead made me look really angry all the time," she says.

"I'd be walking down the street and people would tell me to cheer up. I'd even get girls in the toilets in clubs saying, 'You giving me evils?'. I wasn't it was just my frown lines had a really severe edge." With the added possibility Botox could also cure her constant headaches, Helen decided to take action and booked herself into Primaeva, a new health and beauty salon in Kemp Town.

A medical consultation is generally required before any treatment can be given but once consent has been granted, Botox can be done in a lunch hour.

In Helen's case, it took just ten minutes. As she sat back and contemplated a new crease-free appearance, tiny injections were made into her forehead to relax and temporarily "freeze" the facial muscles that cause frown lines and wrinkles.

"I was really nervous to begin with," says Helen. "I'm terrified of needles and was worried I'd end up looking like a rabbit that had been caught in the headlights, but it's a lot softer than that.

"It's not like I'm frozen, I can move my eyebrows and I'm really happy with it." Helen hasn't had a headache since and says she's delighted with her smoother, younger-looking forehead even though it's only temporary.

While it may seem surprising for someone in their mid-20s to be worried about wrinkles, Clare Dundas, owner and founder of Primaeva, recommends people have the treatment sooner rather than later, claiming it's better to view Botox as a preventative measure rather than a cure She has a number of people in their 20s on her books including a 23-year-old male accountant from Brighton University.

"Just as a shirt becomes creased at the elbow due to continual bending at the arm, in a similar way whenever we frown, squint or smile, our facial lines and wrinkles form and then eventually, over time, 'set' into the surface of the skin," she says.

"Having Botox in your 20s basically removes the opportunity for facial lines and wrinkles to form and, with regular treatment, skin will remain smooth and crease free." It is predominantly used for frown lines at the top of the nose, forehead lines due to eyebrows being raised, and lines at the side of the eyes caused by smiling and laughing. While most would argue they are signs of character and a happy and fulfilled life, there is a growing number of people sucked in by the search for perfection prepared to fork out thousands to get rid of them.

As Botox isn't permanent and results only last for up to three to six months, it's easy to get hooked.

Nearly 30,000 cosmetic surgery procedures were carried out in the UK last year, according to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), with the number of anti-ageing procedures rising by almost half.

Despite the cost of Botox (about £200 per treatment) Helen says she would definitely have it done again. "It might cost a couple of hundred pounds a time," she argues.

"But people go shopping and spend that on a pair of jeans, then they'll stop wearing them a month later because they make their bum look big. So to spend money on something which will really make a big difference to my day-to-day life, I think, is worth it." As for the view she's too young, she says: "That's ridiculous. If I'm not happy with something, why should I have to wait until I'm 35 to find a solution?

"Just because I'm in my 20s doesn't mean I shouldn't do anything about it. You're only on this planet once and if you catch the ageing process early enough, it can be preventative." Since it first came to light in the Fifties, Botox has been seen as a miracle cure for all manner of things. Aside from eradicating wrinkles, it has been used to banish everything from a nervous tick to incontinence, BO and mood swings.

Due to the bizarre appearance of so many celebs after botched cosmetic surgery, one of the main concerns most people have about Botox is it will make them look too "frozen". Clare brands this "nonsense", claiming it is down to the quantity rather than the treatment itself.

"True, some Hollywood celebrities favour a static appearance with zero expression and have clearly found a practitioner who is happy to inject them to that extent but most practitioners adhere to a strict maximum quantity limit," she says.

At Primaeva the procedure is carried out in two stages the nurses underprescribe in the first instance, then two weeks later, when the results become apparent, users can go back for a free "top-up".

While Primaeva specialises in "advanced facial rejuvenation treatments", there are plenty of places which don't, making it more difficult to find somewhere with the high standards required. It is of concern for BAAPS as well as other practitioners in the industry.

"Until recently, these procedures were only available from dentists and doctors as a sideline to their main work, which I didn't think was right," Clare adds.

"Medical, nurse-administered treatments should be respected as such, and undertaken by those who are properly trained, experienced, and focused on this one area." Julie Coates, at The Lanes Health & Beauty agrees, but is wary about offering Restylane (injections which fill out the skin to reduce wrinkles) to younger women. Julie claims it is unlikely anyone under 30 would need Restylane as they wouldn't have the type of facial lines the products have been developed to treat.

"However, I do get women in their 20s coming into the salon to enquire about Restylane wrinkle reduction treatments," she says.

"I always advise them against treatment and would hope this would be the case in any salon across the UK." As the number of salons offering such treatments is increasing, Julie says women should be wary where they choose to have it done.

"I would urge anyone considering these treatments to check for two things.

Firstly, that the salon, like The Lanes Health & Beauty, is regulated by the Government's Healthcare Commission, and secondly, that the people providing them are fully qualified."

Debbie Lewis, 35, full-time mum, Brighton
"It troubles me, particularly having two daughters.
"The search for being perfect seems to be getting younger and younger and it's difficult not to get trapped in the belief we need to be perfect.
"All of us stand in the mirror at times and think 'if only that wrinkle wasn't there' and Botox is just an extension of that pressure.
"I think any age is too young for Botox because it's basically saying that growing old isn't a good thing.
"Wrinkles are the least of my worries."

Marie Martin, 100, retired, Saltdean
"I've got old and I don't want to be old but I can't do much about it.
"It's silly to get so bothered about wrinkles, it's nature's own way of holding on to beauty and making people look normal. People shouldn't mess around with their face, they should grow old gracefully.
"Growing old can be beautiful because it shows the character within. I don't hold with those boob jobs either. It's more important to eat good food, do regular exercise and be happy."

Victoria Gibbins, 23, conference producer, Brighton "I don't think Botox is necessary, particularly between the age of 25 to 30. Women are supposed to be in their prime at that age. It's an easy option instead of maintaining a good skincare regime.
"I'd concentrate on drinking lots of water, eating heathily, keeping out of the sun as much as possible and not smoking. I'm not bothered about wrinkles, they're just expressions of emotions. They give you character. I think we should grow old gracefully."

Estelle Sherman, 70, retired, Hove "I don't think we know enough about it or what effect it will have on the skin in future.
"It might be a short-term remedy but what about the long term?
"I also imagine it's quite costly, as soon as you have it done once, you want it done again so you end up on a treadmill.
"I don't think it's necessary. I didn't worry about wrinkles when I was in my 20s and I don't worry about it now.
"Let nature take its course, I say."

Juliette Wills, 34, writer, Brighton "It's grim to inject anything into your face.
"Women may want to look younger but it's sad they're happy to sacrifice their entire expression to do so. You look younger, but you look rigid.
"I think Nicole Kidman looks like a corpse, her face is so stiff, and Kylie looks as if someone's pulling her face up with pliers from behind.
"Botox in your 20s is stupid. What's going to satisfy you when you're 50?
"You'll probably burst with all the Botox you've injected over the years."

Renee Ansell, 84, retired, Hove "I wouldn't have Botox. I'm too old for all that.
"I wash my face in cold water every day and put on a bit of moisturiser, that's all I need.
"I never worried about wrinkles when I was in my 20s. In my day, during the war, we had other things to think about.
"People have got too much money these days, they don't know what to do with it. I think it's mad.
"It's far better to cook a proper dinner, eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and not eat too many beef burgers."

Sophie Saunders, 45, manager Oxfam, Brighton "I think 26 is a bit young. I know a group of people who used to have Botox parties. They'd hire a guy who'd come in with syringes and all get it done at the same time because it was cheaper.
"People I know who've had it also tend to look a bit blank.
"I wouldn't have Botox because I couldn't afford it and if you have it done once you tend to think 'I'll have it done again'.
I'd rather not start."

Neil Parkin, 52, taxi driver of the year, Brighton "Anything that helps someone with their self-esteem, I'm quite happy with, apart from those fat lips which are a bit daft.
"I've never been bothered about wrinkles. I started worrying I was going grey as soon as I hit 30 but I'm pleased to say I've still got a full head of hair.
"My wife's in her 20s so a young wife and young children keep me young. I'm also a firm believer in a glass of Scotch last thing at night."

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