What Happens If You Stop Anti Wrinkle Treatment | Core Aesthetics

One of the most common questions at consultations is what happens to the face when anti wrinkle treatment stops. There is significant misinformation on this topic, much of it generated by marketing that encourages continued treatment through concern rather than honest information. This article covers what the clinical picture actually looks like.

What Happens When Anti Wrinkle Treatment Wears Off

Anti wrinkle treatment uses a prescription injectable product to temporarily reduce the activity of specific facial muscles. The effect is not permanent. As the product is metabolised by the body over three to four months, the treated muscles gradually resume their normal level of activity. Expression lines return as they were before treatment began.

The Return of Muscle Activity

“Good information changes the quality of the decision.”

The face does not worsen as a result of the product wearing off. The return to baseline is gradual rather than sudden, and the face does not accelerate its ageing process as a result of having had treatment. This is an important point because the opposite is sometimes suggested in promotional material, the suggestion that stopping treatment leads to a worse outcome than having never treated is not supported by clinical evidence.

The Claim About Lines Getting Worse

The claim that your lines will be worse if you stop anti wrinkle treatment is not clinically accurate for most situations. What is true is that expression lines continue to develop with age regardless of whether treatment is used, meaning that lines treated at 35 may be more prominent at 45 simply because more time has passed, not because treatment was stopped.

For clients who begin treatment at a point where lines are already established at rest, consistent treatment over time means those lines are not being repeatedly deepened by muscle contraction during treatment periods. Whether this produces a meaningful difference compared to not treating at all varies significantly between individuals.

Preventative Treatment and long term Results

The case for preventative anti wrinkle treatment is based on limiting the repetitive folding of skin that deepens expression lines over time. Starting treatment before lines become established at rest is a different clinical proposition to treating lines that are already present. Read more about when to start anti wrinkle treatment and the approach to injectables at 30, 40 and 50.

A More Strategic Approach

Taking a Break from Treatment

Taking a break from anti wrinkle treatment is clinically straightforward. The product wears off and the face returns to baseline. There is no withdrawal effect, no rebound and no clinical consequence from pausing. Many clients take breaks for financial, personal or practical reasons and resume treatment when it suits them.

If you have questions about whether to continue, pause or stop treatment, the most appropriate place to discuss this is at a consultation with Corey Anderson, AHPRA registered nurse (NMW0001047575, registered since January 1996), at Core Aesthetics. An honest individual assessment gives you the information you need to make the right decision for your situation rather than one driven by marketing.

Honest Advice at Core Aesthetics

At Core Aesthetics, the approach is to provide honest clinical information rather than to encourage unnecessary continued treatment. If pausing treatment is appropriate for your situation, that is what you will be told. The consultation is an opportunity to discuss your goals and the most appropriate approach to meet them, including whether continued treatment is the right choice for you at this point. Read about maintaining your results between appointments.

Related: Read more about anti wrinkle treatment at Core Aesthetics and book a consultation at Core Aesthetics, Oakleigh.

General Information Only. This article is general in nature and does not replace a consultation with a qualified health practitioner. Treatment outcomes, suitability and risks vary by individual. Any medical or prescription treatment options can only be discussed and provided where clinically appropriate following an individual assessment.