A pair of identical twins have shown us surprising results after one of them used Botox for 20 years while the other didn't.
Now, Botox has become somewhat of a staple within society over the past decade or so.
While a lot of people were already getting ahead of the trend, it seems as though there is still an ongoing discussion about the pros and cons of the beauty procedure.
One study conducted on a set of identical twins might be able to give us a better insight into it all.
William J. Binder conducted the research on two women known as Twin 1 and Twin 2, one of which had been receiving regular treatments of Botox on the forehead and glabellar region (between the eyebrows) approximately two to three times each year, while the other, had undergone minimal work.
The check-in happened over a period of 13 years, initially starting in 2006.
Before-and-after pictures were taken of both women, and it was reported that Twin 2 (right) had noticeably smoother skin and lighter wrinkles on her forehead, while Twin 1 (left), who had only received a couple of Botox shots in her life, had deeper forehead lines, as well as 'crow's feet' lines which became visible when she smiled.
Crow's feet were less noticeable when the regularly treated twin smiled (even at 7 months after treatment) than when the minimally treated twin smiled.
As for the nasolabial folds, neither twin received any Botox injections in the lower half of the face, and the nasolabial folds in Twin 2 were at least as noticeable at rest as those in Twin 1.
This points to the idea that the lack of direct treatments most likely helped to keep that area in a similar condition, with only the natural process of aging affecting it.
"...The differences between the twins in the severity of their forehead and glabellar lines are attributable to the difference in the number of Botox treatments that each received over a long period of time (rather than a greater propensity for skin aging in the minimally treated twin)," the study stated.
In 2012, Binder followed up on the study to gain further insight into the impacts of Botox around the time the twins were 44 years old.
Twin 2 began her regular Botox injections and revealed even more differences between the sisters, showing that she had less noticeable wrinkles around her mouth compared to Twin 1.
Twin 1 (right) also appeared to have a fuller jaw, though it's unclear whether Botox was a factor in this outcome.
There were other factors that were taken into consideration including the fact that Twin 1 lived in Munich, Germany, while Twin 2 lived in Los Angeles, California.
However, they both worked indoors and used sunscreen when they went outside. Other than the Botox, neither twins had any other treatment to alter the condition of the skin.
"Regarding the aesthetic quality of their skin, consistent long-term treatment with onabotulinumtoxinA [Botox] seems to be the only major difference in the lives of these twins," Binder concluded.
"With long-term treatment, the patient may become used to having little, if any, need or ability to contract the target muscle and may eventually 'learn' to avoid even trying to contract it," he continued.
"It is also thought that, by relieving the mechanical pressure of chronic muscle contraction in this way, dermal remodeling may be facilitated," Binder added.
