Identical twins shared huge impact after one used botox for 20 years and other didn’t

A set of identical twins shared the huge impact after just one of them used Botox for 20 years.

The pair of sisters were part of a scientific study that saw one of them undergoing a series of injections across the two decades. Known medically as botulinum toxin, Botox is a prescription drug that can also be used for cosmetic procedures.

It might get a bit of bad rep from those who don’t quite understand what it is (or aren’t sure of the differences between plastic surgery, Botox and filler) but it can make a big difference to people’s lives.

As well as reducing wrinkles and fine lines, the injections can be used to treat thing like muscle stiffness and spasms, migraines and excessive sweating. And those physical differences can be very distinct.

This is what the twins looked like at the start of the study (American Medical Association)

The set of twins were followed for nearly two decades, with the ‘Botox twin’ undergoing injections in her forehead and between her eyebrows two to three times a year since the age of 25.

She also had some injections in her crow’s feet (those little lines that form on the outer corners of the eyes).

With Dr William Binder being behind the injections, the first resulting photos were taken in 2006, when the women were 38. And they showed that the Botox twin had more smoothness on her skin with less wrinkles compared to her sister’s more prominent crow’s feet when she smiled as well as lines on her forehead.

But a much bigger visible difference came six years later in a follow-up.

The non-Botox twin had a noticeably wider jaw, as well as a puffier visage, though it was unknown if this was related to the prescription drug.

Both women stated during that that they used sunscreen which helps to eliminate the possibility of wrinkles being caused by exposure to the sun's UV rays over long periods of time.

The twin on the right took regular injections of Botox (American Medical Association)

It’s also noted that they both had healthy lifestyles and hadn’t been using retinols for their wrinkles but they did live in different countries.

The non-Botox woman lived in Munich while her twin lived in Los Angeles with a higher UV index.

Dr Binder wrote in the study that long-term Botox treatment can help to prevent the development of wrinkles, 'not only by inhibiting the patient's ability to contract the target muscle but also perhaps through behavioural modification'.

The study concluded: "Long-term treatment with Botox can prevent the development of imprinted facial lines that are visible at rest. Botox treatment can also reduce crow's feet.

"Treatment is well tolerated, with no adverse events reported during 13 years of regular treatment in this study."