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New York Dermatologist Dr. Bhanusali Reveals the Best Time to Start Botox

The board-certified doctor is the founder of Hudson Dermatology and Laser Surgery, Aesthetica Skin Lab and Skin Medicinals.

Ananya Panchal

Dr. Bhanusali.

Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali.

New York City-based dermatologist Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali is divulging when it’s the right time to start Botox, and the secret is that it has nothing to do with age. The board-certified doctor is the founder and lead dermatologist at the Hudson Dermatology and Laser Surgery center and the owner of Aesthetica Skin Lab, both located in Manhattan. He also created digital prescription platform Skin Medicinals in 2019 to improve access to affordable topical medications and connect patients with board-certified skincare experts.

“The question we always get asked is, ‘How early is it for Botox?’ I always tell people it’s when you’re ready, A, and then B, static wrinkles are a thing—so if you start seeing those wrinkles at rest [it might be time],” he tells SI Swimsuit. “It’s O.K. to have wrinkling when you’re moving your face or making facial expressions, but if they start kind of creeping in while you’re not doing that, it’s time to start.”

The Michigan State University alumnus admits that he’s been seeing a trend in starting Botox too soon—and the “right” time varies from person to person.

“I think people often go too early. I tell them to wait, wait, wait, because you don’t need it. We see [and treat patients in their] late twenties, early thirties—depending on even ethnic variants [and] certain skin types,” he explains. “The idea [is that] we can always treat it if we’re patient, but again, if you get to that point where it’s starting to break down, the collagen is breaking down too much, then we have to sometimes intervene.”

Dr. Bhanusali is also the dermatologist behind celebrity skincare brands Rhode (Hailey Bieber) and 86 Elm (Martha Stewart).

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Ananya Panchal
ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit, where she covers fashion, beauty, pop culture and the internet’s favorite personalities and trends. She joined the brand in 2022 after roles at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. Panchal loves to write about fashion in all its forms—from standout runway moments and evolving street style to the best accessories to elevate each season’s wardrobe (she rarely goes anywhere without a stack of jewelry and a coffee in hand). A self-proclaimed beauty fanatic, she’s always on the hunt for must-have products and loves breaking down viral trends. Her favorite series at the moment is spotlighting female founders and the stories behind the brands they’ve built—especially those shaping the future of fashion, wellness and tech. She is based between New York City and San Francisco and, when she’s not writing, can be found rewatching One Tree Hill, playing sudoku, trying new restaurants or ranking her favorite Disney Channel Original Movies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism with a minor in criminal justice from Boston University.

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