Anti-ageing Maintenance Calendar: How Often to Repeat

Name: Anti-ageing Maintenance Calendar: How Often to Repeat
Creator: Dr Amit Karkhanis
Published: 2026-09-20
Keywords: how often anti wrinkle injections, how often fillers, anti ageing maintenance, yearly anti ageing plan, how often HIFU, maintenance after fillers, anti ageing schedule

Key takeaways

Most non-surgical results are temporary. Maintenance is part of the treatment, not an extra.
Anti-wrinkle injections wear off after a few months. DermNet notes repeats should not be more often than every eight to twelve weeks.
Filler duration depends on the product, area and amount. The product's labelling is the best guide.
Sunscreen and a retinoid work every day and protect everything else you do.
A written calendar stops treatments being added without a reason.

Why plan maintenance before you start?

People often ask me, "Doctor, how long will it last?" The more useful question is, "What will it take to keep it?"

See, what happens is, nearly every non-surgical anti-ageing result fades. Muscles recover from anti-wrinkle injections. Fillers are gradually absorbed. Skin keeps ageing after a laser. If you don't plan for that at the start, you end up chasing results: a bit here when you notice something, a bit there because there's a wedding. That is how costs climb and faces end up overdone.

So I plan the maintenance first. It's the chess habit: decide the endgame, then the moves. It also means you know the yearly picture before you spend anything.

How often is each treatment usually repeated?

These are general patterns. Your own rhythm is decided after assessment and adjusted at reviews.

Treatment	Usual rhythm	What the evidence or guidance says
Sunscreen	Every day	A randomised trial found daily users showed no detectable increase in skin ageing over 4.5 years
Retinoid and moisturiser	Most nights	Long-term use, adjusted for irritation
Anti-wrinkle injections	Often every 3 to 6 months, if you want to keep the effect	DermNet: nerve-muscle function returns after about 3 months; repeats not more often than every 8 to 12 weeks
Hyaluronic acid fillers	When the effect has softened, often months to more than a year	FDA: duration varies by product, area and amount; check the product labelling
Peels	A course, then occasional maintenance	Depends on skin type and the goal
Laser therapy, RecoSMA	A course, then occasional sessions	Depends on the concern
HIFU, radio frequency, Intragen	Occasional, decided by how your skin responded	Long-term follow-up in studies is limited
PRP	A course, then maintenance if it helped	Protocols vary widely in studies

That is very important to understand: these are ranges, not prescriptions. Some people's anti-wrinkle effect lasts longer. DermNet notes that the gap before a repeat can gradually lengthen over time with regular treatment.

What does a sample year look like?

Here is an example for someone in their forties with frown lines, mild cheek hollowing and some sun spots. It is only an example to show the idea.

All year: sunscreen every morning; retinoid at night; review of skincare at each visit.
Month 1: face assessment; anti-wrinkle injection for frown lines; start of a short course of laser for spots.
Month 2: review of the injection result; second laser session.
Month 3: small amount of filler for cheek support, if still wanted; final laser session.
Month 4 to 5: repeat anti-wrinkle injection when movement returns.
Month 8 to 9: repeat anti-wrinkle injection.
Month 12: annual review. Photos in the same light if you agreed to them, what has changed, what to keep, what to stop.

Notice how few things are actually happening. Most months, the only "treatment" is sunscreen.

How do I know when it's time to repeat?

Basically, you'll see it, and so will I. Signs: - Lines start to show again with expression, or at rest. - The face looks a little flatter or more tired where filler was. - Spots start reappearing, usually because of sun.

I'd rather you come back when you notice the change than book on a rigid schedule. But a fixed review date keeps us honest, so we put one in the calendar on day one.

When should I stop or change the plan?

Maintenance is not a life sentence. Reasons to pause or change: - You are pregnant or planning pregnancy. Most injectables and many treatments are postponed. - Your face has changed, for example after weight loss. See face after weight loss. - A treatment isn't helping you. If a course didn't make a difference you can see, we stop it. - Your goals have changed. Some people decide they're happy with less. - Cost. If the yearly plan is too much, we cut it to what matters most to you. Sunscreen and a retinoid are the last things to drop.

When you stop anti-wrinkle injections, the muscles gradually return to normal movement. Fillers soften over time. You don't "age faster" because you stopped; you simply return to where you would have been.

Why write it down?

Two reasons. 1. Safety. If the product and dose are recorded each time, the next session builds on the last, rather than guessing. If you ever see another doctor, they can see exactly what was done. 2. Honesty. A written calendar stops treatments being added "because you're here". If something isn't in the plan, we discuss why before adding it.

This is part of how the Long Game works: Assess, Protect, Restore, Maintain. Maintain is a step you plan, not something that just happens.

How I approach maintenance at Dr Tvacha

At your face assessment, I build the maintenance calendar into the written plan, so you can see the yearly picture before you start. Injectables are priced per treatment with the product and dose written down before treatment. Review dates are fixed on day one, and we look at the whole plan once a year. You can read about the Long Game Anti-ageing Plan, how long anti-wrinkle injections last, combining treatments, or find our centres in Thane and Mumbai.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I get anti-wrinkle injections?

Many people who want to keep the effect repeat them every three to six months, when movement and lines return. DermNet notes the nerve-muscle connection recovers after about three months and advises against repeating more often than every eight to twelve weeks. The gap can lengthen over time. I'd rather you come back when you notice the change than on a fixed schedule.

How often do fillers need topping up?

It varies a lot by product, area and amount, and by how your body breaks it down. The FDA says the product's labelling is the best guide to duration. Some areas soften within months; others last longer. I write down the product and amount each time, and we review before adding more, so you don't end up with too much filler over the years.

What happens if I stop anti-ageing treatments?

The effects gradually wear off. Muscles regain normal movement after anti-wrinkle injections, and fillers are slowly absorbed. You return to roughly where you would have been without treatment; stopping doesn't make you age faster. Keep up sunscreen and skincare, because those protect your skin whether or not you have treatments.

Do I need maintenance for HIFU or laser?

Often, occasionally. Tightening and laser results continue to age with your skin, so people who like the result may repeat a session after some months. Studies on HIFU mostly lack long-term follow-up, so I can't give you a fixed interval from the evidence. I decide based on how your skin responded, and include it in the written plan.

Can I plan my whole year of treatments in advance?

Yes, and I recommend it. At the assessment I build a calendar with the expected repeats, so you can see the yearly cost and timing. It is adjusted at each review, because faces respond differently. Having it written down also means nothing gets added without a clear reason, which keeps your face natural and your spending predictable.

Written by

Dr Amit KarkhanisAesthetic Physician · MBBS, Dip. Dermatology (UK) · Reg. No. 2001/02/1124

Founder of Dr Tvacha, practising in Thane since 2005. Leads the weight loss and hair programmes.

Sources

This article is for general education and does not replace a consultation. Medicines and treatments are prescribed only after a doctor's assessment. Last reviewed 25 October 2026.

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