I never thought I would venture out into the world of wrinkle fillers, but as I hit my late 30's I noticed a couple fine lines near my eyes. They were nothing too terrible, but as an esthetician I am prone to a critical self-evaluation of my skin. I am not afraid to tell anyone that I have dabbled with Botox, it hasn't been a chronic obsession, more or less because it is costly and I don't want to look like a frozen waxed figure. I am not a fan of needles either so I don't generally sign up for someone to stick a fine needle full of fluid into my bare skin. I don't have a problem telling my clients, or anyone for that matter that I have used Botox, I am not ashamed. To me, Botox is just as much preventative as it is a wrinkle reducer.
I have had Botox twice, two years apart. Both times I received the smallest dose possible, and I told the doctor, a facial cosmetic surgeon, that I want to look as natural as possible. I don't want the "worked on look."
Some of you might be wondering how this process works, I can't say how it works for everyone but here is how the process went for me.
You arrive at the cosmetic surgeon's office about 30 minutes prior to your appointment time, they hand you a cup of gooey cream that you spread on the soon-to-be injected area like butter, you sit for a while as your skin starts to numb. Once you are fully numb, the doctor comes in and tells you what to expect. My first question for the doctor before I would let anyone inject me was of course, "How can this be FDA approved if you are actually putting a toxin in my body?" I needed to have that answer before I would allow that pin point stick to puncture my skin. The doctor explained to me how it doesn't enter into your bloodstream, and it is such a small amount that it can only freeze the muscle of the area that it is injected to. Satisfied with that answer, and praying that the 20 plus years Botox has been around that this is in fact true, I am thinking as she prepares the needle and the injectible, please, God don't let be the stupidest decision of my life, please! Maybe I am just a big baby, but I don't take it lightly when someone sticks me with a foreign fluid. Yes, I know--I signed up for this sadistic form of beauty.
So, next the doctor touches my skin, I feel a pressure twice on each side of my eye area, and next she gently soothes my skin with some type of wet cotton round. DONE! That was it. I barely felt anything and it was over as quickly as it had began.
The first time I got Botox done I was disappointed, I thought as soon as I left the office I would all of sudden look different, but I didn't look any different than when I went in. How disappointing. The next day, nothing. The third day, still no real difference! Did I just pay $300.00 for absolutely nothing??? Finally, on the 4th day I could see the reason why women scrimp and save to get Botox, WOW, the wrinkles were GONE. Just like that, my tiny wrinkles were zapped away. BOTOX to me is a miracle in a needle.
Botox is a preventative measure as much as it is a wrinkle reducer, in fact, doctors suggest getting it before you develop thick, deeper wrinkles because it will help prevent those deeper wrinkles from setting in. Once you develop these types of wrinkles, it is unlikely that Botox will be as beneficial. The doctor that I worked with actually said she wished more younger women would come in to get Botox to help smooth out developing wrinkles before they turn into deep set wrinkles that will not improve very well with just Botox alone.
While many of you will disagree with the use of Botox, and that is okay because that is your opinion, I can't argue with the miraculous experience I've had. I was an avid hater of Botox, and when I decided to give it a try I couldn't believe what a difference it truly makes. I will never be a fan of needles or injecting myself with a foreign substance, but every time I look in the mirror I smile back at myself because that tiny injection made me feel like a MUCH BETTER VERSION OF MYSELF.
Grace Riley author of JumpStart Your Esthetics Career: A Guide For Newly Licensed Estheticians
Please be advised, I am not a medical doctor nor do I work for the Botox company...I am not an expert in wrinkle injectables...this is an expression of my own personal opinions and experiences. Please do not take my experiences and opinions and substitute for your own judgment or your doctor's advice.
No comments:
Post a Comment