And I’m going to get it again!
- Debbie Emery, BettyConfidential.com
When Botox first hit the headlines in the early nineties as the new magic wrinkle-reducing solution, I vowed that I would never do it. Injecting botulism into my forehead? I couldn’t think of anything worse! I had the smugness of a smooth-skinned twentysomething who believed that she would always be blessed with a flawless face and if not – damn it, I’d just grow old gracefully and think of each line as a beautiful souvenir of time.
Of course, add on a few years and those little character lines stopped being so appealing. Still, I resisted, for fear of transforming myself into one of those frozen-faced Los Angeles women who can’t even crack a frown no matter how loud their little dogs yap. However, the more I learned about Botox the more I became tempted to give it a shot. Just as with anything in life, isn’t subtlety the name of the game? I enjoy highlighting my hair and getting a tan, but I’ll never go so far as to look like a bleached blonde Playboy Bunny, so why should I go over the top when it comes to cosmetic touch ups?
Read about Botox in a JarA few months after my 35th birthday, when the fine lines on my face really started to bug me and the groove between my eyes became the first thing I saw when I looked in the mirror, I finally took the plunge and made an appointment with Dr. Gabriel Chiu of Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery, Inc.
I was ecstatic with the results , and even today, four months later, those pesky lines haven’t returned. I immediately looked and felt younger and more confident, and the best part of it was that no one knew! Friends came up to me every day and commented on how great I looked, but they all thought it was due to a good night’s sleep or a relaxing yoga class. They never dreamed I’d get Botox – there was no way no one would ever know I’d had it done, unless I was daring enough to write a story about it!
“The secret to getting a natural result with Botox,” says Dr. Chiu, “is to find a practitioner who is well experienced with getting different levels of muscle relaxation and to follow up afterwards so that you can give them feedback. If your preference is for a stronger or weaker amount of activity, they should document the changes needed to achieve this the next time.” The expertise of the person giving the injection will have a dramatic effect on the quality of results, he says; you’ll get a much more natural look from visiting a qualified cosmetic or plastic surgeon.
Since it was first used as a wrinkle reduction method by a Canadian dermatologist in 1987, Botox has become one of the most popular non-invasive procedures, with the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery estimating that 2.4 million people got the age-defying injections in 2008. And although it’s been thought of as a solution for middle-aged women wanting to zap away worry lines, Botox has become increasingly popular with younger people looking to slow down the effect of aging before deep crevices settle in.With prices ranging from $350 to $500 for each area that is injected (the more injections you want, the greater the cost), Botox is a lot more expensive than even the priciest skin cream, but for me, the immediate positive results make a world of difference.
Some patients find the injections painful, but in my case, I felt that though the injections are definitely more uncomfortable than a facial, it’s nothing like going to the dentist. Botox doesn’t work on all types of wrinkles – only those caused by aging – so if you suffer from excessive sun damage then a laser peel might be a better solution. (Botox, like many other medical treatments or drugs, has been known to have side effects, including migraines – although, in some cases, it has actually cured migraines. It’s always best to check with your general practitioner before undergoing any specialized procedure.)
The latest trend is for ‘preventive Botox,’ where younger women start getting it to stop wrinkles from appearing in the first place. Botox isn’t a permanent solution but when performed regularly over time it’s thought to have a snowball effect and actually stop lines from ever appearing.
“It has definitely become more common to get Botox at a younger age,” explains UCLA facial plastic surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Rawnsley. “It is now seen as a prevention as well as a treatment…which is why people are doing it younger. The most common age now is for clients in their 30s, and when you do it on a regular basis you only need to get it every eight months.”
I’ve already made my next appointment.
Debbie Emery is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles who specializes in covering health and fitness.
To read more from BettyConfidential.com | How Safe is Liposuction?
