All About Botox
Kicking off our 52 weeks of adventure, I started with something I’ve been meaning to try that makes me nervous as hell: getting stuff injected into my face*. One of the things I notice about social media culture is that a ton of people get Botox or fillers but rarely talk about how their forehead remains uncreased while the rest of us have those forehead lines you can feel. I’ve tried a ton of skin treatments but even cutting alcohol, drinking tons of water, every oil, lotion and potion you can think of made no dent so, here we are.
Getting Botox for the first time seems like it’s a game of…rooms. I sat in no less than four rooms during this very short process. I waited alone in the…waiting room the first time I was there. The second time I went there was actually a receptionist and other humans. The first time was like the zombie apocalypse until the nurse came back. In the first room, I was seated in front of a computer where I signed a bunch of disclosures whilst nothing was actually disclosed to me out loud. In the second room, we actually talked through the procedure, pictures were taken of me scowling and squinting** and then, we called a nurse practitioner on an iPad so I could be prescribed Botox by someone with the ability to do so. This was also the place I learned that you should not drink alcohol the night before your injectibles because it increases the chance of bruising. That was fun news. In December. With a case of leftover sparkling wine in my garage just calling my name….the night before. In the fourth room, I finally got 15 units of botox and went about my merry way.
Things to Know:
How Should You Prep? I assumed…just don’t wear makeup but of course, I learned at my appointment that you also should not drink alcohol for about a day before or after. It has nothing to do with an interaction with the Botox but rather, it can thin the blood, therefore making you more susceptible to bruising and for whatever reason, the bruising, if it does happen, will pool underneath your eye to give you a huge shiner. I kind of want to call shenanigans on this since my exposure to such treatments is via the Housewives of a variety of cities and the entire cast of Vanderpump Rules. They all get Botox and they all are contractually-obligated to be drunk so… Also, when you’re looking around at prices be aware that you can’t just get injections in just your forehead since it would look uneven. So you’re very likely to need both your forehead and “elevens” - those lines between your eyebrows. For me, that was about 15 units. If you also want your eyes done it would make sense to expect closer to 40 units.
Can I Get Botox for [Insert Wrinkle Placement]?: Botox as in “capital B”, registered and trademarked Botox, is only cleared for use in your forehead, the space between your eyebrows (traintracks/the elevens), and crow’s feet if it’s not for medical concerns like migraines and excessive sweating. It’s not cleared for use around your mouth or your jaw which leads me to believe that people who say they have Botox those places actually have Juvederm or Restalyne which a similar but are “fillers.”
What Does it Actually Do? Quite literally, it freezes portions of your face so it doesn’t erase your wrinkles, it just stops your face from “crinkling” when you frown or smile.***
Does it Hurt? I assume this depends on your pain threshold but it was more comfortable than getting my eyebrows threading and just as fast. It does pinch a bit but it didn’t hurt. Around your eyes would probably hurt a bit more and is far more likely to bruise.
What Are the Downsides? There are of course possible side effects and because I’ve very prone to suggestion, I just lived in utter terror of the injection from sliding down my face and giving me botox droop eye. Google it. For four to six hours after your procedure, you are not supposed to lay down. For twelve hours afterward, you’re not supposed to vigorous exercise or drink alcohol. This is done to ensure that the Botox stays where it was placed and doesn’t slide to other nerves in your face.
I literally can’t make this face anymore.
How Much Does it Cost? So, there one million Groupon for Botox and while you shouldn’t get Botox from a back alley doctor working out of a van, it was really simple to get one from a reputable place. I spent $269 for 20 units of Botox + a hydrafacial which was a birthday present to myself. The place I went to (Youthful Solutions in Cedar Park) also honors the Groupon price per unit if you choose to get additional units which I thought was cool.
Do I Like It/Would I Do It Again? Am I like a before and after pictures where people are like “HOLY BABY YODA! YOU LOOK SO MUCH BETTER?” No. But I can tell a difference. The procedure itself made me realize my eyes are two different sizes because I kept staring in the mirror in terror of the droop eye.^ I want to see if I can tell a definitive difference when it starts to wear off.
How Long Does it Last: Three to Four Months. As a woman who loves eyelash extensions which last all of five minutes,^^ this feels like a pretty reasonable deal.
So, what else can I tell you about Botox? Have you had any injections yourself? Tell me about it in the comments!
2020 Updates:
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