By: Sara Waring
When I was little one of my most vivid memories alluding to Botox and the cosmetic industry came from TV. Specifically the movie A Cinderella Story, where the evil stepmother played by Jennifer Coolidge could barely move her face.
I remember thinking how terrifying and unnatural it was and wondering why anyone would ever willingly subject themselves to that kind of pain and for what result?
This was just the beginning. It seemed like every movie that brought up the topic poked fun at how robotic botox makes you look. Take “Just Go With It” or "Christmas With the Kranks” as the perfect examples. Both movies show individuals post-tox who have completely overdone themselves to the point where they can barely speak. Needless to say, up until recently I was NOT on team injections.
So What Changed?
I reached my mid-twenties. One day while mindlessly scrolling social media I saw that one dreaded photo, I’m sure many of you can relate to. You know the “is that seriously what I look like” photo.
Up until that day I had thought I was still on the right side of my twenties. I thought aging was something I wouldn’t have to worry about until much later. Heck, I still used makeup wipes to cleanse my face every night. It wasn’t until I saw that photo that I realized something needed to change.
It Was Never About Altering My Appearance.
For me Botox was never about making myself look different, I have always liked the way I look. It was about making subtle tweaks here and there to ensure my appearance didn’t eventually become unrecognizable! After much convincing, I finally found myself in the treatment chair.
I was prepared to walk in there and be told I needed a crazy number of units but was surprised when Dr. Muhn at Dermetics told me he was starting with baby Botox (very small injections). He even pointed out that my one eyebrow was slightly higher than the other which is (apparently) an easy fix - something I never noticed until I looked back at old photos.
The entire process was quick and painless. We even discussed other skin concerns I had, planned for future treatments, and the nurses helped me find products that would work specifically for my skin and personal concerns!
My Final Verdict...
Will I continue? I like to think of it like this...
Say you’re going to purchase a new car, it’s a bit of a splurge but you are hoping to have it forever. You wouldn’t spend all this money on a new vehicle only to neglect taking it to the garage for ten years, would you?
The fact of the matter is if your car didn’t see a mechanic for ten years the damages would likely be difficult and in some cases irreparable. But if you took it in for regular maintenance any repairs would likely be small and over time. I look at my skin in the same way. A little bit of maintenance here and there over time can make a big difference long term.
My final verdict is yes I will be continuing my Botox treatments and I will maybe even consider other possible preventative treatments in the future.
The one piece of advice I would give not just 20- year-olds but anyone looking to have injections for the first time would be to do your RESEARCH. Make sure you understand the level of expertise and the values of your injector before you put one of your most important assets in their hands.
Have any questions regarding Botox or ready to try it yourself? Book an appointment at Dermetics now!
