There is an insane double standard for women that we are to always look age-defyingly young but when we do treatments we are told to embrace our age. I figure if I can’t win, I might as well do what I want and look how I want. So today I’m talking about my experience getting Botox and why I’m continuing it. Plus, answering some of those questions that you probably don’t want to ask but want to know the answer to.
I’ve known I was going to start Botox either late 20’s or when I turned 30 for years. I started researching it when I turned 25 and started following Wichita facilities that did Botox so I could see what I liked, didn’t, etc. I started following Dr. Bethany King at Kansas Surgical Arts (NOT an ad, trust me, I paid for that dang Botox myself) and her before/afters. I went in for a consultation to talk about what I wanted and she explained to me her process. She was just as detailed about the process as I was about my research so it was a perfect match.
The whole thing took under an hour and I had a two-week check-up to make sure it was settling right. My favorite part? She asked if I wanted a before/after. I was SHOCKED when I saw it. (Also appalled that I was lazy on my mascara both days. Oof, that close-up is not kind.)
My Before and After
Where Did You Get It Injected? Did It Hurt?
I got it injected by my eyes (crows feet) and a tiny bit into my nose/brow to help eliminate that annoying line in the middle of your brow. It did NOT hurt, it felt like a perfectly normal shot, just in your face. It sounds worse than it is, I promise. My body was more tense for the second eye because it was anticipating the prick that I had just felt.
I had a minor headache that day, nothing more. Dr. King doesn’t allow her patients to rub or touch the area that gets Botox for 24 hours (This helps ensure the Botox settles in that area and doesn’t spread. She has a nightmare story you can ask her about from her own experience.) There’s no downtime with Botox and the biggest side effect is bruising, which I didn’t get because she is SO good at it.
Why?
I take a lot of pride in my skincare. Heck, I work in marketing for a beauty spa. I invest heavily so I don’t have to wear makeup and I have long-term results. So why Botox? Look, quite frankly there are things that skincare can’t take care that are under the skin.
My face doesn’t use it’s quiet voice. It uses it’s loud voice and at the tender age of 29 I realized my face was still smiling when I had stopped. Uhoh. I started paying more attention to that and I realized I wanted to slow down the process in a graceful, gradual way.
I will be honest, I didn’t tell my beauty partner I was getting it because she mentioned she didn’t love how it felt to work on Botox faces. Guess what? Because I started young and have such a small amount, no one who has worked on my face since has even mentioned anything feeling different. The lesson? DO THE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO AND DON’T LET SOMEONE’S OPINION CHANGE THAT.
Is it Expensive?
For my eyes and brow treatment it was $165 for the actual Botox-brand units. I got it on a special that made it the same price as the generic filler. Realistically between the two I can plan on that being my main cost until my units go up. Quite frankly, I’ve tried eye creams that cost that much so I consider this a steal.
How Often Do You Get It?
I cannot stress enough how much this varies and you need to talk to your doctor about it. Most likely mine will last 3-5 months but it depends on how fast my body metabolizes it. I plan on doing it semi-annually which should run me about $300-$400 yearly.
When Do You See Results?
I saw results within 48 hours of getting injected. Everyone is different, but I had a great reaction to it and Dr. King has been really thrilled with how its taken. Everyone is different so talk to your Dr. about your results.
Instead of saying, “That’s too expensive” I said, “This is an investment that I can never turn back time to start on.” I still am religious about my facials, skincare and other things, you can’t neglect one and think you’re covered when it comes to your skincare.
Botox for a Wedding?
I was going to get Botox before the wedding and I wanted to do it six weeks before to allow for any side effects to fade away by that point. I know many women who have gotten it for their wedding and then never done it again. They just wanted a little boost for photos and I say do it!
Botox Parties?
If you want to do a Botox party, that’s great. My style is more a medical office, but again, you DO YOU BOO! I’m not quite comfortable at this point going to a home Botox party.
If Botox isn’t your style, great! If it is, great! Neither of these things cancel the other. But what I do want to do is say that someone choosing this for them isn’t something that you have to talk to them about. Women have a double standard for everything so maybe let’s be a little kinder to each other. Okay?