I never thought that I’d be open to getting a neurotoxin injected into my face. I mean, it sounds crazy, doesn’t it? So many people do it though, so when I got the chance, I decided to try Botox and today I want to tell you why I regret getting it at 40.
What is Botox?
After telling my husband that I was getting Botox and his reply being ‘why do you want to get your face pumped up?’ I realised that not everyone knows exactly what Botox is and what it does …
Botox® is the trade name for Botulinum Toxin, a neurotoxin in the form of a purified protein. The mechanism of action for Botulinum Toxin (Botox) is really quite simple; it is injected into facial muscles but really doesn’t affect the muscle at all. Botulinum Toxin (Botox) works by blocking the transmitters between the motor nerves that innervate the muscle.The areas typically treated with Botulinum Toxin (Botox) for wrinkles are the forehead, between the eyes (glabellar region), around the corners of the eyes (crow’s feet) and around the lips (smokers lines or gummy smile). There is no loss of sensory feeling in the muscles. Once the motor nerve endings are interrupted, the muscle cannot contract, causing wrinkles in the skin to smooth. The effects of Botulinum Toxin (Botox) last approximately three to four months, at which time the patient will require retreatment.
Why I regret getting Botox at 40
If you skipped the part above I don’t blame you; I know you’re here to find out why I regret getting Botox at 40. Confession: I don’t regret getting it at all. But I do regret only getting it now. If I knew how painless the procedure is and how effective it can be, I would have tackled these 11’s years ago.
Below is a super attractive before and after. In both I do my best to give you my meanest squint. Apologies for the poor selfies, but I think I get my point across.
The difference is amazing, don’t you think?! I love that I still have movement, but the fact that I don’t have this permanent worried look on my face is fantastic. The treatment I received focused on my forehead, the ’11’ wrinkles between my brows and my laugh lines. I was worried that getting Botox would change my facial expressions as I talk with my whole face, but there is still enough movement for me to look like me. My smile lines are still there, just not as pronounced. What I am most impressed with, is the smoothness of my forehead, which was actually quite unexpected…
Botox treats dynamic wrinkles (essentially those that you see when you ‘pull a face’). Static wrinkles are the ones you see when your face is at rest. I have quite prominent lines on my forehead and they are always there. Botox won’t get rid of static lines and wrinkles, but you can hardly see my frown lines anymore. Nice!
I really wish I started Botox earlier on. I don’t really have a problem with ageing. I’m 40 and I have wrinkles. More than I would like, but, ja, they are here to stay. If I started treatments in my 30’s though I may have avoided being asked questions like ‘why do you look so worried’ at every turn.
Lately I’ve been told that I look rested. And after the year I’ve had, it’s very nice to hear.
Now that I’ve done it once, you’re probably wondering if I’ll do it again? I think you know the answer… hell yes! In a heart beat.
The most valuable piece of advice I can give you if you do decide to go for Botox, is to go to someone you can trust. You don’t want to end up with Spock eyebrows, do you?!
I had my procedure done by Dr. Gideon Maresky at Chris Barnard Memorial Hospital in Cape Town. Dr. Maresky has all the know-how, expertise and experience (plus he’s a member of The American board of Plastics and Reconstructive surgeons, The American board of Surgeons and The American Society of Plastic Surgeons). He is also a great guy who put my mind at ease from the get go – he answered all my questions and made me feel super comfortable literally putting my face in his hands.
Visit www.drmaresky.co.za for more info or contact the practice on +27 (0) 21 423 9422 or email info@drmaresky.co.za.
Thank you Dr. M for making me look rested (and a teensy bit younger). I’ll definitely see you again.
Have you tried Botox? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
xoxo
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