I have been injecting Botox for 15+ years, but I do not think I have ever shared with you my first experience getting Botox.

I had previously worked with very sick and critical patients, and now I had branched off into the world of skin rejuvenation and plastic surgery. In my new role I quickly realized it was necessary for me to be treated with Botox for me to better understand my job and what our clients were experiencing. I didn’t have any lines, wrinkles or folds at the time that bothered me. Not to mention I was terrified of injecting a toxin into any area of my body, for vanities sake (even though Europe had numerous studies to back up the safety and efficacy of the treatment.) I needed the job and it was a sweet set-up, so into the chair I hopped, for my first ‘anti-wrinkle’ treatment.

It took 1-2 weeks for the Botox to ‘kick in’, and as I waited, I circled the mirror in regular patterns, like a fish in a tank, waiting for something horrible and grotesque to happen. To my great happiness and surprise the improvement was subtle and soft. I hadn’t even realized the lines in my face were apparent until they were so blurred that I couldn’t even see them. Blurred as in not bad vision, but softened and natural. Better yet, no one could tell what I had done, everyone guessing I had cut and re-styled my hair!

Fast forward to today, since I have been using Botox fairly regularly for 15+ years (keeping job….) I have most definitely aged in a kinder/gentler way. Allowing those muscles in my forehead, frown and around eyes to relax, while keeping my facial movements looking natural.

I realized I was so afraid of looking fake, frozen or un-natural that if my, at the time, job hadn’t been threatened I would have never started with a wrinkle reducer. Thank goodness for the overbearing, dominant woman who made me take my first step!

Now we know in the industry that the earlier we start with skin care and improvement the softer the aging process will descend upon us. With Botox you can decrease the amount of movement in any given area and combined with professional skin care rejuvenation treatments the results can be stunning.

If I could impart any information, it would be that doing nothing gets you nowhere. We all are aware how important it is to exercise and eat well. What we seem to forget is if we do not take an active role in maintaining the skin (the largest organ in the body) we can appear unhealthy and dehydrated. Much better to look like a grape than a raisin.

Things to look for when getting Botox:

1. A professional injector with an artistic eye.
2. Someone that listens not just hears.
3. Reputation and experience.
4. Someone you connect with- It’s a ‘journey not a destination.
5. A facility that offers the ability for overall skin rejuvenation. Botox is not a ‘silver bullet’, it is just a step-in skin health and rejuvenation.

Now that you have heard about my first experience and the benefits I have experienced with Botox, I hope we can become your trusted partner in your journey to healthy aging.