Botox – I survived!

Phew, sweats over.  Well, that wasn’t so bad.  I never thought it would be but, as with everything you do for the first time, you just don’t know.

The anticipation gave my adrenaline a good workout while I was waiting.
By the time I left, I noticed that my skin was tingling and this probably lasted for 10-15 minutes.

After a while, I noticed that my number 11’s were starting to feel like they had been hit by the number 9 bus! However, by the time I had parked the car just over an hour later, the fresh air seemed to clear this, so it could have been brought on by the heat or just lack of water, as I now hadn’t had a drink for 4 hours!

I seemed to toss and turn in my sleep and probably imagined my headache. In the morning nothing had changed, although nothing would have! I had two small bruises on the top of my cheeks, but this was to be expected.

I was very wary of my skincare routine and performed it with a light touch, careful not to massage my botox areas.

Aftercare

Some of the things Dr Claudia Morley advises not to do after having botox:

• Do not massage the area treated for the first 2 days following treatment. No facials, waxing or massage for the first 2 weeks
• Do not take aspirin, ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory medication for 24 hours after treatment as this may increase bruising.
• Do not consume alcohol for 24 hours after receiving treatment
• No strenuous exercise for at least 24 hours, light exercise such as walking is okay
• Do not have a sauna, hot tub or go in a tanning booth for 2 weeks after treatment. Always wear a broad-spectrum, (UVA and UVB) high factor sun protection (SPF 30-50)

3 days later

Thursday – 3 days since botox and my number 11’s are still moving freely, but the lines don’t seem to look so deep and the skin appears smoother.  My crow’s feet are still digging their claws in, but again the area looks smoother and maybe them claw marks are not so deep after all!. 

I gave myself a facial today as I felt I hadn’t been so focused on my deep cleansing routine this week. Now my skin is positively glowing!

Why does botox take so long to work?

I’ve been reading to find out the answer to this question. After the muscle has been injected the botox solution, it then has to work on putting the nerve endings which stimulate the muscle to sleep.

The botox solution forms a barrier around the end of the nerves motor plate so that the nerve will not be able to send an impulse to the muscle. This means the muscle is not going to frown. As the botox wears off over the next three months or so you will start to see the muscle move as this barrier between the nerve is getting weaker and waking up.

1 week later

After 7 days I can see a difference but am unsure if this is as good as it gets. I can still frown, but not as deeply as I could previously.  Overall my forehead looks a lot smoother. I am really pleased with this, glad that I had it done.

2 weeks in!

Two weeks post-treatment and I can say I am really happy with having had this procedure.  You can see from my images that there is a massive difference. I feel I now don’t look as angry and I don’t wake up in the morning with red frown lines.  Why I frown so much in my sleep I have no idea!

I would really like to point out that having this treatment is progressive. When they say you won’t see results for 7-10 days it’s true. I will go back to keep this up and hopefully my number 11’s will continue to soften, and in time I may have some filler to smooth the indentations.

Botox isn’t for everyone, and many years ago I thought it wasn’t for me. But, as with everything, we evolve and thoughts and opinions change. 
Please, whenever considering any aesthetic treatment, make sure you do your research and seek out a true professional in the area you are considering. Don’t cut corners, it could cost you more in the long run.

Tracy x