Something a little different today. I usually dedicate this space to a beauty product that I think you should definitely try. But I won’t say it here because I don’t believe anyone has try botox
Oops, spoilers! Well, there it is. I recently had botox aka botulinum toxin aka anti wrinkle injections for the first time at age 39 after a good year.
My honest opinion on botox for the first time
I touched on this before, but just to warn you, it’s not my position that everyone should try Botox the way they should use it. the best face moisturizer It is a personal choice, and as with any modification, there are potential risks and side effects.
But I also think it’s important, as a beauty editor, to be honest about the limitations of a skincare routine and what injectables can do that creams can’t. Which, in the simplest way, is to get rid of wrinkles.
I chose to get toxin injections because I’m very expressive (my lack of a poker face is a real source of joy among my friends) and I’ve developed a long static line between my eyebrows, plus two increasingly deep dynamic lines – the ones that appear with movement – horizontally across my forehead.
Let me show with some silly pictures of my face calming down, then grumpy and surprised expressions, pre-injections:
(Image: Future / Fiona McKim)
Botox, as you may know, works by blocking communication with the muscles you use to form these expressions. You can’t make the expression that causes the line, so your skin looks smoother.
I made a reservation at Montrose London, and this, I cannot stress enough, is the most important piece of the puzzle. Who administers your Botox determines your results more than any other factor. Always go to a medically trained specialist with knowledge of facial anatomy. In my case, that was the founder of Montrose, Dr. Jonathan DunnMBChB, BSc, MSc and FRCS (Plast) Consultant Surgeon and Chief Skin Cancer Specialist at Imperial College London. It doesn’t really get more expert than that.
Not least, but definitely a plus to put me at ease, is that this clinic is super sophisticated, incredibly beautiful and very subtly tucked away in a mews (if that’s important to you)
(Image: Future / Fiona McKim)
The only surprise of my appointment was the seamless ease of it all. I went in, filled out my medical questionnaire, and spoke with Dr. Jonathan, who explained that Botox “is more art than science.” He advised starting with a light touch-up and then checking back in a few weeks to see if it needs a touch-up. A perfect, fearless approach for the first timer. I cleaned up, had them pull various faces, injected me maybe five times and was back on the streets of Chelsea in about 20 minutes.
Shall we take a look at some frequently asked questions? You wonder if it hurts. I wouldn’t say anything more than any routine injection – not much, but I have a good pain threshold. If you’re wondering how I felt afterwards: A little heavy on my forehead, but pretty normal. If you are wondering how I look after that, I’d say absolutely normal, no bumps or bruises. I confidently worked at a coffee shop for the morning, then went home to my none-the-wiser-until-I-told-him boyfriend.
The injections started to kick in three days later when I realized I no longer had full range of motion around my eyebrows. A week or so later, the results were in, and let’s just say, no one could accuse me of lacking a poker face now.
I wasn’t frozen at all, as Dr. Jonathan deftly left me with some expression (see: importance of a great practitioner), but I won’t deny that things were a bit more static at the top. I also cannot absolutely refuse loving it smoothness of my upper face.
(l) one week and (r) one month after the appointment
(Image: Future / Fiona McKim)
This deftly managed balance of wrinkle reduction and movement is instant for me. I can say I did something small, but no one else can – until I proudly tell them, which I’ve done all the time because there’s no shame in my game.
As for the not-so-great stuff, I continued to feel some heaviness in my forehead and had mild headaches on and off for a week. I had been warned that this might happen, and a paracetamol did most of the job when a pain came on.
These types of injections usually last from three to six months. I’m about two months in, and I’ve definitely had some receding on my forehead – but thanks to the break the skin creates, my static line has yet to return.
In the spirit of honesty, I’ll admit that I’m concerned about botox wearing off. My lines were bothering me a while ago, and now that I’m used to the smooth forehead, they’ll bother me a lot more when they come back.
This is a less talked about side effect of injectable work: expensive maintenance (Botox injections start at £295 in Montrose and you can expect similar prices at any reputable clinic) and how the alternative of going back to your normal skin can be a bit scary.
It is definitely worth considering, along with all the other aspects of this treatment. I’ll put my cards on the table and say I love botox and plan to do more, but you really have to go into this stuff with your eyes wide open. Does that sound good? Large. Let’s talk next Sunday.
