As a disclaimer, I’m obviously not a medical professional. This is simply my experience with Botox.
As common as Botox is, it’s still a pretty taboo topic, in my opinion. I’d put money on the fact that a LOT more people have it (and love it!) than you might think. It can be aesthetically pleasing! I’m not sure why it’s taboo to talk about. We all use eye creams, face creams, masks, and put sunscreen on to prevent sun damage and wrinkles, so I’m not really sure why Botox is such a touchy subject.
For those of you who don’t know, I’m 33. If I could go back in time, I’d tell my teenage and twenty something self to STOP laying in the sun sans-sunscreen and to STOP going to the tanning bed. Ugh. I hate even admitting I went to the tanning bed … but I think most gals my age can admit that they went through that stage. I would have also started a skincare regime WAY earlier.
Along with those mistakes and just general aging of the skin, I started to notice developing crows feet around my eyes that really bothered me. No matter what type of concealer or corrector or eye cream I used, nothing seemed to help.
I’ve had plenty of friends who have jumped on the Botox bandwagon so when I visited my dermatologist, Dr. Lina Naga at SkinDC who I genuinely love and respect, for my yearly skin cancer screening, I asked about Botox. She explained the procedure, dispelled all the myths I’d heard, and reassured me that it is safe and also noted that it’s not permanent. With this being said, I feel as though if it wasn’t for a friend opening up to me about her visit to a specialist like Dr. Ramsen Azizi in chicago and undergoing a similar Botox procedure, I don’t think I would have felt as comfortable mentioning my struggles and wanting to give Botox a go. But I am glad she felt she could tell me this, as I now feel like I can be myself and talk about anything I am going through more openly. Plus, speaking to specialists did help. One of the biggest things that stuck out in my mind was that she said it’s not only used to correct developing lines, but also to PREVENT future lines from forming.
I left that day feeling absolutely no pressure from Dr. Naga to move forward with the procedure. I thought on it for a few weeks before deciding to take the plunge.
What to Know for Your First Botox Treatment
It’s Safe // Dr. Naga reassured me that Botox is safe. Such a small amount of Botox is used with each treatment. While every person is different and there are potential side affects, she reassured me that even if there are side affects, Botox wears off so nothing would be permanent. I didn’t experience any negative side affects.
It’s Not Painful // Dr. Naga’s assistant offered numbing prior to the procedure, however, she said that the actual injections really weren’t that painful so I declined the numbing as I wanted to be able to walk out of the doctor’s office afterwards and continue my day without having to deal with a half numb face. The Botox injections weren’t painful at all. They really just felt like a little pinch and sting.
It’s Not Permanent // Like I mentioned above, Botox isn’t permanent. There’s a positive and negative side to this. Positive because if you don’t like it, don’t worry, it will fade! But if you do like it (I’m 99% sure you’re going to love it!), the down side is that you do have to continue treatments because Botox does fade away. Dr. Naga said that everyone is different but generally she recommended coming in every 4 – 6 months for a touch up and/or additional injections.
There’s No Bruising // While each person reacts differently, I didn’t experience any bruising. There were small mosquito-bite-like-bumps at each injection site right after injection, but these went away before I even left Dr. Naga’s office.
It Takes a Couple of Weeks to See Results // Before I had Botox, I didn’t realize that it takes a bit for Botox to settle in place. Dr. Naga said that it would take about two weeks for me to see results, she was right!
Getting Botox is obviously a personal decision. If I can give you one piece of advice on Botox treatments that you take away from this post, it would be to choose a Board Certified dermatologist who you trust to perform the procedure. You’ll also find qualified surgeons like Dr. Racanelli will be able to perform treatments like this. Just be sure to do your research before anything else. Dr. Naga and I clicked from our first appointment. I trust her opinion, and I trust that she will always err on the side of under injecting rather than over injecting.
Another thing I love about visiting Dr. Naga is her actual office and front desk staff. Her office feels like a spa and the front desk staff are so professional and are always on top of all of my bills, insurance, and appointments. If you’re looking for a dermatologist in the DC area (Dr. Naga’s office is located in Rosslyn), I can’t recommend Dr. Naga enough! Even if you’re not looking to get Botox, she’s a great dermatologist for all of your skincare needs!
Questions about my experience?! Comment below or shoot me an email at [email protected]!
Thank you to Dr. Lina Naga at SkinDC for the wonderful Botox service and a great experience!
Dr. Naga is my regular dermatologist who I visited prior to receiving Botox. I did receive the Botox at a discounted rate in exchange for sharing my experience. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.