Should I start using BOTOX?

I missed writing my last blog post.

Not because I didn’t want to.

Life. Life got crazy. It is the time where your personal life and your professional life intersect and there is just no time. Spring break happens. Last month of school activities happen. And the after school extracurriculars happen x 4 kids. Holy cow! It was mostly manageable until the 4th one got old enough to want to do stuff after school and the oldest can’t drive yet. So come 3pm, my hobby is driving. Last Thursday, I counted 7… SEVEN… activities I had to magically get my kids to between 3:30pm and 6:15.

And who is to blame? Yeah, it’s me. I plan all the activities so while I like to complain about it, really, it is all my doing.

Where is this leading, you ask?

Well, while these little angels keep me on my toes and feeling young – I mean, I have the sense of humor that rivals my 8 yr old – I caught a glance at my face in the mirror the other day and thought – wowzers, when did you start LOOKING 47???

My cheeks are looking a little crepey, my 11’s between my eyes are, well, there and you can definitely tell I have had a belly laugh or two in my day thanks to those fine little lines around my eyes. And while I applaud all of you out there who wear your age with pride, I do not. I honestly do not feel old, aside from some aches and pains every morning. So I don’t want to look it either. And while I am not upset about it enough to consider something super drastic like surgery, I am strongly considering getting Botox. But before I do, I wanted to learn more about it and I thought I would take you on that informational journey with me.

So off we go!

What is BOTOX?

In short, it is a toxin which is made from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. This is actually and quite scarily, I might add, the same toxin that causes the life-threatening food poisoning botulism. But apparently, doctors and scientists have turned something bad into something quite good – when administered in small doses, it solves everything from wrinkles to excessive armpit sweatiness to migraines. On paper, it seems too good to be true.

How does it work?

BOTOX paralyzes certain nerves or muscle fibers for a short period of time, roughly 3-12 months. It blocks chemical signals from the nerves that cause muscles to contract and cause wrinkles, pain, etc.

Does BOTOX cause permanent damage?

No – there have been no indications that continued use of BOTOX has long lasting negative effects on your long-term health.

Who should use BOTOX?

The answer honestly shocked me because here I have been putting off getting it since “the wrinkles aren’t that bad yet.” Experts advise starting BOTOX BEFORE showing any signs of wrinkles! Like in your 20’s and 30’s! They say by preventing the wrinkles from forming in the first place, you have a higher likelihood of having a wrinkle-free visage long term. Wish I had known that about 20 years ago!

Who shouldn’t get BOTOX?

This is pretty obvious in my opinion – pregnant or breastfeeding women and people with neurological diseases. If you have questions, you should, of course, consult your doctor.

Even though my vanity is leading me down this path, I will say one of the cooler things I learned about BOTOX is its use for the treatment of migraines. Doctors have discovered by shooting BOTOX in certain nerves, primarily at the base of the skull, they can help mitigate the severity of people’s migraines. As a life-long severe headache sufferer, this is reason enough for me to try the miraculousness of this drug.

So I am almost ready to make my first appointment  One bummer is how expensive it is and how it’s a maintenance procedure – meaning it is not permanent and will be an ongoing cost. Despite this, I sense my vanity winning out and I will definitely do it, at least once, to see how I like it.

If you have more questions that I did not answer, please let us know and I will have a follow up!

Call/text: 925.933.8425

Email: clearskin@ninjaskincare.com