MY FIRST TIME & WHY I STARTED :
First things first, let’s discuss the basics. Botox is a protein and neurotoxin from the bacteria botulinum. It was first used as a medicine to treat people at the doctor’s office who suffered from migraines as well as other medical issues. Upon its introduction, it became known to have cosmetic and anti-aging properties as an injectable. Botox blocks signals from the nerves to the muscles. The injected muscle can no longer contract, which causes wrinkles to soften. It is used widely today in adults to temporarily lessen the appearance of facial wrinkles and signs of aging in muscles from repetitive overuse among other benefits.
I had always taken an interest in injectables and botox before I was 18 and even more so since I attended beauty school. We had a segment in class where we even visited med spas in the area to check them out and learn more about skincare, the advances in anti-aging, and the importance of taking care of your skin from a young age. I even at one point wanted to be an aesthetician/dermatologist and get more into the skincare realm of the beauty world beyond hair and makeup. Having great skin is the base of looking great before any makeup or finishing touches. Of course, I started using skincare products religiously since I was young, so I always for the most part had good skin minus dealing with the occasional breakouts and my genetically inherited pores and textured skin. So, injectables were always in the back of my mind, but wasn’t something I necessarily thought I needed since my skin was pretty great and didn’t have many wrinkles. Yes, you do want to make sure you’re using great skincare products, but those alone aren’t going to be your savior. You can spend a bunch of money on skincare for overall great skin, but at some point the skincare is not going to completely get rid of your wrinkles and other issues. Seek a professional for help and get yourself educated. Spend money on what is going to give you real results, not on some $300 dollar wrinkle cream that isn’t going to help you or your deep wrinkles. Don’t be stupid, get the botox.
There was one night years ago, and I was meeting up with my cousin and his wife and her friends at a local establishment for a fun night out. I remember meeting one of her friends for the first time and thinking, “wow, her skin looks amazing.” She had then proceeded to talk about the botox party she was having with my cousin’s wife and some of their friends. I began asking her questions about it and she said SHE WAS OVER 32 YRS. old! I was shocked as I pegged her to be maybe in her early twenties. She looked so young! She told me about how she started botox as a ‘preventative measure’ in her twenties. When you start younger, you end up needing less over time because you are preventing wrinkles from forming instead of trying to treat an existing wrinkle. That’s when I first started to really think about it more than I ever had before, but again, my skin looked great and I wasn’t noticing anything enough to start shelling out hundreds to start the preventative portion of it just yet, so I waited.
THEN EVERYTHING CHANGED.
Fast forward approximately four years later, and I began to notice that I had more prominent lines forming in my ‘11s’ as they’re called. I noticed these more in photographs, I also stare at my computer and phone way too much for work purposes with editing, content creation, you get the gist. There was one day I noticed after staring long enough at my phone to edit a photo that my ‘11s’ had stayed on my face temporarily after I was done editing. There’s a mirror located across from the area I was working so it was noticeable when I looked up. I also know that hereditarily speaking, my mother has more prominent ‘11s’, so I know that it is something that genetically I will inherit down the road and my skin may act like hers in the future. Not that it is a huge deal, and I am aware that I will age, as we all will. I want to age WELL. That is the difference. So many people have given me crap over it, but I want to look my best and if I can keep looking great for as long as I can, then awesome. I also support others who want to do the same. It’s OKAY to want to look good and there’s nothing wrong with that!
I want to be totally transparent about what I’ve done cosmetically. Why? Because it’s something that I think we all need to be more open about. We need to take the taboo out of cosmetic procedures. There’s nothing wrong with improving yourself if it will make you happy.
The thing I’m not a fan of is when I was told by my family and friends, “you don’t need that” or “you’re going to mutate your body or mess up your face.” My family was very anti-everything I spoke about getting done because they were uneducated and close-minded as to the procedures and the results/benefits of getting them done in the first place. As long as you educate yourself on the procedures themselves, the results, benefits, risks, and the provider doing the procedure, then all is well. Let’s all be more open to discussing these things openly and be able to ask questions without judgement or shame. Most people in Hollywood are doing it, and many people are as well that you don’t even realize like your next door neighbor. So let’s talk about it, and let’s be real, we all want to age like Hollywood stars and I’m here to help keep our dreams alive.
I have always been one to FULLY research the heck out of everything so I can make the best educated decision for myself on the best of the best in the world and in the industry.
So, naturally, I had to do my research on the history of the TOX, how it affected specific muscles, and establishments that had extremely educated injectors who knew facial structure, what muscles moved different areas of the face, etc. I was low key pschyco about it, but it’s my face, so I wanted to trust my face to the best people.
I came across La Marie Beauty. They are local to me which is amazing and their location inside of the gorgeous Arch Apothecary is just beautiful. I’d hang out in there all day if I could. However, what drew me to them was the overall professionalism and expertise along with their site, staff, location, and their tons of five star reviews. I really liked the fact that the owner has so much background experience in the world of plastic surgery and injectables and that knowledge was brought to each of her staff members as well. They are conservative with their approach which I like. They aren’t going to over-inject and make sure to give the correct amount based on what you need to look refreshed with your best skin forward. Quality and education is extremely important to them and to me. Plus, having a beauty license makes me extremely leery to trust people in the industry, but I met with them a few different occasions and feel I can really trust them. They’re a perfect fit for me! If you go there, say my name {Holly JoAnne White} & they’ll give you $50 towards any treatment. I will be doing the Dermaplaning facial w/ medical grade skincare {starts @ $100} next visit so stay tuned!! They have many services available as far as injectables or botox, filler {help contour and fill in hallows – price varies}, facials, customized medical grade skincare, and their consults are always free! Please note: Botox and Fillers are NOT the same thing!! See them in Milwaukee or Madison, WI, check them out at www.lamariebeauty.co or call with questions and to set something up at MKE { 414-585-0539 } or MAD { 608-467-2488 }.
Sooo onto my first procedure.
We started with my “11s” AKA glabellar lines.
20 units of Botox/Dysport were used injected in a ‘V’ shape in my frown lines in five separate injection sites. Botox is approximately $13/unit. It is completely customizable depending on your area to treat and your specific goals and desires. It takes about 14 days to kick in or ‘work’ and lasts approximately 3-4 months depending on which muscle is treated, how much product is used, and how your own body breaks down the product.
The actual procedure honestly took hardly any time at all. We had the consult and already knew what we were going to do, so the actual injections took only a few minutes {5-10 at most}. Most procedures they’ll book out 30-45 minutes. They are such kind and genuine people, and so informative in their consultations. I felt very relaxed, safe, wasn’t nervous at all, and I just knew they were going to do a good job since they are so knowledgeable. I wasn’t scared at all! I have never had anything like this done before, so there was obviously the unknown portion, but they are so great about explaining each step for you so that you are aware of what is happening at all times.
They will have you make certain faces or use your frown muscles so that they can see your muscles in use and that helps them determine where they need to mark the injection sites at the appropriate places. For my “11s” they marked five spots in a ‘V’ formation. She then numbed the area by gently patting a solution on the area that was to be injected. This is painless and feels like the equivalent of dabbing your forehead with a damp cotton ball. Then the injections. Your nurse injector will have you squint your muscles between your brows into a frown formation, then she will tell you to relax your face in which at that time they will inject the product. This is repeated each time for all five injection sites. I was surprised at how quick and painless the whole procedure was. We were done before you knew it. In my opinion it was not painful at all. It was honestly a small pinch and that was it. If you can handle a shot, you can handle this. As far as any swelling or bruising, this is completely dependent on how your skin reacts to things. For me, not really. There was some redness and small bumps at the injection sites immediately after the procedure, which is normal, but that goes away in approximately 20 minutes after. This depends on your body of course, but any reaction is minor and doesn’t last long. The after treatment is very minor, it’s suggested to not massage the area afterwards as to not move the product around. There will be a dull ache feeling in the treated area for a day or two following treatment which is normal. I could tell something was done to the area, but it wasn’t painful or anything like that. Tylenol or Excedrin can be taken, but I honestly didn’t take anything. I personally saw results 3 days to one week after treatment. Following treatment I do not feel frozen, I can still move my face and make expressions. I 1,000% love my results and highly recommend getting this done! I now think I should’ve started sooner as I’m becoming obsessed with how smooth and great my skin looks! TOX for the win!
xx
HOLLY