I had always considered getting botox, and starting early as a “preventative measure.” I heard that if you are proactive, you almost prevent the wrinkles from ever forming. Yet, I’m low maintenance and I don’t like to add things to my maintenance routine that require regular visits.
You also know that I was pregnant, had baby #1, nursed/pumped for an entire year, immediately got pregnant with baby #2, had baby #2 and then went right into nursing/pumping again. 2 kids in 2 years. I was mom-ing 24/7. I am so blessed and wouldn’t change it for the world. However, do you know that feeling when you are giving, giving, giving, and you just want to do something for yourself. That’s where I was when I decided to try botox.

MY BOTOX EXPERIENCE – ROUND 1

I did a ton of research, got recommendations from people, and decided on a cosmetic dermatologist near me. I went in, shared what I was looking for and clearly stated that I do not want to look over-done. I received the botox and went home. It can take a full week to set in, so I anxiously awaited the results.
About 2-3 days later, my right upper eyelid looked a little puffy when I woke up. I brushed it off, thinking I slept weird. That following day, my eye was so puffy and swollen that I worried I was having some sort of allergic reaction.
Fast forward several weeks… the dramatic puffy-ness did wear off. However, I was frozen AF to say the least. I had zero movement in my forehead. That right eyelid remained slightly puffy for at least 2 months until the botox began wearing off.
I was definitely not going back to that doctor and I sort of questioned going back at all.
 

MY BOTOX EXPERIENCE – ROUND 2

It was 6 months since my first botox injection… the botox completely wore off and I had full expression in my forehead. I decided to make an appointment at a plastic surgeon’s office. I explained to her my past experience and she asked a few more questions on how many units I received and where it was injected.
She concluded – it was simply too much for me. She very educatedly explained that botox relaxes the muscles and that if they relax too too much/combined with it being injected too close to the brow, the muscle actually relaxes down into the eye. This is why you can get a slightly droopy eyelid, or, in my case, the muscle relaxed and pushed normal fluid down into that eyelid.
She assured me she would go very conservative. She said I will be so conservative that we can schedule an appointment for next week and I can add more then if desired.
OBSESSED! Night and day difference. My forehead actually still had a bit of movement but the majority was motionless yet subtle. She injected in a way that actually lifted the right lid (an aesthetic technique that can make the eyebrows and face more symmetrical). I could not have loved the results more. I’ve been back here for a second appointment (3rd time total).
 

BOTOX QUESTIONS + ANSWERS

you shared your questions with me on Instagram, so I collected the most popular ones…
 

“WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR BOTOX INJECTED?”

I had botox injected in my forehead and a tiny bit between my eyebrows.
 

“HOW MUCH DID IT COST?”

Botox is priced per unit. The exact price per unit varies depending upon who you’re going to and your location. By me, I would say an average price is about $12-$15/unit. Then, obviously you multiply that number by how many units injected. I did a quick google search and found a common forehead treatment range of 30-50 units of botox.
 

“HOW MANY UNITS DO YOU GET?”

This is a question I do NOT want to answer because I think a professional should tell YOU how many would be ideal for YOU. I know that’s annoying but because of the bad experience I had, I don’t want anyone using my numbers as what they should do.
 

“HOW LONG DOES IT LAST?”

Once you are injected with botox, it takes about a full week to set in. When you leave, you’ll be able to use your face muscles as normal. Day by day, the muscle movement diminishes (it’s oddly interesting to track).
1ST EXPERIENCE: : when I received too much botox for my personal preference, I was “frozen” for a good 2.5 months. From 2.5 months – 3.5 months, it was wearing off (some movement). At about month 4, it was fully worn off.
2ND EXPERIENCE: I would say from 1 week after injection to about 6 weeks, I don’t have much muscle movement. What I love about the units I get and how she injects it is that I always have some movement in my forehead just not wrinkling. From about week 6 – week 10, it is wearing off where I have some movement/wrinkles but not like “normal”. After about 2.5-3 months, it’s fully worn off. Again, this is because I do “less” in general so I probably have to go more often.
 

“HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?”

10 minutes. The initial consultation takes a bit of time, especially if you’re like me and dot every i and cross every t… that appointment was about 30 minutes. However, the actual appointment is less than 15 minutes… 10 minutes if I need to be in and out.
 

“WHY BOTOX OVER FILLERS?”

They serve two different purposes. I was told that botox paralyzes the muscles to help prevent fine lines and wrinkles from developing. Fillers are substances that physically fill in spaces; lips, smile lines, cheeks and under the eyes seem to be common places for filler.
 

“HOW LONG DID IT HURT?

It is actually pretty painless. It feel like tiny pinches and a bit on stinging. When it’s done, the pain is done. I have a pretty high pain tolerance, and I would say botox is “uncomfortable” but not “painful.” By the time you feel any pain, it’s over.
 

“I AM AFRAID OF THE SIDE EFFECTS. DID YOU HAVE ANY?”

I don’t know if you’d consider it a side effect, but the first time I did botox, I just received too much, which contributed to the puffy eyelid. If I could go back, I would have really emphasized how conservative I wanted to go… I would have specified that I still want some movement in my forehead. Also, I do get slight headaches as the botox sets in but it’s nothing bad.
 

“WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR 1ST AND 2ND EXPERIENCE?”

1) NUMBER OF UNITS USED: the 2nd time, I had almost half of the units of botox used and achieved a better results (goes to show less really is more)
2) THE INJECTOR: I think you have to take the time (maybe go through a treatmeant you don’t love) to find someone you do like. The woman I see is *amazing* – she’s so conservative, knows exactly where to inject to maximize the results. I love her!

“DOES IT GIVE YOU HEADACHES?”

I’m sure you’ve seen the botox commercials that say botox can limit the number of migraine days. Interestingly enough, I have migraines and I don’t know if it’s a placebo effect but I do think I have less headache days.
However, I personally get slight headaches a few days after getting botox as it sets in, which I was told is a common side effect.
 

“DO YOU FEEL LIKE IT’S ADDICTING ONCE YOU START?”

This is a funny question… it’s probably as addicting as when I started getting a shellac manicure or the first time I got my hair highlighted. For me, it’s not addicting in the fact that I *could* stop and still love the way I look BUT it is addicting in the fact that I really like the results and want to keep it up.
 

“I DON’T HAVE A LOT OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS THAT GET BOTOX & AM WORRIED ABOUT JUDGEMENT… ADVICE?”

This is honestly something I thought about. I am a very confident person. I believe in wholistic health and wellness. I didn’t want getting botox to twist the fact that I’m still that person but also care about my looks enought to inject a toxin into my forehead. Also, I’ll be honest… when I grew up in Wisconsin, botox and plastic surgery was not nearly as common as it is now in 2020 and where I currently live in Houston.
 

“DO PEOPLE SAY THEY NOTICE OR JUST MORE LIKE A GENERAL ‘YOU’RE LOOKING GREAT’?”

I have not had a single person ask me, “do you have botox?” Maybe people are just polite?! Personally, I like the look. My husband was not crazy about me getting botox – he loves the natural look – and he has told me several times how great and subtle it looks.
 
Bottom line… do you research, but truly, you can do all the research in the world and you may not love the first place you try… or the second. For me, it took 2 tries but I am thrilled now. You always here people say “less is more” but truly, start on such a conservative side that you have to go back in for more sooner than expected (it’s the same price whether you have it all at once or in 2 sessions). I am so happy with my decision to get botox.