My Botox Experience

Three months after my 25^th birthday, I booked in for my first botox treatment at the skin clinic in Aberdeen. It was something I’d thought long and hard about for the 6 months prior to me going. I know wrinkles and fine lines are all part of the aging process and I’m not somebody who is afraid of getting older. In fact, I’m enjoying the wisdom and sense of peace that getting more mature seems to be bringing me. But my under eye fine lines were something that irritated me and I felt like I had tried every available eye cream and concealer out there. I know people might think that 25 is still far too young to even think about botox but this was my decision and I think that given all the things that you can do at 25, I’m definitely mature enough to come to my own decisions regarding my appearance. I researched a lot beforehand and knew that I wanted only the tiniest amount injected first to see if I noticed any visible difference. If I liked it - great! And if I didn’t, well at least it wasn’t anything permanent. I definitely didn’t feel pressurised by anyone into getting botox done. I’m single so wasn’t doing it to please a partner and I hardly read any celebrity magazines that put a dent in my self esteem. This was something I wanted to do for me – and nobody was going to stop me!

I’d been to the skin clinic a few years before and had a great experience there. I knew the clinical director personally as I work in the NHS and trusted him fully. He is the lead consultant dermatologist at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary so this guy knew what he was doing! I would only ever recommend going to a dermatologist. I know some people less qualified might be just as good at giving it, but for me personally I wanted a doctor to administer it especially given that it was around such a sensitive area. I had my initial consultation with a nurse who went through exactly what to expect both pre and post treatment. She referred me on to the consultant as only he can administer botox around the eye area. The following week I had my consultation with the specialist and had my first treatment there and then. Of course I was apprehensive, but after doing my research I knew the pain would be nippy but nothing excruciating. I was given an anaesthetic wipe to clean off my makeup under my eye area but was allowed to leave my contacts in. He only administered a tiny amount and told me that if I didn’t notice a visible difference, I could come back for more free of charge. The needle was so fine that I hardly felt a thing. The best way I can describe it is like having your skin pinched with a tweezer for a second. It really isn’t sore at all and I was out the clinic within 5 minutes. I was told to expect some bruising or redness after but this was completely normal and would subside within a few hours but I didn’t experience any of that. Botox isn’t instant and it will take a few days (about 5-7 days) before you begin to see results. At my follow up appointment two weeks later, I decided to have some more injected as I wasn’t completely satisfied with the results. After my second visit, I began to see a much more dramatic result. My whole eye area looked more awake and my fine lines were much less visible. Botox doesn’t make wrinkles disappear but it does reduce their appearance.  My concealer doesn’t sink into my lines like it did before and I’m really happy with how it turned out. I didn’t look plastic and nobody could even tell I had it done! How long botox lasts varies from person to person but because the younger you are, the faster your metabolism, my results were expected to last for around 3-4 months. I’m planning on going in again sometime in August.

If you’re considering having botox done I would highly recommend researching thoroughly first. Make sure that you are having it done for you and nobody else. Some people might think I’m just vain (which most people are let’s face it!) but I also know that a person is made up of so much more than the way they look. I had a great experience with it but botox can never disguise poor self esteem or a lack of confidence. Our looks are only temporary so as much as I love makeup, remember that the person you are will last a lot longer than your appearance.