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Botox for Beginners

5/3/2019

6 Comments

 
A life of interesting stories leads to a face of interesting wrinkles!
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I wasn’t overly concerned until my early-fifties, that is when the ravages of age laid it’s claim to my face. I’ve been afraid to try anything invasive including Botox… the needle, injecting something into my face, what if I don’t like the results? I’m probably beyond fixing anyway… if my face was Earth, some of the wrinkles would be relative to the Grand Canyon!
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​Whilst I’ve been debating the next step beyond wonder creams, Botox has become even more mainstream with youngsters in their twenties using it as a preventative measure to stop wrinkles forming in the first place. They will remain like porcelain dolls their whole life… well that’s the idea! For me, a cracked porcelain doll would be a bonus, or at least the softening of well-etched lines created from many a good story!
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Like the world, my forehead has it's own set of natural wonders!
I was fortunate to meet Nurse January, a true professional who works out of spa810 at both the Scottsdale - Shea location and Arrowhead, AZ. Nurse January RN, BSN has extensive medical and aesthetics experience which totally put me at ease. “Client outcomes are my number one priority”, says January. Her mantra, especially for newbies, is to go with less and do more later if necessary.  

​As with any huge decision that causes apprehension, doing your own research is very important. The number one recommendation is to seek the services of ONLY fully qualified nurse or doctor practitioners. 

I was about ready to take the Botox plunge despite being a nervous wreck, anxious that my face would be frozen, worried that my heavy eyelids would droop even more than they do already, and I would have a botulism plague running rampant throughout my body. Valid concerns I thought to myself! But if I was to entrust anybody to manage these horrid consequences, Nurse January is my gal!  
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Lots of medical forms and full disclosures are to be expected
Basically, Botox relaxes the muscle to minimize contraction which creates the deep creases, you still have feeling so you are not numbed by it. Continual use over long periods of time can reduce the formation of new wrinkles. It gradually wears off lasting 3 to 5 months, hence the need to keep up treatment! If deep lines already exist, Botox will soften them making them less pronounced, but they will not disappear altogether. Softer lines will become near to invisible.
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Before the procedure make it clear to your practitioner what you are looking to achieve. For me I wanted the "Botox, no Botox" look, a refresh but keeping my expressions! ​Note that Botox works on the upper face primarily - forehead and around the eyes.
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A good practitioner will show you the bottle that your Botox came in. If not, you should ask to see it. There's another product which is inferior to Botox, so it's important to know that you are getting what you pay for. Also ask your practitioner what the dilution of Botox to saline ratio is. Normal practice is 1.5 to 2.5. The less dilution the better, 1.5:1 or 2:1 is good. January did all this automatically, I didn’t have to ask!   ​
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Nurse January establishes where to put the Botox by seeing your expression lines and wrinkles. She marks where the injections will go.
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My "elevenses", the two lines that appear when I frown between the eyebrows are very pronounced. Nurse January squishes them together to determine where she will inject to minimize them. They are deep creases so they may not go away altogether, but she can make them much less noticeable. 
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January's proprietary step is to transpose the markings on your face to paper to keep for her records, it also helps her explain why and where she is placing the Botox as well as shows how many units you will get.
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On with the show! 
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I was totally blown away that I could barely feel anything. It really is the faintest tiniest pin prick. ​
Immediately after treatment, the area looks like it's been stung by bees. This is now my favorite type of bee sting because a) you can't feel anything and b) the bumps and redness disappear within 10 to 15 minutes.
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Immediately following treatment - the bee sting effect!
There is no downtime as such with Botox, but there are a few instructions that should be followed post injection:
  • Keep head upright for 4 hours
  • Do not rub area, massage or apply pressure with hats or headbands until the next day
  • No strenuous exercise for 24 hours
  • No facials, waxing or laser for two weeks
  • Avoid sun, extreme hot or cold temperatures for 24 hours

It takes three to four days for the Botox to settle and show the effects and two weeks to be fully effective. A new feeling occurs when you attempt to pull faces! For me, when I raise my eyebrows it feels like someone is holding my forehead in place. An attempt to frown is hopeless, it's like I lost the muscular movement to do that... adds a whole new meaning to the term "flat-lined"!

In my experience, I found it a challenge applying mascara as I couldn’t raise one of my eyelids to the same degree as before due to different muscle strength on one side of the face to the other. My eyebrows were still perfectly aligned, and although I felt like I was pulling faces, I was no longer scaring small children! A good practitioner, such as Nurse January at spa810 will have you back for a checkup and any "tweekments" necessary at two weeks. These types of adjustments can fix any irregularities that may have occurred. 
​Let’s take a look at some before and after pictures: 
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​Raising my eyebrows creates a lot less movement in the forehead and even my “elevenses” are smoother although not invisible.
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​Much less creasing even at the sides.
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It’s clear to see that Botox really does create a smoother appearance. These comparisons were taken right “before” the procedure and two weeks “after” the procedure, no need to say which is which! Recreating the same facial lines is virtually impossible after the Botox has kicked in even though I am attempting the same expression.

Would I do this again? Yes, absolutely I would!
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If you’re in Arizona and want to try Botox, spa810 is a relaxing spa establishment where you will find Nurse January, a fully qualified and skilled injectable practitioner. spa810 is offering my readers a 10% discount on the first set of injectables by mentioning ABOVEANDBEBLONDE when you call 480-210-1001. If Botox isn’t your thing, check out the spa for their other services, they have some amazing treatments that will leave you feeling and looking your best. Shani and Andrea the owners, make it their priority to ensure every guest has an amazing spa experience, you will not be disappointed.
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Spa 810 Scottsdale, AZ - Shani (co owner) and Nurse January
As always, thank you for stopping by
Thank you to spa810 for sponsoring this post. The words and results herein are my own experience and the photographs are my own and have not been modified. 
6 Comments
Cindy Perkins
5/3/2019 01:17:25 pm

Karen! Amazing and beautiful results! This makes me want to RUN and get LOTS of Botox injections. You look gorgeous!

Reply
Karen
5/3/2019 01:27:26 pm

Thank you Cindy. I would suggest you hot foot it over to see Nurse January, but since you are on the other side of the country, that'll be a bit tricky!

Karen xx

Reply
Sharon link
5/4/2019 07:04:28 am

This is very timely for me. I have gotten Botox 3-4 times in Texas and always went to someone reputable. I now live in New Mexico. I thought I had picked someone good because of online reviews, but I have now pinpointed my symptoms (extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, drooped eyebrows etc) back to the day I received my Botox injections. I'm not really sure what to do about it!!! I don't even know how to check to see if it was really Botox that he used. I so appreciate you sharing that you should be shown the box etc!! I had no idea. I don't know if I will ever get it again, but the information is very good to know!!!

Reply
Karen
5/4/2019 09:15:25 am

Sharon,

I am so sorry to hear this. It does wear off after a few months, so hopefully your symptoms will dissipate.

Karen

Reply
Noel link
5/4/2019 01:21:30 pm

Awww...so awesome. I've had it done by a certified physician, and I was pleased. It's been almost a year. I need to return! You look super beautiful, hon! Congrats!!

Reply
Karen
5/7/2019 11:13:29 am

Thank you Noel. I am very happy with my results thanks to Nurse January.

Karen xx

Reply



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    Karen Serino is a life and style blogger, sharing fashion, fitness and fun for youthful women in their forties, fifties and beyond.

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