My wrinkles are from laughing. Mostly.
But the deep crevices on my forehead are from life. And age. And I have finally decided to banish them because my resting face makes me look a little more curmudgeonly than I really am. Honestly.
When I started researching Botox – aka anti-wrinkle injections I felt like I discovered a parallel universe. Apparently, everyone is getting it done. And not just tired old mum’s like me – those in the industry I spoke to said fans of botox are getting younger and younger.
Is it the result of an obsession with Instagram perfection or a simply a fad?
Arriving at the decision to alter the natural ageing of my face didn’t come without a lot of very deep introspection.
Is is pure vanity? Am I buying (literally) into a world that bases your worth on how young you look, or was it simply a way to make myself feel slightly younger, a little less tired and to indulge in something for me after a few tough years of sleepless nights, teething trouble and tough pregnancies.
I would like to think it’s the latter.
The more people I spoke to about it the more came out of the botox closet and admitted they indulged in a jab or two once or twice a year.
And I understand why people don’t want to admit it. You would prefer people to think you look great because you are simply ageing well. To be honest, the idea of pumping your face with poison is initially hard to reconcile myself with – but a friend told me recently…we gulp down copious amounts of poison every weekend – at least this is relatively localised.
The other concern is that once you start – are you committed to a lifetime of botox jabs. This is why it would concern me that young girls in their twenties are starting to get them regularly to achieve that’ flawless’ look. What happens when they stop? How much is too much?
Let me also preface this by saying just because I have tried doesn’t mean it is something I would encourage. I think ideally, everyone should be happy in their own skin and not feel like they need to do anything drastic to ‘keep up’ appearances. Ideally.
So to answer some of your questions – No, it didn’t hurt AT ALL (and I’m a bit squeamish) It costs about 140 euro for one area. It lasts about 6 months and it has progressed massively from the very unflattering ‘frozen’ look of a few years ago.
It takes about two weeks to kick in and a good doctor will examine your face well to see how best to compliment your face while still leaving it with some natural movement.
Would I do it again? I honestly don’t know. It is extremely expensive to keep up and I don’t adore the idea that if you stop you will look a lot more tired (and old) quicker. I would also have concerns about it being a ‘gateway’ to having more cosmetic procedures as other areas of your face can look worse in contrast. Nothing against it – it is just a decision that you can’t unmake.
However, in spite of all that I am very much enjoying the effects so far and I can see why it has become so popular. It has been a long time since somebody complimented me on looking so fresh and it is a very quick and easy fix.
Watch this space.
For those who are simply curious – we spoke to Sarah Quinlavan from Therapie Clinic who gave us the lowdown about what actually happens if you decide to take the Botox plunge:
What do you think of the idea of botox? Do you know many who have had it? Do they admit it?
