I have to come out of the gate with the reasoning behind this goal because I’ve had the following reactions like, “you don’t need it!” “WHY???”
Here’s me in the office (pre-Botox)
I am not self conscious of the wrinkles I have (for God’s sake – one cannot share that unedited, extreme close-up if one is that self conscious). I have come a long way to get to this loving place I have with my ever-changing face and body — doing this doesn’t change my stance. I am not trying to fix anything on my face. There’s nothing to fix. Wrinkles aren’t something to be ashamed of. I have the perspective of my grandma who says of her wrinkles, “I’ve earned every one of them.” Preach, Clara. And let’s be real, at 32, I’m not really that heavily wrinkled.
Many of my goals force me to experience things first-hand, so I can make my own decision instead of solely relying on others’ perspectives to inform me. If I could get Botox on my butthole (as I suggested to my friend), I would, but I can’t, so I chose an area of my face that has the second most pronounced wrinkles: my inner brow.
Here’s me exaggerating my crease and a highly-sophisticated graphic to illustrate where I got the Botox.
My two objectives:
- Experience how it feels to be injected with a chemical weapon
- Observe what it does to the muscle, lines in the face
I went with my friend Erin, whose friend recommended that we go to Tammy at NOVA Surgicare. She was fantastic.
Erin’s consultation was first. She wanted to get Botox on her forehead. Tammy, honest and refreshing, actually recommended that Erin NOT get it because of her dainty forehead and proximity of her brows to eyes. Or if she does, go with a very low portion to test the reaction. She was concerned that she would experience slight drooping as a result. Had we gone elsewhere, she tells us, they might not have flagged this. Erin would have gone through with it and had a terrible experience. No brainer. Erin refrained from doing it.
My turn! Unlike Erin, I have a bit more space to work with, so she had no reservations about giving me Botox. After our consultation, and reading the risks (GOOD GOD IT’S TERRIFYING) we were ready to go. I told her that I wanted to see the effects, but I still wanted movement in the area. She applied 15 units in the middle of my brow and a few above my brow.
My experience (watch until the end for terrifying smile):
- It was painless and over within a minute (see video above)
- There was a crackling noise
- I didn’t bleed
- I didn’t bruise
- Because of the location, the Botox might raise my brows slightly
- It didn’t feel like Novocaine, but my forehead felt kind of heavy the first day
- I had a slight headache afterward
- You have to keep upright for six hours and not touch your face or the ‘tox could redistribute to nearby muscles. I abided.
- The results don’t fully show for 5-7 days and lasts for 4-6 months
WARNING: EXTREME CLOSE-UPS AHEAD
Stank face attempt, Day 1 (it was more difficult to make this face after receiving injections the day before):
This was when I got emotional about my wrinkle disappearing. I mourned their disappearance. It was like a piece of me was going away.
Day 2 scrunch face:
This was the day I reflected on the idea that if I couldn’t make an expression, would I still feel that emotion. Can I still feel as disgusted or confused without emoting it? I think it’s harder to feel a certain way if you cannot emote it. When you can’t smile, you don’t feel as happy.
Day 3:
I am struggling to make this face. At this stage, I’ve come to realize just how much I furrow my brow on a daily basis and how much tension is stored there, sometimes causing me headaches. Because it’s harder for me to furrow my brow, my face feels less tense. It’s almost like a weight has been lifted — a positive experience I wasn’t expecting.
Day 4 screw face:
I know it says 5-7 days until it sets, but at this point, I’m wondering if this is it. It’s made a difference on my skin and it’s clearly harder for me to move my face, but for some people, it doesn’t set in for two weeks. Will there be more? However, I honestly can’t imagine it will affect me more than this.
Well, I think that’s it, folks. I’ll add any additional observations if I experience more, but I hope I’ve been the Sherpa in your Botox Mount Everest adventure.
-Lyssa
UPDATE: If you are interested in going to NOVA Surgicare, tell them Lyssa White referred you. You apparently get points for every dollar you spend and all that jazz too.