Everything you need to know about Botox

Photo by Rachel Popovici - Vici LLC Photography

Last week, I had the opportunity to go to Spa Sydell to meet with Dr. Kollinger {aka Dr. K} for a Botox and filler consultation.  Dr. K spent an hour with me teaching me everything I needed to know about Botox and fillers, doing a facial analysis to provide recommended treatments, and making sure I was completely comfortable with the process.  It was a really great experience and I'm extremely happy with the results! My forehead is smoother than ever!

To all my ATL ladies {and gentlemen}, Spa Sydell is giving you 15% off Botox, 15% off all spa services {I also had a hydra facial and it was AMAZING}, and 10% off fillers when you mention code: Brooke Spa Sydell while making your appointment! 

Disclaimer: I am NOT a doctor. I am simply giving you information that I learned during my consultation at Spa Sydell.  I highly recommend you consulting a doctor to go over your medical history before getting Botox and/or fillers.

What is Botox?

Botox is an FDA approved neurotoxin used medically to treat certain muscular conditions and cosmetically to remove wrinkles by temporarily paralyzing facial muscles, resulting in the smoothing of the overlying skin. 

Ain't nobody got time for wrinkles, am I right!?

What is it commonly used for?

1. Remove / Prevent Wrinkles

• Upper Face:
• Frown lines {between your eye browns}
• Forehead lines
• Top of the nose {bunny lines}
• Around the eyes / crow's feet
• Eyebrows {to help lift droopy eye lids}
• Lower Face:
• Lipstick lines {caused by smoking or drinking from straws}
• Jawline/Neck
• Chin {to prevent dimpling}
• Jaw Angle {to prevent teeth grinding or to prevent your gums from showing when you smile}

2.  Excessive underarm, palm, and/or feet sweating

• Botox is an FDA approved treatment for hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating.  Botox can help significantly reduce how much you sweat under your arms, palms or feet.

3.  Treat Migraines

• Botox injections around the face and neck every 12 weeks is an FDA approved treatment to prevent and reduce migraines.

How is it administered?

First, Dr. K did a full facial analysis and recommended areas on my face to be treated by Botox.  We decided that my forehead and between my eye brows definitely needed some love.  Dr. K injected 30 units of Botox into my forehead and frown lines via a 30 gauge needle.  For comparison, a typical flu shot is a 25 gauge needle; the higher the number, the smaller the needle.  He put numbing cream on my forehead and between my eye brows and pricked me with the needle about 10 times total {5 for frown lines and 5 for forehead}.  It felt like a pinch and took less than 30 seconds for the entire "procedure!"  I personally do not have issues with needles and have a high pain tolerance, so I did not think it hurt - but that will obviously vary depending on the person.

The number of units used will also vary by person depending on the condition being treated/areas addressed, age, and strength of muscles {apparently I have very strong face muscles...who knew!?}.

How long does it last?

It can take anywhere from 3 - 5 days to see the results of Botox and it typically lasts between 3 - 6 months depending on how fast your metabolism is.  If you continue to get Botox when it starts wearing off, the results will begin lasting longer.

This was actually my second time getting Botox.  The first time was back in May, so I would say mine lasted about 3.5-4 months.

What are the side effects?

I experienced minimal side effects, but the most common ones are bruising, bleeding, pain, or swelling near the injection site.  The only one I experienced was a little bleeding between my eye brows that stopped before I left the office.

What NOT to do after receiving Botox

The treatment requires minimal downtime so you can return to your normal daily routine after leaving the specialist's office.  However, Dr. K recommended that I not workout, wear a hat {since I received injections in my forehead}, drink alcohol, touch the area, or take blood thinners for 24 hours.  He also recommended avoiding heat exposure {both the tanning bed and the sun} for 24 hours.

How much does it cost?

Price obviously varies depending on where you're getting it done, but on average, I've noticed it costs around $12/unit {at least in the Atlanta area}.  I received 30 units to treat my forehead and frown lines, so that would cost about $360.

GREAT NEWS! Spa Sydell is offering 15% off Botox if you mention code "Brooke Spa Sydell" when making your appointment.  That's an AMAZING deal that all your ATL folks should take advantage of.

Am I too young for Botox?

This was my biggest concern when going into my consultation.  Since I'm still in my 20s {hanging onto my 20's by a thread, rather}, I did not want to get in the habit of spending hundreds of dollars on Botox every few months if it is not needed until later in life.  I was also concerned that getting Botox too early would cause my face to look overdone or unnatural.

Many doctors say that starting young has great benefits.  Those who start earlier with small amounts, age better than those who start after the signs of aging take place.  Prevention is better than correction.

Botox delivers fairly subtle results, so you'll look like yourself - only with less noticeable lines and smoother skin.  No one should even notice that you've had anything done.

What is the difference between Botox and Fillers?

Both Botox and fillers are used to prevent or eliminate signs of aging in the face.  The primary difference between the two is that Botox reduces activity of the muscles in the face that cause wrinkles.  Facial fillers, however, fill the trouble areas with collagen, which helps stimulate collagen growth in the face as well as plump and lift the skin to replace collagen loss.

Fillers are most commonly used to treat bags under the eyes, to plump lips, and to create full cheeks.  Depending on the type of filler used, the results last anywhere from 3 - 9 months.  Fillers are also quite a bit more expensive than Botox. 

While I did not receive any fillers during my appointment, I am very interested in doing this in the future!  If and when that happens, I'll go into more details on fillers at that time.

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Overall, I am 100% satisfied with the results of Botox and I had an amazing experience at Spa Sydell.  I will definitely be visiting Dr. K again for future treatments.  If you live in the Atlanta area, go give Dr. K a visit and tell him I said hello! :) Don't forget to mention code: Brooke Spa Sydell when booking your appointment to take advantage of that 15% discount {or 10% on fillers}!

You can learn more about Botox, including Before & After pictures, by visiting www.botoxcosmetic.com.

This post was sponsored by Spa Sydell but, as always, all opinions are my own.