Ok readers, be prepared for another personal post. As I’ve said before, I’m more comfortable posting content within my wheel house (which is styling, trends, and general fashion), so sharing more personal experiences can be vulnerable. However, since I’ve really enjoyed meeting so many readers in person and reading your kind comments and meaningful feedback, specifically with regards to my experience with the Faster Way to Fat Loss program, I’ve decided to (over) share some more. However, this time I’ll be keeping my clothes on!
Today, I’m sharing my personal philosophy and experience with aging gracefully. Now, I write this knowing that many people will disagree or have differing ideas about what and when “intervention” is appropriate. As always, I am simply sharing with you my personal opinion and experiences. Specifically, my experience using Botox and Dysport injections to address wrinkles.
Why did I choose to use Botox? Well, this is a personal one and also a choice. As I have gotten older (and full-disclosure, I will be turning 40 later this summer), the wrinkles on my forehead have gotten much deeper and make me appear older. I also have fine lines around my eyes and now my mouth, but seemingly those don’t bother me as much as the forehead. While I am religious about sun exposure now (always, always SPF and often a hat outdoors), I did spend a fair amount of time as a younger person sunning and tanning (Ahhhhhhh! Sorry mom, I should have listened).
Several years ago, a friend first introduced me to Botox as a gift (long story but yes, I was gifted Botox). This first experience was in a plastic surgeon’s office and I was injected by the lead surgeon. While I felt that I was in capable hands, I didn’t enjoy the general ambiance of the office, probably because the focus was on cosmetic surgery and I couldn’t get that stigma out of my head. I also felt “over-Botoxed” in that after 10 days (the general amount of time it takes for Botox to fully set in), I couldn’t move my forehead at all. While my forehead was very smooth, it didn’t feel genuine to me. I’m a very expressive person (as you can probably gather from my photos), so the frozen feeling didn’t seem authentic to me.
Fast forward a couple of years and those pesky wrinkles just continued to get deeper. And while cutting bangs is a viable option, I also have a love/hate relationship with my hair, so I decided to give Botox another try. This time I went to my dermatologist’s office and, after describing my first experience, we decided to try Dysport (a very similar product to Botox) and be more conservative with the injections, in hopes of avoiding the frozen face I wasn’t pleased with the first time. While I was much more happy erring on the conservative side, I didn’t feel like it was as effective as the first visit. I also could see what appeared like a ridge across my forehead where it seemed the injections began (we stayed two-fingers length above my brows to avoid a frozen, shocked look). This ridge, however, was particularly noticeable in photos. I guess that I’m kind of like Goldilocks, when it comes to Botox. Not too much, not too little…just the right amount.
Now, I don’t have all of the answers. But, luckily, I now know people that I feel confident likely do (or at least most of them when it comes to taking care of your skin). Most recently I have had a fabulous experience working with the aesthetic nurses at SkinSpirit Skincare Clinic and Spa. I have visited both of the Seattle-area salons (located in University Village and Bellevue Square). Immediately, I felt at ease with both of the nurses I have worked with. In particular, I agree with treating the person and enhancing their existing beauty and features, rather than a “cookie cutter” injection approach. I’m not seeking perfection, I just subtly want to look better and feel more confident. Having tried injections at a couple of offices, I shared with the nurses what I did and did not enjoy about my previous experiences (too frozen versus not as effective). Together we arrived at a solution and came up with a plan that I feel confident with. Most importantly, this is a group of people that I can build a relationship with and, together game-plan how I plan to care for my skin for the next 40 years!
Whatever your plan for skin care – whether it be simply taking good care of the skin you are in, addressing lines and wrinkles with injections, and/or augmenting with cosmetic enhancements; SkinSpirt can offer solutions for you. Their aestheticians and nurses are knowledgeable, approachable and warm (because who isn’t intimidated by people with flawless skin?!). The clinic offers state of the art techniques and products to address your skin concerns. And, most importantly, SkinSpirit is committed to treating you as the uniquely beautiful person that you are. If you are in the Seattle area (salons are in Bellevue, Seattle and Redmond) or the Bay Area for my California readers (there is even a salon in Mill Valley), you can book a free skin consultation and arrive at your own skin care plan.
Thank you for reading! Happy summer to all…don’t forget your SPF! ~Jenn
This post was written in collaboration with SkinSpirit. However, as always, you can rely on all of the opinions shared on my blog to be 100% mine.
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