Confessions of a (nearly) 40 year old: Botox

It's my last week of being a 30-something, so I thought I'd make a confession. I've been having Botox for around 4 years now, and you know what? it's bloody great. 

In my mid 30's I developed deep frown lines between my eyebrows. Yes I know, just stopping frowning and squinting may have helped, but I'm not great with will power, and by the time I realised how miserable the lines were making me, the damage was done. 

Some lines just age you, which is bad enough. But frown lines can change your expression, giving the impression of grumpiness in an otherwise cheerful person. So I decided to bite the bullet and get something done about it. 

Now, I wouldn't recommend that anyone go ahead with a cosmetic procedure without doing a serious amount of research. I'm lucky enough to work in the beauty industry, so a few not-so-discrete enquiries led me to the make an appointment with the lovely Dr Daniel Sister. 

Dr Sister is a charming Frenchman who works out of Beauty Works West. He's got an amazing reputation, and he well deserves it. He's the master of the subtle look, no one comes out of his clinic with that frozen look and he has been known to turn away people who he doesn't believe need the injections. He's also 100% honest, and although he's told me there are areas where I didn't need it, he also pointed out those that could do with a little help.

So what else can I tell you about Botox? Well it hurts a little, but needles in your face do tend to sting! I generally get a headache later the same day, but then I get considerably less headaches for the next few months. The first time I had Botox it only lasted 4 months, but since then my facial muscles don't fight so much, and now I go every 8 - 9months. You don't feel any different, except when you look in the mirror.  Don't expect immediate results. The official lines tend to be that the effects kick in around 5 days after you've been injected, but for me it can take two weeks to get to the end result.

No one has ever directly noticed I've had it, but I do always get comments that I look healthy and happy within a few weeks of a top-up.

The cost depends on how much you need and where you go, and the price should never be a factor when making your decision. Botox should never be cheap (if it is, be suspicious) and it MUST be done by a doctor with serious cosmetic experience, no matter what anyone tells you. So choose your doctor wisely, get recommendations, go for a consultation and don't expect to be injected the first time - don't rush into anything. 

Botox isn't for everyone. Some people firmly believe in ageing naturally, and I can respect that. But it does work for me, and I've never regretted my decision.

So what do you think? Would you? Have you?