A middle-aged woman receives her first Botox treatment for glabellar lines, with before and after results.

I have been growing wary of the lines on my face for some time now. I wouldn’t say that I am overly obsessed with them or anything, just that I am noticing them a lot more recently. Wrinkles are a normal part of the aging process, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. So when an opportunity came up to address the lines on my face, I was intrigued.

I was asked if I was interested in having a Botox treatment. I had not ever given it any real thought before. I have friends that enjoy their Botox with great results. So, I thought, why not give it a try.

I told my husband about the plan to have Botox.

Him: You are beautiful just the way you are. Don’t change the way you look.

Me: I won’t be changing my look, just enhancing it so I can feel beautiful.

My appointment was with Michelle Satola, a Nurse Practioner with Spa400 at Invison Health. I was a bit nervous leading up to it. What if something went wrong? What if I become deformed? Certainly, a little vanity is not worth THAT. But…what if it makes me feel better about the way I look, wouldn’t that be worth it?

Michelle was very professional and knowledgeable. She explained that the Botox treatment would temporarily paralyze my muscles, which would diminish the appearance of my wrinkles. Botox is actually a preventative measure. Since my glabellar lines (the two vertical lines above the nose, between the eyebrows, that resemble a number 11) were already quite pronounced, there wouldn’t be any guarantee they would be gone completely. 

Botox is measured in units, the scale to standardize the ability of the Botox to relax the nerve. I was given 24 units. The injections did pinch a bit, but that’s it. I was told the forehead was the least painful spot for the injections, and that the crows feet and around the lip areas were much more painful. I made a mental note of that for future reference.

The side effects that were most likely to happen were bleeding at the injection site, bruising, swelling and headaches. In rare cases, there could be infection and droopy eye, though Michelle had said she’s never encountered those. The lines should begin to fade in 4 – 10 days. I can expect the results to last approximately 3 months after my first visit, and about 6 months for subsequent treatments. I asked if the wrinkles would come back stronger and was told that was a myth. The lines and wrinkles often appear less severe with time because the muscles are shrinking.

The first 24 hours I had very little swelling, no bruising whatsoever, and no change in appearance. After that, I started to notice my eyebrows starting to raise a bit, giving me a slightly higher arch. By the seventh day, it was hard to squint completely, but my forehead didn’t feel paralyzed at all. 

You’ll see in the before photos,  that I have lines across the middle of my forehead and the glabellar lines are noticeable at rest, and a great deal more noticeable while squinting. In the after shots, the fine lines on my forehead are no longer visible and the glabellar lines are less pronounced. The after shot of the squint is where I see the most prominent difference.

My overall first impression of Botox was favorable. I had a pleasant experience all around, and I can definitely see myself visiting Michelle again in the future.

Do you think there’s a difference between my before and after shots? Have you tried Botox? What did you think? Please leave a comment below with your results, or tell me why you think it isn’t for you.