So a bit of history first, I'm fifty-eight now, and at about the age of 25 I started to notice lines developing horizontally across my forehead and in particular two very prominent vertical lines above and either side of my nose. Depending on your point of view, either ‘frown lines’…over the years I must have done an awful lot of frowning, or laughter lines - but nothing is that funny!
I became quite self-conscious about these lines. I knew Botox existed, but when I was in my 20’s and 30’s it wasn’t ‘out there’ in the same way it is now, and it was mainly considered a treatment for the rich and famous back in the 1980s. There were also some pretty awful pictures of people who’d had Botox many years ago, and really didn’t look good! So I grew a fringe and tried to forget about the lines. I tried every face cream on the market, but none of them really made much difference to my wrinkles.
Over the years, the lines continued to get deeper and deeper and I thought about Botox more although I still didn't do anything about it, even though I could actually fit my fingernail into the vertical lines above my nose…that’s how deep they were!
The opportunity to have Botox, in a safe and responsible way, finally presented itself when I was 55, better late than never I suppose! I had heard of DermaLuxe Aesthetics in Sheffield, I knew it was opened by an Advanced Nurse Practitioner with a Master’s Degree, and she came highly recommended.
Rachel was brilliant - she spent ages answering every sensible, and some pretty stupid, questions that I had. She listened to all my concerns, the main concern being that these lines were soooo deep, and I thought even the strongest Botox wouldn't shift them. I was worried that I had left it too late for anything to work. As Rachel explained, it is best to start Botox treatment when you are younger, to prevent deep lines forming, and sometimes really deep lines can’t be completely eradicated. However, Rachel was confident that even my tramlines could be smoothed out somewhat. She also reassured me that techniques in the Botox world were very different now to how they used to be in the ’80s and that advancements in the understanding of how Botox works, the techniques used, and training had developed at an enormous rate, meaning much better results these days!
After my initial consultation, I went away ‘to think about it’. There was actually no thinking to be done, I had made up my mind…this was going to happen. Rachel reassured me that if I didn’t like it, it would wear off in a couple of months, leaving no trace.
Even so, I don't think I can describe how anxious I was the first time I went for the Botox injections in Sheffield. Every horror story I’d ever heard came flooding back, the pictures of from the 80’s marched across my mind’s eye. And I'm quite ‘sensitive to pain’ (mardy), so despite Rachel’s reassurances, I was convinced it was going to hurt! Well, it really doesn't hurt at all, just a few sharp scratches as they say, and it was over in less than two minutes. There were even a couple of injections that I didn't actually feel going in…apparently the needles Rachel uses for Botox in Sheffield are extremely fine.
What I really liked about Rachel was that she listened to me. I’d said I didn’t want to look mask-like and I didn’t want my eyebrows to be pointy (always a sure sign of Botox to me) and she took that on board. I also felt happier when she said, “I've just put a tiny bit in here, we can always add more at your review appointment if needed”. It was so reassuring to me that we were taking things slowly and gently. Rachel listens…this isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ service. I know the majority of her client base are younger women but she understands that what a 25-year-old wants is very different from what a 58-year-old wants, and she can achieve both generation’s results perfectly.
It was such a simple procedure and as I stepped off the treatment couch, I honestly couldn't understand why I had made such a fuss about having this done. I left the treatment room on a high, with a list of do’s and don’ts to ensure I got the best results from my Botox treatment (don't lie down for four hours and don't dash off to a spinning class, etc) and a follow-up appointment for two weeks’ time. Rachel explained to me that Botox takes two weeks to reach full effect, and that’s why the follow-up appointment in two weeks’ time was where more Botox can be administered if needed.
I did have a little ‘top up’ at my follow-up appointment, by which time I was starting to see a distinct visible softening in the lines and for the first time in nearly 30 years, I was happy to sweep my fringe back. I was happy with the overall effect and I still had some movement in my forehead which made it feel natural.
I was doubtful Botox would work for me, given the depth of my lines and the length of time I’d had them, but it did! It really did, and it continues to improve all the time! I now have Botox at DermaLuxe in Sheffield every four or five months, and don’t think twice about it.
My advice to any ‘mature’ lady out there thinking about having Botox at DermaLuxe in Sheffield for the first time; if you have facial lines that are making you self-conscious, that you would like to do something about, then do it! Have the Botox…you’ll be glad you did!