Take a Shot at Aging with BOTOX and Dysport
Blogger Karin Ruiz shares her BOTOX® experience at Marina Plastic Surgery.
What trip to LA is complete without a visit to a Plastic Surgeon's office?
On my trip to Southern California this week, I had the pleasure of getting a first hand look into one of LA's premier aesthetic practices, Marina Plastic Surgery, located in Marina Del Rey. I wanted to get the lowdown on "Beauty Without The Blade" right from the center of the Plastic Surgery universe. This is definitely it!
With a highly selective group of the best physician assistants (PA's) and clinical aestheticians, Marina Plastic Surgery gets the job done with their impressive list of services including injectables, dermal fillers, and non invasive procedures, such as facials and laser treatments... even permanent makeup!
Here's what I learned about BOTOX Cosmetic and Dysport from Laura Pietrzak, PA, one of Marina Medspa's managers in charge of aesthetic and clinical skin care...
It's impossible not to get excited about injectables once you meet Laura. Her enthusiasm and dedication to cosmetic medicine radiates from her as she settles you in to take a closer look at what she's got to work with. She quickly assessed my face and decided that I would only need about half of a normal dose to prevent some of my fine lines from becoming full-blown creases.
Laura explained that it's not unreasonable for women to start using injectables as early as their twenties. She compared the face to a sheet of paper that has been folded, saying that no matter how much you try, once the paper has been creased, that line will remain there. Your skin operates similarly, so the longer a line is allowed to settle in, the harder it is to "get it out".
As far as choosing BOTOX Cosmetic or Dysport, Laura says there is little difference between the two. BOTOX Cosmetic, was of course the original wrinkle-releaser, but after losing it's patent other companies jumped on board to make competing products. The marketing behind Dysport says that it is faster acting, and can "spread" to work on a larger area of skin, but Laura also mentioned that it takes twice the amount to achieve the same result. In the end, the choice is up to you.
Here is the moment you've been waiting for! I opted to try BOTOX, so that I could tell you first hand how it is. Laura is truly an expert, instantly making me forget my needle-phobia by chatting me through the 10 minute series of injections. She's so quick and precise that she didn't even need to numb my skin before she started! The needle is tiny, and each shot is sort of like a little sting or snap against the skin.
The injection sites were a little red and puffy at first, but went down after about an hour. Laura told me that if you bruise easily, it's a good idea to avoid raising your blood pressure too much after the procedure, so hold off on the gym or any intense activity for about a day. Besides that, there really is zero downtime. I had only one itsy-bitsy bruise that looked like a freckle, and was easily covered with makeup.
BOTOX and Dysport take up to a full week to stop muscle movement. Three days later, I already noticed improvement in my fine lines, and it took real effort to furrow my brow. The result is very natural so far, making me look friendlier and more relaxed, not frozen or expressionless.
Laura suggested keeping up a routine of injections about every 3 months for up to a year, saying that it's ideal to come in before the muscles regain full movement again. Remember not to go overboard though. Eventually, your body does get used to it, in which case higher doses are required to get a similar effect.
With very little chance of damage or side effects, this is a great way to let a skilled practitioner help you fight your anti-aging battle. As always with cosmetic procedures, skip the "lunchtime special" at the mall's BOTOX boutique and go to an accredited facility.
Is BOTOX for you? Definitely if you're trying to keep away creases, look more relaxed, or lose some of your lines. Go ahead and take a shot at father time!
By Karin Ruiz from BeautyWithoutTheBlade.com
