So the other day, I was looking in the rear-view mirror, and I caught a glimpse of myself. The sun was shining on my face, the cool breeze blowing softly. Sounds lovely, yes? Not.
Looking in the mirror in that light, I discovered that I had some frown lines that I had never seen before. I looked downright mean. And old. Mean and old. How attractive! Not.
I immediately went home and slathered super thick night cream in between my eyebrows. At $350 a pop for the cream, those wrinkles better go away.
The next morning, I woke up, rushed to my lighted, magnified makeup mirror to survey the results. S–t! They were still there. I called my facial technician and made an appointment. Maybe a moisturizing facial and peel could conquer those damn lines.
The peel and facial were done. My frown lines remained. Well hydrated, but still there. I asked my technician what I should do. She said the word. BOTOX.
I was always afraid of Botox. And needles. I’d heard horror stories about women who used too much and maimed their faces. My tech recommended a physician who was highly skilled, and assured me that I would love it.
I made an appointment the next week with the doctor, I’ll call him Dr. P. Before the procedure, he sat with me, showing me before and after photos of people who had Botox injections. “Impressive! Let’s do it,” I said.
I jumped up on to the procedure chair. His assistant gave me one of those squeeze balls that people use for stress. Hmm. What do I need this? I asked myself. Then Dr. P started the simple procedure. He asked me to frown. No prob.
From there, he injected Botox into my frown lines. I then realized why I needed that squeeze ball. It hurt! But not for long.
When he was done, he asked me to frown again. This time, no frown lines were there. In fact, the Botox worked so well that I was not able to muster up any type of a frown at all!
Now, as I catch a glimpse in the mirror, I look younger. I don’t look mad. Perfecto.
Frown lines gone forever! Or at least until the Botox wears off…
Hot Flash Universe is the go-to source for women over 40 seeking insight into the hottest, most current trends, products, and issues. Topics are approached with candor, intellect, and a healthy dose of humor.
Barbara Bishop is President of Santa Monica-based BBPR, Inc. For comments or suggestions, email Barbara.bishop@bbprinc.com.
