New to Botox? Follow these newbie tips in order to feel safe.
As a former Botox skeptic, I sympathize with all of you who are nervous to get Botox injections for the first time. I remember being nervous myself! Because I know exactly where you are coming from and because I have been there, I have several recommendations that will help you to ease your way into the world of Botox and feel safe. Here are 4 tips I recommend for all of my Botox virgins:
1. Start with one area of the face and come back for more later. I recommend that you pick one high priority area on your face to focus on first. For example, if the vertical frown lines between your eyebrows bother you most, go for those. Or, if you’ve noticed you’re developing crow’s feet in the outer edges of your eyes, target these lines first. You don’t have to do more than one area of your face at a time. This way you can dip your toe in the water, see how the process works, and come back for more later. 99% of women try Botox, love it, and want more next time.
2. Find out your lowest effective dose. I’m a firm believer that you don’t want to inject more into your face than you absolutely need. It’s too expensive to get more than you need! You deserve to get great results without excessive dosing. Unlike other injectors (who will always be happy to fill your face with more units than you need), I recommend you separate your initial procedure into 2 visits, 2 weeks apart. Doing it this way, we will only inject a modest dose on your initial visit. When I see you for your two-week follow-up visit, we can re-evaluate the areas of your face that need more. If the modest dose worked for you in a certain area of your face, great! And if another area of your face has stronger muscles and requires more, we can inject more. Whatever the case may be, we will record your customized combined dose from both of your visits to use for next time. And then for all visits going forward, we know exactly how to dose you at each of your injection points. This is how you can achieve the results you want, with the fewest units possible.
3. My third tip for you is to remember that no matter what, your results are temporary. I have confidence that you will love the results and will want more. But if you are in the minority and happen to hate Botox, rest assured that the product will wear off in a span of 3-4 months. Your results are not permanently set in stone, which is why you have very little to lose. The medical and cosmetic risks are low, whereas the potential rewards are high.
4. Finally, relax. I will always do right by you. While there are very few risks with Botox, I have made it my number one priority to know those risks and do everything possible to prevent them. I am a physician and am bound by my Hippocratic oath: to first, do no harm. I put safety first before everything else. Unlike other injectors, I don’t see you as a client. You are more than a client to me…you are my patient. The doctor-patient relationship is a sacred one. I really care about you and I genuinely have concern for your face. I will always treat you with love and respect.
If you still feel nervous, don’t hesitate to ask questions. Ask me, ask your friends, look things up beforehand. You will be surprised how many of your friends are likely already doing Botox, and they can be an excellent resource for you as well. Of course, I am here for you and will walk you through the procedure, and I will explain everything as we go. It’s really a quick, easy procedure and the injections are minimally painful. At your visit, if you are nervous, I will take extra time with you so that you can feel relaxed and safe.
