When it comes to injectables, the first topic that needs covering is why we still feel the need to justify why we are getting them done in the first place. There is still a fair amount of stigma around semi invasive procedures and I have personally had to defend myself for choosing to go down that road. What is a little difficult to grasp is that the judgmental comments have only ever come from fellow females, but that is a discussion reserved for another day. I am ok with standing up for my choices in person, on social media or on here as I speak about them from a place of integrity. I also respect that the idea is foreign to many (and to some will never be an option).
I tried Botox for the first time when I turned 30, after a decade of working as a cabin crew. 10 years of airplane air, irregular sleep and not being in charge of my own nutrition (i.e relying on the most affordable item on the hotel room service menu which is the nutrient poor Club Sandwich) had to my despair expedited the aging process. At the age of 30 I looked older than I do today.
These days I go for Botox twice a year and find it sufficient. I am a huge fan of the ‘natural look’ and want to appear post jab as if I have had a good nights sleep and not as if my features had been altered. I also have what the doctors refer to as ”droopy eyelids” – a term not oozing of sex appeal as such. Botox helps with lifting my eyebrows and opening up my eyes, enough for me to create an eyelid canvas for all the beautiful jars of eyeshadow I am lucky to receive in the media press packs. Jokes aside – this is not related to aging but a hereditary feature and I find the idea of a surgical brow lift rather scary. I am therefore grateful that something as painless as Botox is an alternative quick fix.
For those of you who are yet to take the jabby leap, the ONE THING that is CERTAIN is that you need to do a good amount of research. I hope that this feature is a good start.
- As I always say on the topic of beauty (and with a somewhat counterintuitive message seeing as I am typing this in the capacity of an influencer), I advise everyone to stay clear of blindly relying on magazine features and social media ”reviews”. I have (as a stylist) worked on many photoshoots for world famous beauty brands, where the hero product doesn’t get used a single time in creating the final look and merely gets placed on the vanity table for the mandatory and highly staged “behind the scenes.” footage. In the brands defense, photoshoots are 14 hour long monstrosities of a working day and heavy duty industry secrets are required. My 5 cents on the topic are that it is great to use social media and beauty pages as a press release or a directory but we owe it to ourselves to take it from there onwards and do the necessary probing. Google is your best friend here.
- I won’t get into details on the different types of fillers, recovery times, angles of injections etc, as it would be a copy paste from what you can find for yourselves with a simple google search. I do however recommend that you come equipped with questions – the more specific the better. Spend an evening or two prior (glass of Merlot in hand optional albeit enjoyable) investigating all of the above and demand answers. A rushed doctor reluctant to taking the time to make you feel at ease, writing your questions off with a ”trust me I know what I am doing” attitude does not deserve your hard earned monies. I am speaking from experience here, as I have encountered the type and I swiftly took my business elsewhere.
- I find that Botox and fillers are partially a matter of medical expertise and partially about taste and aesthetic alignment between you and the doctor. When visiting a new hairdresser I ask them what THEY would see fit my features and how they envision that they could enhance my appearance. I then listen carefully without interrupting before revealing my ”problem areas”. I approach facial specialists in the same way, allowing them to tap into their expertise before expressing my preferences and then we reach a common ground.
- In the last year two years I have been working with the Euromed Clinic. I was a fan of Rebecca Treston and her vast knowledge on peels and lasers and then discovered Dr. Adnan (who unfortunately no longer works there) and Dr. Irene (there now) for injectables. I can recommend her as I saw her less than 3 months ago and I am still pleased with the results. The clinic also offers 15 % off on all their services to my followers and all you need to do is to quote my name upon booking. I am happy to answer your questions further so feel free to either comment below or on my instagram page. X