I embrace getting older. I certainly would not want to be the same person that I was in my teens, twenties, and even early thirties. I love what growing older has done for me. That sense of knowing who you are (good & bad) and being okay with it. I don’t get too caught up in numbers, whether it be age, weight or how many ounces of red wine I pour into my glass. Besides, I am not good at math. So numbers mean very little to me.

Although I am not trying to decrease or take-away any numbers, I don’t have any problem with turning back the clock a little with my appearance. I workout, eat a pretty nutritionally, dense diet, and I drink a ton of water. I would say those habits in itself help to keep the clock at bay. I also color my gray hairs! I think that keeps the numbers slightly questionable, as well. When it comes to my A.M. and P.M. Skincare routines, you better believe they are aggressive and clock-reversing! I am not ashamed in the least bit .. of any of it. And guess what ladies? You shouldn’t be either!

I am also not ashamed to say that I incorporate injectables/wrinkle fillers into my anti-aging routine. I figure restoring a little loss of volume and filling a few creases is no different than altering my gray hair with some good ole’ color, or having had braces to cosmetically fix my crooked teeth. I realize that getting fillers is not for everyone, and that is certainly okay. To each their own. Just like coloring your hair, it is all about preference … and maybe dollar signs, respectively. But if you are interested in doing a little needle-tweaking here and there, I hope I can help lessen your anxieties and make you feel comfortable, and not ashamed for making that decision.

I haven’t met anyone personally who has talked negatively about other woman getting a little bit of ‘work’ done. But I have had ladies share with me that it does happen. Many have experienced negativity from co-workers, family and even friends. I am not sure why that is, but my initial guess would be jealousy. Woman are notorious of being competitive with other woman, especially when it comes to appearance. What a shame and waste of energy. But hey, what are you going to do? It’s a competitive world, and it isn’t going to change anytime soon. I am lucky in the fact that I really don’t care what other people think, when it comes to how I look. I am who I am … the good and the flaws. I get to choose for myself what I would like to do when it comes to my hair, face, body and anything else. I don’t need anyone’s approval for what works for me.

It doesn’t have to be this way. No, I am serious. Woman can encourage, inspire and lift. It really can be done. It is so invigorating. I know, because it is something I have chosen to do for awhile. It’s quite the game changer. My life has been so much more richer since choosing to be THAT person. If you are not quite there yet, it’s okay. We forgive you. It’s NEVER too late to change, or start. Let me encourage you, however, to be THAT friend; not critiquing and criticizing, challenging and belittling. Life is short, ladies. We are in this middle-age madness, together. A lot can happen at this stage of the game. Loss from death, divorce and other tragedies are creeping upon us left and right. Be that friend that inspires, lifts, encourages and supports your friend in any decision she makes to enhance her look. There is nothing wrong with it.

Enough about that. Let’s jump into injectables. What are they, and what can they do for you? Bear in mind, I am not a doctor, nurse or anyone who works in the medical field, and I’m not going to proclaim that I know everything about injectables. I am only sharing from my own experience, research and answered questions that I have received from my own injector. Believe me, I go armed with questions when I visit the nurse that does my tweaking. This post is not going to go in depth on any of the specifics. There are so many products out on the market, and everytime you turn around there’s a new one. You can find fillers for cheeks, lips, chin, hands…  you name it, there is a product out there to make your aging area look better and more youthful. I can’t speak on all the differences or which one is better than the other. Like many things, I believe it will depend on the person, their needs and their goals. If you want more details on all the different fillers and injectables on the market, I recommend you contact your dermatologist office or a reputable Medi-Spa, and find out what they have to offer.

Let’s get familiar with the basics . . .

MUSCLE RELAXERS 

POPULAR BRANDS: BOTOX, DYSPORT, XEOMIN

To make it easier, I will be referring to Botox. This neurotoxin has been around for many years. It can be used to treat muscle stiffness, muscle spasms, excessive sweating, overactive bladder, or loss of bladder control. It can also prevent chronic migraine headaches and improve the appearance of wrinkles on the face. In today’s blog post, we are talking about using this product cosmetically to improve the appearance of wrinkles on the face.

The most common areas are the forehead, between the eyebrows (usually called 11’s … because the two lines look like the number 11), and crows feet area. You are not limited to those areas, however. In fact, I have a couple other areas where I have had Botox injected due to relaxing a movement.

The purpose of Botox (or the others mentioned) is to cosmetically remove wrinkles by temporarily paralyzing the muscles. What it does not do, that other injectables can, is build volume. Some people get all of this confused. We will talk about the volume fillers later.

I love Botox because it makes you look more rested, and therefore youthful! Who can find a negative with that???

If someone was just tapping in and getting their feet wet with a non-invasive cosmetic procedure, this would be the starting point. This is the first thing that I would recommend. If you can only afford to do one thing, Botox is it!!! Then, make every effort to keep up with it.

I get Botox done about 3 times per year. The duration varies on everyone, but I would say it lasts about 3-4 months. The older you are, generally the more units you can expect to be injected with during each visit. I would plan for a solid $375-$550 per visit if you are in your 40’s. If you are younger, you may need less. If you are older, you may require more. Each person will vary. That is why you cannot really base how many units you will need off of someone else’s results. Even if that person is the same age as you, you still may need more or less. The last time I had Botox injected, I required 40 units. I was pretty close to being completely Botox-free. But because I am on a maintenance program, I receive my Botox just prior to being completely back to normal. Normal, meaning where there is no longer any paralysis to the muscle.

Botox is a great-future-wrinkle-preventer. The more you use those muscles in your forehead, crows feet, or furrowed eyebrows, the more those lines have the opportunity to stay there permanently. By staying on a maintenance program with your Botox, you alleviate that issue. If you are not  able to fully make those movements because of the paralysis, you are essentially preventing lines from forming and having the opportunity to become deeper. That is why even someone in their 20’s could get Botox. If they are already forming a deep line from their expression, the sooner they can start paralyzing that muscle from being used, the better. The crease or line has less opportunity to get deeper and worse. Think of your Botox as a wrinkle preventor.

It takes a week or two before your Botox comes in and works its magic. I can generally start to feel its effects about 4 days after I have had it done. By one week, I feel the full effect and it looks great. This will vary from person to person. If you are getting your Botox done for an upcoming event, schedule it 2 to 3 weeks prior to your event. It is true, what they say in the advertisement … “Nobody will know, but you.” Unless someone is really skilled at observing a person’s face, they will just think that you look great. They really won’t be able to pinpoint why. They may think it’s your makeup or something like that. But rarely does anyone think, “Oh, she got some work done!” You certainly are not going to look like you got a face lift! It’s going to require a lot more money to get that look.

PHOTO GALLERY OF GETTING BOTOX

You will notice around my lip area, there is a gel. That is numbing agent to prepare for getting my lips done.

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WRINKLE FILLERS

POPULAR BRANDS: Juvederm (variety, including Voluma XC & Volbella XC), Restylane (variety). There are plenty more on the market.

Injectable wrinkle fillers are unlike Botox. Remember, Botox relaxes the muscle under a wrinkle. Wrinkle Fillers fill the line, crease, or area with one of several substances. As a result, trouble spots nearly disappear. Injectable wrinkle fillers can give you a more youthful look for a fraction of what a traditional facelift costs. Most will fill hallows, lines and wrinkles in less than 30 minutes with results that can last from 4 months to more than a year. Wrinkle fillers can also be used as ‘volumizers’ plumping and lifting cheeks, chins, jawlines and temples, filling out thin lips, and plump sagging hands. Unlike Botox, which takes days to be noticed, wrinkle fillers are noticeable immediately.

Again, I am not going to go into all the names and differences of wrinkle fillers. There are so many types and varieties to each on the market. Both Restylane and Juvederm have several varieties. There are special fillers specifically made for cheeks, like Voluma XC and Volbella XC for lips. There is a product called Kybella, which is specifically for the double chin. This is not a filler. It is a Deoxtcholic Acid. But, the list goes on and on. I am not here to tell you which one to choose. Your injector will know exactly what is the most suitable for you.

I would not even be able to tell you all the names of the wrinkle fillers that have been used on me. Its been a variety. I do however know that in the pictures provided, I am having Voluma XC injected into the cheeks, and Volbella XC in the lips.

Wrinkle fillers are not cheap. They start out at anywhere from $475-$600 per syringe. Unless you are getting your lips done, one syringe won’t achieve noticeable results. The biggest mistake that women make is going into their dermatologist or media-spa with the intention of purchasing one syringe. I hate to break it to you, but one syringe is barely detectable. If this sounds all too confusing, let me explain it in a way that will help tremendously on what to expect when it comes to the number of syringes you are likely to need. There is such a thing called ‘Decade Dosing’. Decade Dosing is a general guideline to help a person understand how many syringes are required to restore loss of volume in areas, and fill lines and creases for their age. Here is an easy way to remember the breakdown.

DECADE DOSING (syringes are a minimum)

• In your 40’s  –  4 Syringes
• In your 50’s  –   5 Syringes
• In your 60’s  –  6 Syringes

***  Remember, one syringe can cost anywhere between $475-$600 at a minimum ***

***  Cheeks (Voluma XC) can last up to 12-16 months  /  Lips (Volbella XC can last up to 5-9 months  /  other areas 3-9 months (depending on location)

My suggestion: If you cannot afford to purchase enough syringes to get that ‘WOW’ effect … which means a noticeable difference, save your money until you can. Go in for a consultation and meet with a seasoned injector to find out what it will take. Then save your money. It is worth it. Once you go in and get all the fillers you need to get your desired look, commit to a maintenance schedule. It will take a while to figure out how long each area stays filled. This will be determined by factors like movement, which side you sleep on, etc. We are all different in how fast our fillers break down. But once this is determined, and you are going in for maintenance, you will not require as many units each time you go. Communicate to your injector that you would like to maintain the areas that are being restored. She should be able to advise you on when to make your next appointment. Remember, wrinkle fillers, like muscle relaxers, can be a great preventative for future lines and creases. I go in often and get only one syringe. This is because I am on a maintenance schedule, and may only be restoring a certain area that already has filler in it.

I cannot lie. Choosing to stay on a maintenance program will add up in cost and you have to decide if it will work for you and your budget. I am just now at a point in my life where I have arrived at a financial position where I am comfortable spending this type of money on myself.

There is nothing wrong with making the choice to NOT get on a maintenance program and just doing a round of wrinkle fillers. For instance, let’s say your son or daughter is getting married, or you have an upcoming trip or big event. You could get some tweaking done for that occasion only. Keep in mind the Decade Dosing, however. Doing so will prevent you from being disappointed with your results.

PHOTO GALLERY OF GETTING CHEEKS DONE WITH VOLUMA XC

These first few photos are of my injector, Cindy, accessing my cheeks to determine where the placement of the fillers are going to be

The picture below is showing an angle that Cindy looks at, before starting to put the filler in. You will notice that the left cheek is naturally fuller than my right cheek. This information lets Cindy know that my right cheek will require more units than my left. I sleep on my right side. It only makes sense that the right side will have less volume.

Next, Cindy is showing me a diagram of what a youthful structured face looks like and how as we age, we lose volume. A season injector will do more than inject. They will explain, take measurements and look at all angles of your face to try to create a natural look.

I am holding a frozen water bottle to hold on the area periodically to help prevent swelling.

BUDGETING FOR MAINTENANCE

When you visit your dermatologist office or media-spa, ask to be signed up for email. This will ensure that you are notified of promotions offered throughout the year. Promotions are generally on different products, like injectables and medical grade skincare. Services like lasers, peels, hydra-facials and other treatments are usually offered, as well.

I strongly recommend that you have a special bank account or envelope that you put money into each pay period. This will allow you to take advantage of the promotion as soon as you receive the email. Most of the time, these offers are limited to a certain number of people. It is generally first come, first serve. Some of the better and more popular promotions will be booked that first day. If you don’t have the money set aside, you may miss out on a huge cost-saving opportunity. This is not an area you want to be charging on a credit card. This could be a very bad habit to start, especially if you are doing a maintenance schedule. If you are forced to use credit, you probably are not ready to jump on board. Save up this year, and start ‘anti-aging with needles’, next year. In the meantime, continue with an aggressive anti-aging routine. You can read about both my A.M. and P.M. skincare routines in these blog posts: A.M. Skincare Routine / P.M. Skincare Routine

I rarely pay full price for any of my injectables, because I purchase them as soon as I get notifications of my Medi-Spa’s promotions. Then I ‘bank’, which means have my media-spa hold the product (filler/injectable) until I need it. This saves me a decent amount of money throughout the year. As a result, it allows me the freedom to be able to afford to keep up with my maintenance.

PHOTO GALLERY OF GETTING LIPS DONE 

I hope this answers your questions and helps you understand what to expect if you are looking to start anti-aging using needles. Please leave any comments or suggestions below. Also, feel free to leave your experience. Like everything, there is always a person who has a negative experience. Just like a bad haircut, it can happen. For me, I have been very lucky. It’s been nothing but positive. That may be a result of choosing to have my procedures done at my dermatologist office, where I have been treated for many years. I have been treated for acne, my children have been treated for acne. The trust has been built, and I confidently know that I am under the best care. There are wonderful medi-spa’s out there. Do your homework, get referrals from others that look great, and ask questions. Also, once you go in and get a consultation or procedure done, immediately upon leaving, take notes. They will be resourceful the next time that you go. I assure you, if you follow the tips that I have provided in this blog post, you shouldn’t have any problem being satisfied with your results! Go get that WOW effect! You’ll be glad you did!!!!

** Thank you Nicole at Details & daydreams for shooting the photos for this Blog Post, and thank you Cindy Wagner at Silverton Medical Spa in Grand, Michigan for your honesty, care and detailed skills  **

** This is not a sponsored post. All products and procedures were paid for by me **