My Journey With Botox And Dermal Fillers
Is There A Right Time?.
Opinions about Botox and Dermal Fillers have always been divided and mixed. Not to mention aesthetic surgery. But I will mainly refer to the first two on this diary page.
Half of the voices say they prefer to let nature follow its course and grow older naturally. The other half say that working on yourself and making adequate adjustments is the right thing.
No issue with the first category; everyone has the choice and freedom to do whatever they want. Personally, I was always in the second one. Just like a car needs care such as oil change and annual revisions, so do women. It’s all about maintenance, baby.
I know that we can’t stop the aging process, but if we leave in a century that technology is offering us so much, why not take advantage of it? In fact, we should be grateful to be in a world where we can prevent many aging processes that generations before us didn’t have the chance to.
And if we want to prevent the earliest fine lines from becoming full-blown wrinkles, Botox and Dermal fillers can be the right solution.
What are Dermal Fillers and Botox, and what is the difference?
Dermal fillers are not to be confused with Botox. The latter freezes muscles to reduce wrinkles, while dermal fillers are injectable implants to help smooth skin and wrinkles.
The purpose of the dermal fillers is because our bodies naturally change with age and those differences might include new wrinkles on our face. Dermal fillers can help minimize these signs of aging.
Hyaluronic acid is naturally produced by your body and is already found in your skin and cartilage. Generally, fillers made with hyaluronic acid last between 6-12 months.
Hyaluronic acid, it can make your face look more plump and hydrated. It’s also used in lotions as a moisturizer. Still, no cream can restore lost volume—only injectable hyaluronic acid can do that.
Four years ago, through my mom, who is also a doctor, I met a plastic surgeon based in Dubai.
At that time, I was not ready to do anything as I felt there was no need. But one of my best friends went for it. She was 34 and had a lot of wrinkles due to her dry skin. And to be honest, what is the best way to test a doctor’s work than see the results with other people? 
In that case, my close friend. And the result is that she looked amazing after the procedures. Natural and refreshed. Nothing too much, nothing fake.
2020 came with the right time – For Me. I was almost 39, and I felt like I needed to start the so-called maintenance process.
5 things I took into consideration and I suggest the same to you.
- Doctor research. I didn’t have to look for mine as I already knew him and saw his work, which was convincing enough. However, if you decide and you are not sure where to go, do some proper research, ask your friends or make a post on That Dubai Girl Facebook Group.
- Make sure it is a doctor, not someone that makes injections. This one is critical as you play with your most valuable asset, your face first thing people see, your business card. You don’t want to mess it up.
- Book the first appointment to discuss with your chosen doctor so they can make it clear what it is about.
- Think about it really well if it is the right time and if you really want to do it. It is not a surgery, but still, you will inject a substance in your face that will be absorbed in a few months. But you have to be ok with yourself by making this choice. Make sure it is what you want and need, not what the society is trying to promote or what people around you say. Make this decision entirely yours.
- Check prices and don’t necessarily go for the cheapest or the most expensive. From my research, I found that a procedure starts from AED 750 and goes up to AED 3,000. I usually pay AED 1,200 per 1 ml injection / per procedure).
My Routine
- 1 ml of Botox – done once every 6 months ➝ forehead creases, frown lines, bunny lines, eyebrows lift
- 1 ml of dermal fillers – done once per year ➝ nasolabial folds, smile lift
- 1 ml lip filler – only did it one time and not planning to do it anytime soon ➝ correction upper lip shape
- Mesotherapy – included in the price every time I the dermal fillers
What Mesotherapy is ➝
The use of a variety of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, vitamins, and amino acids that are injected into multiple areas of your face to help “melt” fat and restore a smoother, younger-looking complexion.
Source
For me, the above formula works perfectly as I prefer to be more natural, and even if there is a wrinkle here and there, it’s okay as it’s a touch of personality.
Now that I tried it on my own skin and got into this carousel of procedures, I can state that I didn’t change myself. Still, those fine wrinkles are gone, the skin is tighter and more hydrated, and I am really pleased with the final results.
A few restrictions that I had to follow right after:
- No make-up for at least a few hours. Preferably go there without.
- No hot water on your face for one week
- No workout for that day, and advisably light ones the 2-3 days after.
My take on the benefits of having Botox and Dermal Fillers
- I don’t feel frozen from Botox at all.
- My eyebrows are slightly lifted, which makes them more arched. But your doctor needs to know how much to pull them up because if it is too much, you will look like you are in a continuous wonder
- Typically Botox lasts for 3-6 months and the dermal fillers for 6-12 months. In my case, I am pretty happy with the results. I have had Botox lasting for almost 6 months and the fillers for nearly one year.
- It’s always better to start before your wrinkles are deep as it will be more difficult to maintain. When I started, I just had some fine lines, and I have to tell you that after every 6 months or a year when I have to do the retouch, they are less visible.
- The minor pain that you feel during the procedure is totally worth it, considering the results. Yes, it hurts even with the numbing cream that it’s applied before.
- You don’t have to pay a fortune. I think a few thousand AED per year is a fair trade for your looks.
- You can do it in your lunch break – it takes around 10 min without the numbing cream and 30 with it.
- You don’t have to do invasive surgery, but you are well done for the next 6 months in a few minutes.
- The results are not instant, and you won’t see it immediately but in 3-7 days. In fact, you’ll spend the first few days wondering if your doctor even did anything. But day six-seven, you’ll be wondering why you didn’t try this sooner.
I know we can keep our skin glowing with a healthy diet, liters of water, vitamins, workouts, and facial treatments. But there will come a time – and for each is different as it depends on a number of factors – that our skin will not be the same. It’s impossible as the aging process is continuous.
And, there’s no specific rule about when you should start Botox or Dermal Fillers, but earlier than your late 20s is probably too early. Some wrinkles are often genetic, so once you start noticing fine lines that mimic what you see in your older relatives, you might look for improvement. I waited until my late 30s.
In fact, too much Botox done too often can actually make you look older. Overuse could result in atrophy of your muscles, so don’t overdo it, or the results will be the opposite of what you want. And like I said, why would you mess up your most valuable asset, “your face”.
Overall, the idea is to keep your face clean, hydrated and help nature a little bit with non-invasive but efficient procedures.
Now the question is, where do I go, and what is the right price? Of course, there are a lot of good doctors out there, but because it’s your face, I guess going to someone who recommended you will have more faith, right?
If you wanna share your experience, leave a comment, I would love to read it.
