• 

12 June 2012

A treatment that is often, excuse the pun, frowned upon by some, can provide noticeably face-refreshing results for others.

You’d hardly say that I have only recently given into the magical powers of Botox. If I cast my mind back, I can quite possibly confirm that I have been dabbling with the paralysing powers of this bacterium for almost eight years.

However, my relationship with Botox can be likened to a friend with benefits rather than a full-blown commitment. Rather than adhering to a regular regime I tend to flirt with the idea sporadically throughout the year, get my fix, love it, and then forget about it until people start telling me that I look really tired.

You see that’s the thing about Botox, in my experience generally, the results are actually pretty phenomenal. I can pretty much guarantee that a few days after my procedure someone will comment on how fresh I look.

All of this is very good and well of course, until you make the stupid mistake, as I have also done, to get experimental with Botox, or in my case, go in search of more bang for your buck.

Several years back, a client gave me the inside word on a woman who was administering Botox that was “half the price and twice the strength!” Whoopee! “Yes please!” I cried.

My appointment with said lady was held in a medical office afterhours. In a dark waiting room with no lights on, a door opened to reveal a woman whom I have described to many as someone that looked like Frankenstein’s wife. It looked as though she may well have been self-administering too much of her own medicine. I actually wanted to run away, but before I knew it, I was up in the bed and having needles jabbed feverishly all over my face. No consultation – nothing. Neat.

Two days later is when the “twice the strength” really kicked in. My forehead felt as though someone was pulling hard on my hair from behind. I felt permanently shocked – so much so that a male friend called me after a party to check if I was okay, he was really concerned at the stressed look I had been exhibiting the previous night, not to mention my lop-sided eyebrows.

Experiencing these somewhat minor mishaps along the way, however, has not discouraged me from undergoing the procedure. What I have learned is that it is incredibly important to appoint the right specialist for the job.

The administration of Botox is a form of artistry. To understand the intricacies of the muscles that create the expressions on your face takes a true medical professional.

I’ve recently met one such professional. Angela Frazer at Prescription Skin Care is without a doubt one of the most experienced and widely respected cosmetic skin care specialists in the country. Having been the first practitioner to administer Botox in New Zealand, Angela has been perfecting her art for 16 years. She also happens to be my new secret weapon in my ongoing quest for a fresh-faced look.

An appointment with Angela is just what you would expect from a professional that is engaged in the delicate art of rejuvenation. After a lengthy discussion about the look  I want to achieve, we both agreed that leaving some level of expression on the face is important, best to leave the full-face freeze to the Hollywood celebrities.

After pulling a myriad of funny faces while Angela marked up my face with a marker pen, she inserted the minute needles specifically targeting the right muscles for a natural lift.

In a matter of moments it was all over, all that was left to do was wait for the Botox to kick in. Frustratingly for some it can take up to a week for the effects to show. For me, however, it’s typically only a few days. Apparently this has something to do with the fact that I regularly exercise.

Like clockwork, two days later I woke to find that my forehead was smooth.

Needless to say, I love the results. And as usual it hasn’t taken long for random people to comment on my fresh-faced and bright-eyed appearance.

Angela’s expertise and professionalism has done wonders for re-invigorating my passion for the magical powers of Botox.