As I had said before, I recently had a consultation with a cosmetic dermatologist and esthetician about possibly receiving restylane injections into my crows feet as well as some other fine lines, and possibly to get some minor lip plumping, and was basically advised that Restylane and Juvederm, another cosmetic filler used on skin for wrinkles and plumping, is mostly for people who have deeper wrinkles, as mine have not progressed far enough to be injected or “filled” by an esthetic filler based in collagen (hyaluronic acid, which is actually a component of collagen, to be precise).
They both did say that mostly they can treat people in their forties or thirties with more advanced folds and wrinkles with Restylane or Juvederm, which is the exact same thing as Restylane. The difference I was told is just that my particular physician preferred to work with Juvederm over Restylane because he felt he had more command over it, and also that it was smaller particles and he felt it gave a nicer finished look, in his opinion. He still left it up to me though.
So, since they did not feel that I could be satisfactorily treated with Restylane or Juvederm, at least for the wrinkles I was targeting as well as preventive maintenance against future deep lines and wrinkles, what they did recommend was Botox. I have to admit, Botox is not appealing to me, and I did tell them so, and that I would definitely have to think about that one before I agreed to be treated with it.
I expressed my concerns about not being able to express myself if I had Botox injections, and they told me that the days of “frozen face” were over, and that mostly that was caused by people who overused it, or had too many things done to their face. He said that now, they can actually better select the minimal muscles to relax, whereas before they may have relaxed too many before the process was perfected, resulting in the look of surprise, or no expression that I was concerned about.
He really expressed confidence in the product. I was advised the cost of Botox wrinkle and anti aging regimen and regular maintenance would be about $250-300 for my face, which amounted to what he called 25 units. They call each tiny injection (which I guess is basically a very quick, minor prick) “units” and usually the units run around $12 per unit.
I went to a cosmetic “medical spa” near where I live in the Akron area called Evo Medispa, which by the way, is a very pleasant experience, great people and a pleasant environment that is tranquil and pleasing to the eye. I’m still on the fence about getting Botox, which I would probably have to get 3-4 times per year to keep the muscles relaxed, but I may still do it.
I do know that I still will be doing occasional peels to prevent and reverse sun damage and even my skin tone, but I’m also interested in something that will really help prevent those deep wrinkles from forming, and Botox may be the best solution for someone my age, and for the goals I want to accomplish for my skin.
UP NEXT : My full story of my experience at Evo Medispa with lip plumping with Juvaderm hyaluronic acid-based skin filler.
