Thinking of Getting Botox? Here are the 4 Steps & the Details You Need to Consider Now

So I did a thing. It wasn’t a big thing.  But it’s the sort of thing that MOST people don’t share (more on that later), let alone blog about. Well – I’m here to let you in on a dirty little secret of mine.  After thinking of getting botox for some time, I finally received the injections just over two weeks ago.  And you know what? I feel utterly fabulous. 

But Let’s Back Up

For my birthday, my husband and 2 daughters gifted me Botox injections.  I know some people might find that insulting – but they knew I had been wanting to give it a try so they thought it would be the perfect gift.  And it was. An acquaintance of mine receives botox injections regularly and I have to admit – I was intrigued. Once I received the gift, I asked my friend for a recommendation and gave the woman a call.

Catherine Dawson-Dow FNP-C – is an insured, Certified Nurse Practitioner Injector who studied under Harvard-trained plastic surgeon Dr. Joseph Russo.  She was certified in 2018.  What I loved about Catherine is that she came to my house for the procedure.  I didn’t have to drive somewhere or go to some clinic or salon. I was able to have the injections done right from the comfort of my own home.  Which was great because the girls joined me and made a party of it. 🙄

Pre-Procedure

Catherine meticulously went over the details with me. We covered my questions and concerns. What she was going to do. And the areas she planned to inject. We talked about the most common areas that nag woman in their fifties. Vertical lip lines, crow’s feet, forehead wrinkles and the “11s”  – which are the vertical frown lines between your brows. She said that on average, most women have 12 – 16 units (units are not the number of injections) done and that it isn’t only older women that are clients.  Millennials receive botox injections as a preventative measure against aging and she has many male clients as well. 

Catherine recommended we start slowly since this was my first procedure. Do less vs more.  If I was happy with the results and wanted to do more, there would be plenty of time for that down the road. She also talked about the different brands of botox.  She uses Xeomin and finds that her clients liked it because they felt it gave them a softer, dewier look. After all of our discussion, I signed the pertinent documents.

Prep

Preparing for the procedure was relatively easy. I pulled my hair back and meticulously washed my face with alcohol swabs. Catherine said she liked to use a lot of alcohol – to which Sarah replied: So do we. 😂🤣.  I sat in my own recliner and leaned back so that Catherine had easy access to the area.  She dotted my face for the benefit of this blog. It’s not something she normally does, but I wanted to show the approximate areas the injections would be adminstered.

Procedure

The procedure was pretty quick and relatively painless. It felt just as you would expect a small thin needle entering your forehead to feel. Some areas I didn’t feel more than a pinch, others actually did sting a bit – specifically the area between my eyes.  Ouch!

But I sucked it up because I’m tough like that. 🥴

For the most part, it went smoothly and only one puncture bled just a tiny bit.  As the product is injected, there’s a bit of a burning sensation, but the sensation is not painful. As an aside, however, it sounded weird.  You always think about how it would feel, but you don’t think about if you can hear it.  Yes – you can actually hear the needle puncture your skin and as the botox is injected you hear a crunching noise.  It’s the only way I can describe it. It was so surreal.  

Post-Procedure

Once finished, Catherine cleaned the area with alcohol again and I was finally able to look at myself in the mirror.  You won’t see the results you’re looking for until 10 – 14 days after the injections, but you do see results.  They’re little bumps that quickly go away. At this time, Catherine goes carefully over the dos and donts. Do be sure and monitor the areas administered and don’t go to bed sleeping on your face. 😂 There were a lot more things to pay attention to, but all of them were easy to be mindful of. Catherine lingered for a bit afterwards to make sure that there are no concerns and that there are no reactions to the injections. She also stressed that if I had any concerns or questions, I could reach her anytime via her cell phone. Results should last approximately 3 – 4 months. 

So that was it.  I am so over-the-moon with the results and I am considering continuing with more treatments – probably my crow’s feet.  I only needed 14 units so the cost to me was $140.00.  Though I offered a tip, Catherine does not accept them.  Besides the results and the care I received, I loved how it was done in my own home.  So convenient! I loved it.

Thinking of Getting Botox?

For those of you that are interested, you can reach Catherine through her website here, her email: timelessyounow@gmail.com, or her phone: (978)500-1640. Tell her Maureen sent you! lol. And for heaven’s sake – don’t be shy about it! If you have the means to do something like this, why hide it? It’s silly! Most people will notice the difference anyway and if you don’t come clean about it, then they’ll all be whispering behind your back.  

So, if you’ve had Botox, tell your BFF! A tummy-tuck? I’m totally jealous! Gastric bypass surgery? Good for you! Don’t let other people’s opinions stop you from doing what makes you happy.  It’s your life, not theirs. Don’t worry so much about what other people will think. What you think is what matters. Just do you! 

Final Thoughts

And for those considering having botox done, here are some points to keep in mind:

• Ask how much they charge per unit?
• Always check the packaging’s expiration date
• Ask what brand they use
• Are they insured? Certified?
• How long have they been doing it for?
• Ask what you can expect immediately following the procedure
• Ask what you should avoid following the procedure

That’s about it! I hope you all find this informative and if you are considering having it done: Go you! ☺️

– Maureen