| Tweet | ||
Contributor: Katie Sanchez, Katietalksabout.com
Early this year, I applied for the opportunity to work with Spa Week to investigate one of the $50 treatments available during this year’s Spring Spa Week® event (April 12-18). Many bloggers applied, few were selected. I consider myself very fortunate to be one of the lucky few!
I received a Tweet from Spa Week asking if I was interested in receiving Botox.
Botox.
You know, where they inject you with botulism in the name of erasing fine lines and wrinkles.
My initial thought was “uh, no.” I’m not a fan of plastic surgery, breast implants, liposuction, or really anything that modifies your body. I do realize all of these aforementioned procedures have their place and time, but not for me.
But then I thought, well, will you ever get an opportunity like this again? Probably not. So I said yes. It’s not so much that I was compromising my beliefs as it was the fact that I felt it might be good to hear from an “average” girl who has a not-so-average procedure done.
Spa Week hooked me up with Vitahl Medical Aesthetics located in the upscale area of Denver called Cherry Creek North. I see a lot of patients in this area for my job as a home health occupational therapist and to give you an idea of this neighborhood, most all the homes I have been in have elevators. In their house. And many of my patients have had paid staff. But I digress.
Vitahl is owned by Dr. Tahl Humes and has been in business since 2005. They provide many medical spa procedures in addition to Botox, including laser hair removal, microdermabrasion, chemical peels, dermal fills, and skin rejuvenation. Vitahl has received many honors, including the following:
* Top 1% of Botox Injectors in the Country
* Voted Top Facialist by the Rocky Mountain News Top of the Rocky
* Best of City Search – Top 10 in Best Spa, Best Facial, and Best Hair Removal 2007
* Named 5-Star Beauty Destination by New Beauty Magazine
* Dr. Humes is a National Laser Trainer and Speaker for Cutera Lasers
I arrived for my appointment on Thursday, March 4th and filled out the customary paperwork. I was even offered a glass of wine! Too bad my diet doesn’t allow alcohol – I can imagine for people wary of needles that a nice glass of wine would help to relax them.
I then met Christin Helander, a nurse injector, and she explained the procedure to me and asked my concerns and where I’d like the injections done. I explained that prior to being offered this opportunity, I never thought I would have something like this done, but since the time I agreed to it, my frown lines seemed to be standing out like flashing neon! She took some before pictures of me as well.
Dr. Humes stepped in to speak with me briefly and left me in Christin’s very capable hands. The following video takes you through the whole procedure from beginning to end.
As you can tell, it was a relatively quick procedure. It was also almost painless. For those of you who have needle concerns, the injections are not deep. Christin warned that some of the injections might feel crampy, but none actually did. As I mentioned in my video, I do have 9 tattoos, and I also used to receive allergy shots weekly as a child. I was diabetic when I was pregnant with my daughter, so I’m pretty familiar with needles. They don’t really bother me.
Now, I will say that the recovery is NOT painless. It’s not painful, but my forehead is very tender to the touch. I am writing this post two days after the procedure, and it still feels tender. I haven’t had any headaches or pressure pain. It doesn’t interfere with daily living or with my sleeping.
Now what you’re waiting for – the results. Well, results can take up to a week before they are fully visible, however I am definitely seeing some already. My forehead definitely feels more tight and firm, and my frown lines are far less visible.
Are you thinking about Botox for yourself? Hopefully my post has given you some insight into the procedure. If you have any questions that I didn’t answer, don’t hesitate to ask. For more technical information, this comes from the Vitahl website:
“BOTOX® Cosmetic is a purified protein produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium. It is a non-surgical treatment that can temporarily reduce moderate to severe wrinkles. During treatment, very low doses of BOTOX® Cosmetic are administered via a few tiny injections directly into the muscles that cause those stubborn lines. The treatment is usually done in about 10 minutes, and no recovery time is needed. Within days, you may see an improvement that can last up to 4 months. Results may vary.
Those moderate to severe wrinkles form over time as the result of muscle activity. BOTOX® Cosmetic is injected directly into the muscles needing treatment. It works by blocking the transmission of nerve impulses to the injected muscles; this reduces the activity of the muscles that cause those persistent lines to form.
Results from treatment with BOTOX® Cosmetic can last 3 to 4 months. If you discontinue treatment, the wrinkles gradually will look like they did before treatment.
BOTOX® Cosmetic should not be used in the presence of infection at the injection site(s) and in individuals with known hypersensitivity to any ingredient in the formulation. Patients with neuromuscular disorders such as ALS, myasthenia gravis or Lambert-Eaton syndrome may be at increased risk of serious side effects.
The most common side effects following injection include localized pain, infection, inflammation, tenderness, swelling, redness, bleeding/bruising, temporary eyelid droop and nausea. Patients with certain neuromuscular disorders such as ALS, myasthenia gravis, or Lambert-Eaton syndrome may be at increased risk of serious side effects.”
Again, I want to thank Spa Week and Vitahl for the opportunity to not only receive Botox injections, but to be able to provide you an actual “look” at what the procedure entails!
1