LaserAway\u2019s Brooklyn Heights location<\/a>, I was paired with a lovely nurse named Gaby, who met me in the consultation room. (not all patients choose to get consultations, but I decided to!)<\/p>\n\n\n\nRecently, I\u2019ve developed deeper wrinkles and fine lines on my forehead and in my \u201celevens\u201d\u2014which is the small area between my eyes, more formally referred to as the \u201cglabella.\u201d While some people like to get filler to treat signs of aging, Gaby suggested using a neurotoxin like Botox or Xeomin to treat this part of my face. I was unsure of the difference between Botox and Xeomin. \u201cWe offer two different brands of neurotoxins,\u201d Gaby explained. \u201cThese two brands work pretty similarly. The main proprietary difference between them is the protein they include. Xeomin doesn\u2019t have the added proteins that Botox does, but both neurotoxins inhibit the muscle for the same amount of time. Xeomin tends to be a little more affordable, but both are great products.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After explaining the two treatments available, I felt myself leaning toward Xeomin, which surprised me as I\u2019ve always assumed I\u2019d be in the market for Botox. Gaby told me that before the injection, the nurse would ask what kind of look I\u2019d want to achieve \u2014 whether it\u2019s little movement to the muscle or slight movement in the muscle. Another option was a more natural \u201cbaby Botox\u201d look. This will indicate to the nurse exactly how many units need to be injected. Regardless, these treatments will keep your facial muscles moving for 3-4 months. But, she mentioned that some people might require a touch-up after two weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBaby Botox\u201d is an excellent choice for those who are new to neurotoxin and not sure they\u2019d like it. It\u2019s essentially a light sprinkling that relaxes the muscle, thus minimizing the appearance of lines and wrinkles. It also ensures that your face will maintain a level of expressiveness that it might otherwise lose with full-fledged Botox or Xeomin. Even still, every patient is different in terms of how they\u2019re affected by the treatment. Nurse Gaby explained, \u201cSome people come with more active muscles, so they naturally require more units of injection, even if they want to take a more light-handed approach. You\u2019ll see this with people on the younger side, but it really varies.\u201d I now understood why it was so important to have this consultation prior to injections\u2014in order to achieve the most ideal results, the experience simply must be personalized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although Gaby had done a great job explaining what I could expect\u2014I was still nervous about what might happen if I didn\u2019t like my results or ended up with brow drooping or \u201cspocking\u201d (overly raised eyebrows). She shared that while it is impossible to \u201cundo\u201d a neurotoxin (which is not the case with getting filler), the effects of neurotoxins only last a few months. The body naturally breaks down the injection over time and metabolizes it until it\u2019s no longer impacting your muscle movement. And Gaby assured me that all LaserAway clinicians are given expert training so they know where to inject to prevent both drops and cases of spocking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She also made me feel better when she said that the likelihood of complications are slim to none. \u201cWe\u2019ve been really well trained,\u201d she assured me, \u201cand there\u2019s so much support here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This consultation made it obvious to me that Gaby and the other medical providers at LaserAway were absolute experts in neurotoxin injections. All I had to do to minimize the chances of bruising was avoid ibruprofen and drinking alcohol for 24-48 hours ahead of treatment. I also needed to steer clear of exercise (fine by me!) and hot showers for the 24-hour period following my injection. The same goes for wearing a tight baseball hat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now that I had all the information, I was ready to charge forth and get my first neurotoxin treatment. Goodbye, forehead wrinkles\u2014hello, smooth, youthful-looking skin!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Blair Smith<\/em><\/a> is a lifestyle and beauty writer who currently resides (and will likely stay forever) in Brooklyn, New York.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Curious about Botox? Learn what to expect from a Botox consultation at LaserAway, including treatment options and expert advice on achieving a natural look.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":8610,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[7,46],"class_list":["post-8609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-skincare","tag-aesthetic-treatments","tag-aging"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Treatment Diary: Here\u2019s What It\u2019s Like to Have a Botox Consultation | Life by LaserAway<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n