Botox For Beginners

A guest post by undercover beauty writer Celia Murray…

I’d been mulling having botox for ages, it was one of those things that always came up with my friends after a few glasses of vino. It turned out that reaching 40 was the catalyst I needed to go and get a consultation. I thought I’d talk to the doctor about fillers too – hey, in for a penny, right?

I chose Dr Hayder Ria as the man for the job. He has three established aesthetic clinics in London and is also a practising GP in north London. His Instagram feed is full of happy customers showing off their before and after photos and his credentials – including training other medical professionals in aesthetic techniques – gave me the confidence of feeling I was in safe hands.

However, I was still bricking it a bit when I headed to his practice in Kensington last week. But Dr Ria’s friendly and laid back approach set me at ease within minutes.

Following a consultation, we agreed I could benefit from some botox to relax the frown lines between my eyebrows, to slightly lift my eyebrows at the outer ends and smooth the wrinkles on the higher part of my forehead – where lines show if you lift your eyebrows high.

We also talked about some filler in the lines that run from my nose to my mouth, which were quite deep and bothering me.

For the first session I wimped out of fillers and decided to just get on with the botox. I was told I didn’t need numbing cream so Dr Ria simply cracked on with the injections – about 14 in total. It sounds like a lot but it was pretty quick and the pain level was definitely bearable, only about a 4 out of 10. The botox product used was called Bocouture which is apparently the purest product on the market, and therefore has the lowest risk of causing allergic reactions. The total dose I has was 42.5 units, which is close to the average dose for women (men tend to need more as they have higher muscle mass).

I was worried about leaving looking like a bloodied pin cushion but it was fine, if you had stared at my forehead straight afterwards you might have seen the odd tiny dot of blood but it was very minimal. I had deliberately booked the afternoon off work so I could skulk back home with my punctured face but there was no need, I don’t think anyone would have noticed at work.

Over the next two weeks I could feel a pleasing tightening of my forehead as the botox worked its magic and the lines smoothed out. What’s great about the way it was done is that it’s quite subtle, the frown lines between by eyebrows are still there, but a bit softer (Dr Ria said with subsequent botox treatments they would fade in time). I can still lift my eyebrows naturally but there are no deep wrinkles at the top of my forehead where there used to be. Hopefully the effects of the botox should hang around for about 6 months.

Feeling buoyed by my first experience of injectables, for my second appointment, I decided to give fillers a go for the lines from my nose to mouth. This time Dr Ria recommended numbing cream and I didn’t need any persuading. It took about ten minutes to kick in. I have to say this is a different ball game to botox. I really did not enjoy the injections, they felt deep and I could feel an unpleasant dragging sensation. I was injected all the way down each line from nose to mouth, and then back up again. I bit my lip and took the pain but I was very glad when it was over. 

The filler used was Revolax Deep which is a relatively new brand of dermal filler. It is a medium-density filler made up of cross-linked hyaluronic acid which is found naturally in your skin. It’s used to restore volume for deep lines and has a hydrophilic effect – meaning it absorbs water to hydrate the skin in the area it’s injected into.

Dr Ria then gently massaged where he’d injected to make sure it was evenly distributed with no lumps.  Unlike botox, the results of fillers are visible immediately. I’d been warned that there might be bruising or redness but luckily I didn’t have any. I went home wondering if my husband would spot any difference but he, and everyone else, was oblivious. There was no pain after the treatment itself and the results should last for around a year. I’m pleased with the result, the lines are definitely softer and I think my face looks fresher and dare I say it, younger.

Now I’ve started this, I’m pretty sure I will continue. The changes are subtle and make me feel better about myself.

Considering injectables? We asked Dr Ria for his top tips

What treatment do you feel would benefit your look?

Some people are not sure what treatments they want and this is where a professional consultation from an experienced practitioner would help. Others know exactly what they would like corrected and this could often be discussed in the consultation and modified depending on how the client feels and what the practitioner recommends.

Who is doing your treatment?

Lots of people are doing wrinkle reduction and dermal filler treatments – including non-medical practitioners such as beauticians and hair dressers. Ensure that a qualified health care professional is doing your treatment such as a doctor, dentist or nurse.

Do your due diligence

Research the person treating you to ensure they have a good portfolio and are suitably trained to perform the treatments safely. Online reviews and forums could be a good way to find out more about your practitioner. Most practitioners will have a social media platform such as Instagram or Facebook where more information about them could be available.

Are you suitable for the treatments?

Some medical conditions, such as pregnancy and breast feeding, could prevent you from receiving treatments. Other things such as certain antibiotics or allergies may also prevent you from receiving treatment for safety reasons – always ask your practitioner to check that you are safe to have a treatment.

• Celia was treated by Dr Ria free of charge and has written this review based on her experiences #Ad