Today I wanted to rip the bandaid off and talk about the hush hush topic we all know everyone does, botox. There’s no secret that botox offers tremendous benefits and it’s really not as scary as everyone thinks. I asked you guys on Instagram a few weeks ago if you had any questions on botox, so I thought it would be fun to do a Q&A after just getting my treatment done. I have been going to Dr.Phi at MIA plastic surgery in houston since last year and I’ve never been more happy with my results. Below are some questions I asked the doctor so I could share with you guys. I am also showing you some photos of before and after. Enjoy!

(These are my before & afters. The after photos were taken 2 weeks after my botox treatment and my forehead is a little red because he had just done a small touch-up when I came in for my follow-up. How crazy is the difference though!!)

 A: I started getting botox pretty young, I was 18 my first time. I never wanted that frozen look, but I started getting deep wrinkles at a young age from all of my time spent in the sun playing soccer (and those years baking in the tanning bed that I regret so much). Luckily I had a mom who knew this was a preventative procedure and introduced me to it once I went off to college.

 A: I mainly get it in my forhead and we did a little bit on my crows feet these last two times for maintenance & prevention.

 A: I asked doctor Phi about this because I’ve never had this happen and he said you should not bruise. On the other hand, he said it depends on what you’ve taken prior to getting it done. For example, if you take things like excedrine a lot or any blood thinners/diet pills, you will be more likely to bruise.

A: I have never experienced headaches after getting it done. My sister got botox for the first time with me this last time and said her head didn’t hurt but she could feel it settling in the first day. Nothing uncomfortable though!

Botox can actually be used to help people with migraines and tension headaches though. I was absolutely blown away to find this out because I struggle with regular headaches myself.

 A: As you can see by the photos, the answer is no. However, this also depends on the doctor you go to. I recommend not purchasing botox on any discounted site like groupon, because you will never know what you’re going to get. When you have this done by a plastic surgeon like Dr.Phi, you know you will be in good hands and they’re not going to make you look like a freak!

 A: 3-4 months, but 4 months is the average time. It kicks in anywhere from 1-7 days, but usually about 3-5. Dr.Phi is conservative and doesnt want to overdo it, so he likes to see patient back in a week and if you need a small touch up he will do it then.

 A: Usually it’s best to wait 24 hours because you don’t want all the blood flow to delute out what you just put in. It won’t harm anything, but it just wont last as long.

 A: Dysport doesn’t have the same proteins as botox and the ratio is just different, which is why Dysport is cheaper by the unit but usually ends up being the same price when it’s all said and done.

 A: The difference between botox & fillers is that when your muscle contracts it makes the wrinkle or line. This is called an active frown or dynamic line. The botox is a neurotoxin that paralyzes the muscle so it doesn’t contract, but it doesn’t plump anything up. The filler is used for when you have deep lines or hollowness to plump up the line (ie: lips, smile lines, under eyes, cheeks)

 A: It can vary from place to place, but at MIA plastic surgery it is $5/unit for dysport  or  $15/unit for botox. The number of units completely depends on the person and for me personally, it has varied from time to time depending on how long I’ve waited.

once it’s opened they have 24 hours to use the botox so it’s fresh…if not, it doesn’t take well….a lot of places on groupon will do this so be careful!

 A: Dr.Phi says you can get this while you’re breastfeeding and that it’s totally safe The reason behind this is because the botox itself doesn’t go into your blood stream.

 

What I love about Dr.Phi is that he wants to do things that make you look more youthful, but also natural as if nobody would know you had anything done. Getting botox is maintenace and helps keep you fresh! If you are in the Houston area and would like to go see Dr.Phi, you can schedule an appointment by calling MIA plastic surgery directly at (832) 804-8992. Also, if you mention my name they will give you a free 1-on-1 consultation with the doctor!