If you ever want to know something, just ask. I promise I will tell you anything. I’ll even tell you stuff you probably don’t want to know. I have never understood the “proprietary knowledge” that some women seem to have and either are not transparent about or won’t share.
How do they get their eyebrows like that? (Mircoblading, lamination, and dye).
Why do they never sweat? (It’s botox in their armpits).
How does her skin look so flawless? (It’s a photo preset package that they purchased, an instagram filter, and ring light).
So you may have noticed that my Shar-Pei puppy wrinkles in my forehead have disappeared. It was magic. I woke up overnight and *poof* they were gone. That’s it. End of Story.
Yeah, right. If you believe that, I’ve got some oceanfront property for sale.
What really happened is that I used Dysport. As I have learned (I did research AFTER I got Dysport….. living on the edge over here), Dysport reduces specific muscle activity. You can read more about Dysport here, but the short side of the story is that I am an expressive person and I raise my eyebrows when I talk. Years and years of these forehead muscles contracting and saggy skin caused my forehead to wrinkle up whenever I talk because I raise my eyebrows and engage those muscles. A dose of Dysport was injected in those muscles in my forehead to keep them from contracting and thus when I talk and raise my eyebrows, NO WRINKLES.
I had been thinking about getting some help for my wrinkled forehead for quite some time. In fact, almost a year ago, in January I commented on Instagram stories about how I was not against cosmetic procedures and was hoping to explore that avenue in the near future. But I never really did anything about it. I just kept putting it off.
To be honest, I have anxiety about elective procedures and the consultation. I have several theories.
A. Cosmetic procedures fall into the frivolous category for me.
I grew up with a Grandma who told my parents that contacts were expensive and asked if I really needed them. (So glad my parents decided I should be able to get rid of my one-inch-thick coke bottles. If not, who knows if I would have gotten married?) It is in my nature to question if something is REALLY necessary and then never push the envelope (Thank you, Dave Ramsey and Grandma Lowe). There are several things I have wanted to try (micro-blading, lash extensions, lash lift, etc) and never have because it didn’t feel necessary and I worried about fitting it into my budget.
B. I had NO idea what I was getting myself into.
I had no frame of reference for how much any of the wrinkle treatments would cost. Medical spas do not expressly publish their outright costs for medical procedures. That fear of the unknown kept me from making an appointment.
C. I was worried I might be obligated after or during a consultation.
I know this is crazy, but hear me out. Just today, I was at the drive up for my local pharmacy. We needed a new digital thermometer. I asked the clerk if they had one in stock since the lobby is not open. She ran to get one and brought a digital thermometer that went under the tongue. I then explained I would like a temporal scanner. She again went to look for what I had requested. It took a bit and a car was waiting behind me. She came back and showed me the digital temporal scanner thermometer and said, “This one is the best…” Not wanting to keep the cars waiting behind me, I said, “Looks great.” She finished up by saying it was $88.00. And RATHER than send her back to look for a mid range, digital, temporal scanner thermometer that DIDN’T cost $88.00, I bought it. People were waiting. This kind lady went into the lobby twice for me and I felt obligated and rushed. And now I own a $88 thermometer that my kids will break next week. So, knowing this about myself, I worried I would come out of the appointment with a $1000 bill.
SO how did I overcome my anxiety? I got invited to a “Dysport Party”. That sounds a bit more posh than what actually happened. I responded to a facebook event invite for a Dysport Party. It was a public event hosted by a local business. The party reduced all my anxiety about making an appointment and getting a consult. It gave me the nudge I needed. The party was located 15 minutes away from my house and was on a Saturday night, which was so convenient. I got to take a friend for support and I knew upfront how much it was going to cost as the invite info had a great graphic about dosage and cost. And lastly, there was a COUPON offered for $20 off. SOLD.
Even though I did not know exactly how Dysport worked, I knew about the product after I had followed some social media accounts last year when I started to explore. I had seen enough before and after pictures to know that it was safe and effective. Also, I trusted the business that was hosting and the qualified injection expert, Aubrie Ghrist Hubbert, APRN, CNP. Aubrie is from my hometown and I have known her family for a long time. She has tons of experience and spent the last five years focusing on non-surgical cosmetic procedures.
The procedure lasted all of four minutes. The area being injected was prepped and then consisted of 4-6 quick pinpricks in my forehead. It felt much like a bee sting and went away quickly. It was very fast and easy. I have been super pleased with my results. I’m a fan and may even host a Dysport party myself. Most people see results for 3 to 4 months and in the meantime, I am trying super hard to not raise my eyebrows when I talk so I can stop engaging those muscles.
Say what you will. Think what you want. You can think I am vain. Remember, I didn’t do it for others. I didn’t do it because I care about what others think. I did it for me. I wanted to improve a part of myself and I am happy I did it.
You can also think this was frivolous. Remember, I buy $4.00 mascara and use it for a year. I rarely buy anything without it being on sale. Expensive brands that we do own, I probably bought on eBay. I pack slick meat sandwiches with us to keep us from eating out, even at Disney World. I have two pairs of nice dry wick socks, both of which I have had for over 10 years and use every other day. We make choices and sacrifices every day so that we can go on vacation and maybe every once in a while, I can afford a medical procedure to improve the state of my forehead.
Love,
Stef