Botox - Something to frown about?

Ok, I'm about to break the code of the sisterhood here, but I admit, I use Botox. You may be shocked by this admission, but all is not smooth sailing (pardon the pun) & I felt obliged to share my experience with you.

I started off by using it between my eyebrows, so I couldnt really frown so hard. I highly recommend this procedure as it softens the whole face (and I'll definately do it again) but I took it a lot further than that.

Chatting to the nurse a few months later, I discussed my desire for a brow lift. I'd heard that Botox was a temporary solution, and rather than being so drastic and going under the knife, I happily offered myself as a pincushion :) The result was ... ok. At first I felt a little like Doctor Spok, but as it wore off, it made me feel refreshed and the severity softened.

My eyebrows went back to normal within months, and I felt the space between my eyes didnt really need it straight away, so I waited almost another year before having the procedure again.
This time around was a different story. Admittedly, I saw a different nurse this time around (which was silly, because the lady I usually go to is fantastic, and I'll recommend her to anyone with confidence) and was talked into getting a little under my eyes, and having the brow lifted again too.

Within 3 days, I noticed one of my eyes felt almost paralysed. Not the actual eyeball as such, but my eyelid felt it wouldnt open all the way. I also started to notice that I was extremely sensitive to sunlight, and my vision started to go a little foggy. Scary stuff.

After much panic, I googled my symptoms, discovering this wasnt an uncommon reaction. Apparently Botox can spread away from the injection site. I just had to wait it out, which in my case was about 2 weeks. Not cool. A lot of things can happen in 2 weeks. Like driving a car for instance, or trying to sit outside at a cafe reading the menu, or anything that involves sight really. Like I said, not cool.

On a side note, I didnt really like the way my eyes looked after all the Botox anyway. When I laughed, my eyes didnt crinkle up in joy. They just looked like two hollow pools that didnt match my face. And lets admit, droopy eye just aint sexy!

So ladies, Botox isnt necessarily the miracle cure for everything. I've come to realise that sometimes its okay to look your age and have laugh lines. After all, I'd like to be able to see what I'm laughing at!