A week had passed since I met Dr Andre von Backstrom for my consultation, and I'd made the decision to have Botox. The day of the treatment arrived, with bright cold light and a mild breeze whipping my scarf across my shoulders. With slight trepidation I headed down to the Courthouse Clinic once more, in tense anticipation.
Dr Andre welcomed me into his office, and I settled down to fill in some forms. Whilst I filled in details about my health and lifestyle, he applied EMLA cream to my forehead, to allowing the numbing action to take effect. 'Most people don't feel they need this,' he told me, but hey, I'm a chicken.
He then took some pictures of my face, and asked me to frown and raise my eyebrows so he could see where to make the injections. I then got onto the bed, with my heart hammering in my throat as he retrieved a jar of Botox from the fridge. It looked completely empty which was strange, but he explained that he added two drops of water to the formula before application. There are different sized vials depending on the patient, and mine was seriously tiny.
Before pictures
He started by injecting the area between my eyebrows, known in doctors terms as the 'glabela'. He had me squint my face up and then relax before the injections, and the needle slid in quite gently. Due to the cream it felt like the slightest prick on my forehead, though I did keep my eyes tightly shut. He then moved onto my forehead lines, sectioning it into two parts and applied more Botox there. The right temple was done last, and typically that was the only one that felt painful, as I felt the slow insertion of the needle into my head. It bled slightly and he gave me an icepack to hold against it to stop the blood.
In total 12 injections were made into my face, and I was told that I wouldn't really notice any effects for 24 hours as the Botox needing time to move its way around the muscles. First glance in a mirror was a bit of a shock as the water that was mixed with the Botox has caused bubbles to appear on my forehead, strange reddish looking lumps that were quite horrific. I could also see a couple of pinpricks where the needles had gone in, but they were a lot more subtle. 'The water will go within 24 hours,' he told me. 'Make sure to keep your head upright for the next couple of hours, and don't press or rub the forehead'.
He also gave me a chart with a selection of facial exercises to do at home, which would help disperse the Botox evenly around the face. I booked in for my two week follow up appointment, and headed out head bowed, so no-one could see the lumps.
Will they sort themselves out? Check back for the next installment of the Botox Diaries!
See more: The Botox Diaries: Consultation
A session costs approx £200 at The Courthouse Clinic, and a consultation is completely free. 30b Wimpole Street, London W1G 8YB, 0845 555 50 50
