Why I got Botox in my 20s: A Nurse Explains Why She Loves Injectables

Hannah is a savvy, young working professional. She is a clinical nurse in a busy operating theatre in a large city hospital. She juggles a stressful (but wonderful) job with family time and exploring the outdoors - going on frequent adventures with her husband and dog. She’s smart, fun, and beautiful. I’ve known her for years, and she has always been naturally gorgeous with flawless skin.

And guess what?

Last year, while still in her 20s, Hannah decided to start getting Botox.

Why?

Well, to many aesthetic practitioners, the answer is obvious! But I’ll let Hannah introduce herself.

Hi! I am a nurse in a busy hospital and in my spare time I love enjoying the outdoors by hiking, kayaking, camping, etc. But I also have a super girly side to me that loves fashion, makeup and anything beauty!

When did you start thinking about getting Botox, and why did you ultimately decide to do it?

I started thinking about getting Botox a few years ago as I started to notice that my forehead lines, which used to just appear when I moved my forehead, were now sticking around ALL the time. When I would put foundation on, these lines would become even more pronounced.

I went to a bunch of consultations and always backed off because I either felt uneasy about the place I was going, or I heard from so many people that I was going to look “frozen, fake, or plastic.”

All of which I did not want!

So, I went back and forth for about 3 years, until about a year ago when someone recommended a clinic to me that specialises in Botox. I will explain my experience a little bit later, but I felt so comfortable there, and they really listened to what I wanted and explained things so clearly that I decided to go for it. And I am SO happy that I did.

Was there anything specific you wanted to tweak?

I really did not want to change ANYTHING about how I looked. I just wanted to age gracefully. My husband was afraid that I was going to walk out looking like a different person, but that was not the case at all! All that I wanted was to soften my forehead lines, but I still wanted movement and facial expression. 

Could you describe what it was like going to get the treatment?

My first experience was so amazing that I have recommended my clinic to so many people. The nurse injector took me back into a procedure room and asked exactly what I was looking for and what I was scared of.

I explained that I was mainly concerned about my forehead lines. She pulled out a really detailed drawling of the facial anatomy and explained that if she were to just inject my forehead (frontalis muscle) and not touch the area between my eyes (the procerus muscle), I may experience a look that would cause my forehead to almost fall, and then I would develop wrinkles in other places that I had not had them before. She explained that she likes to treat the forehead as a whole unit, distributing the Botox between these muscles.

By taking the time to talk through everything to me, I absolutely understood what she was saying and wanted to proceed this way! She had me make a few facial expressions to see how my face moved and then offered me a few different options of varying amounts. She explained how each different amount would look, feel, and about how long it would last. I decided to go with 20 units. She cleaned off my forehead with alcohol and injected, having me make facial expressions between each injection to ensure the best placement. She held pressure on each injection site to ensure I would not develop a bruise and then I was on my way!

What were the results like afterwards?

After walking out I did not notice much of anything for the rest of the day. I was instructed to not exercise for 24 hours, to avoid rubbing or touching my forehead, and to avoid NSAIDs 24 hours prior to and after the procedure to prevent a bruise from forming. My nurse injector did encourage me to make facial expressions for the rest of the day to help the Botox attach effectively. The next day when I woke up I could see a slight change, and I could see more after about 3 days, and the final result was noticeable after about 10 days.

My forehead looked EXACTLY how I wanted it to. I was able to move it, but the lines were GONE and my makeup went on perfectly smoothly!!

Would you recommend getting the treatment done?

I would ABSOLUTELY recommend getting this treatment done for anyone that is thinking about it. I was so hesitant before, and now I don’t know why I felt that way. After I got it done, I had a few girlfriends see my before and after, and decide to try it out for themselves, and they have all told me how happy they are that they did it.

Botox wears off after about 4-6 months, so you really have nothing to lose! Try it once, and if you hate it, you never have to do it again - but I bet you love it like I did, and then you will be hooked!

My one recommendation, like I know Dr. Emmaline says all the time, is that I would make sure to do your research about who will be giving you your injections. Their training and expertise will make ALL the difference.

Remember how I said that I went to multiple consultations? This is why. I went and talked to multiple people and I could just feel that some of them did not have the training and practice standards that made me comfortable.

I know that there are a lot of girls and guys out there thinking that this is not for them because there is the thought that Botox is “superficial.” But just as a reminder, I am not the type of girl to go and get a million things done to my appearance. I spend most of my free time getting sweaty outdoors with no makeup on (but always sunscreen!), so you know that I am comfortable in my own skin. This was just the perfect treatment to keep me feeling this way!!

The bottom line

I love sharing Hannah’s story because I think she experienced a very normal hesitation to consider injectable treatments, due to a lingering negative popular perception around it. Too often, Botox has a unnecessary stigma associated with it that it is only for older women and leaves you with a frozen, plastic face. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

If you’re interested in Botox, then it is for you! Male, female - in your 20s, or in your 70s. It doesn’t matter.

Medical aesthetics is a marriage of science and art to create beauty, and in the hands of a medical professional it is never about making you look or feel like anything other than yourself.

You get subtle, stunning tweaks for a refreshed and optimised version of you.

And I think we can all get behind that.