ELLE.COM.AU / @ELLEAUS 135
❯❯WHAT IT IS:Botulinum toxin type A, more commonly
known as Botox, is the popular neurotoxin that, when
injected in the face, will reduce muscle movement and
improve the appearance of wrinkles.❯❯WHAT I EXPECTED:My face and I are expressive.
Like, borderline Ace Ventura. Whether or not I’m in an
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a workout, with my signature move being a dramatic left
brow raise. But wearing my feelings on my face for 31 years
has earned me nearly a dozen horizontal lines on my
forehead, which make me look several years older than
I actually am. A few shots of Botox will chill out the muscles
underneath those rows and make me look my age again,
I hope... or possibly like a frozen-faced middle-aged circus
ǯȱȱĴȱȱǰȱ ȱ ȱȱ¢ǯ❯❯WHAT IT’S REALLY LIKE:NYC dermatologist
Dr Robert Anolik agreed with my assessment that I’m
extremely expressive and that Botox could refresh my look.
The forehead lines, however, were not his main concern.
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the eyebrows,” he said. “The deep lines in those areas will
make you look older or more tired or stressed. It’s nice to
soften the forehead lines, but you don’t want to freeze those
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I want you to still be able to raise your eyebrows.” I hadn’t
realised I was in the early stages of carving out a coin slot
between my eyebrows, but I suppose this is the time to go
the preventive route. Give me the whole enchilada, please,
I told him. I declined the numbing agent, both in the interest
of time and because Iwanted to know what it feels like
tohave toxins funnelled into my face via a tiny needle.
Butthe actual injections, of which there seemed to be about
two dozen across my target zones, were – gloriously- underwhelming.
Each prick felt about
as painful as an
eyebrow tweeze. As
Anolik went to work,
he explained the
mechanics of Botox:
I may have minor
bruising; I shouldn’t
exercise, bend over or
lie down for the next
four hours; it will kick
in in about a week;
and it will last three
tofour months.
THE RESULTS:
Five days later, I could hardly frown, and I loved it.
As Anolik promised, I could move my brows up and
down, but bringing them together in a furrow was
all but impossible. I looked well-rested, younger and
generally serene. A month into Project Botox, I visited
my hair colourist. “I see we’ve got Botox,” he said.
How could he tell?! He told me it’s a skill he’s
developed looking at faces all day. “Well, it’s really
good Botox, don’t you think?” I said, feeling defensive.
He agreed. I vowed to stick to my pledge of only
trying itonce. Then, my boyfriend proposed.
On Sunday, I was planning a wedding. And by
Monday, I was dialling up Anolik.- RACHEL BAKER@
FREEZE FRAMEBOTOX
BEAUTY
COST:FROM $230 PER SESSION, DEPENDING ON NUMBER OF AREAS