I personally have been getting shots in my face since the year 2000. And yes, I know I look far too young to have been doing that for so long. It must be the Botox. Case closed. Kidding, not kidding.  While it’s true that the sooner you start, the better it works, we do not recommend Botox for pre-teens.

 However, we do suggest that

1)It’s never too early to get kids into a good skincare routine (more on that in a future post) and

2)Shooting a little Botox into those first wrinkles as soon as they show up will definitely keep them from developing into big ones, the ones that we say “define character” and “tell the stories of our lives”.  I say B.S. — most of us would happily give up the ”character” and the “stories” to visually take 10 years off our faces. Not all of us, but most of us.

This post is written to those in that larger category.

So, let’s talk about that most misunderstood member of the cosmetic procedures, the mother of them all, Botox.

First of all, Botox has become the catch-all phrase for anything that gets injected into the face.  Not True. Botox is a brand name for Botulinum toxin, a purified protein derived from the bacterium

Clostridium botulinum, which has been researched for more than 100 years.   It is not to be confused with Restylane, Juvederm or other fillers that actually fill in existing wrinkles.

Since the bacteria was identified in 1895, researchers have been intrigued by its potential therapeutic uses.  Its

ability to smooth wrinkles was noticed in the 1970s by a San Francisco doctor searching for ways to correct crossed eyes, and in the 1990s, word of mouth spread the fame of the exciting cosmetic side effects.  The

official Botox website says it is  “FDA-approved

to temporarily make moderate to severe frown lines, crow’s feet and forehead lines look better in adults”.

Since its FDA approval for cosmetic use in 2002, Botox, and its competing brands  Xeomin and

Dysport, (similar but not chemically exactly the same) have been used for a huge range of medical conditions including

excessive sweating, neck spasms, leaky bladders, premature ejaculation, migraines, cold hands, depression, twitching eyes, overactive bladders, sweaty palms, uncontrolled blinking, muscle stiffness/spasms and movement disorders such as cervical dystonia and torticollis, and even the dangerous cardiac condition of atrial fibrillation after heart surgery.

The list continues to grow.

In 2015, Botox, produced by pharmaceutical maker Allergan, generated global revenue of

But back to beauty.

We are a beauty business.  And here at Beauty of Wax, where South Florida comes to Get Sexy, we use it so you can look and feel your best.

In plain English, what Botox (we’ll use it as the generic word for the toxin) does, when injected into the tiny muscles of your face, is it paralyses the muscle so you can’t make the movements that cause wrinkles.  (Important to note: Botox relaxes muscles so

you cannot frown. It

does not fill wrinkles. )

For me, just a little drop of Botox between the eyebrows and a little drop on the outside corner of each of my eyes stops me from scowling.  This makes me feel (and I think also look) a lot prettier and a lot happier. For many others, a couple of shots in the forehead gets rid of those wrinkles and makes the top of the face flat as a pancake, perfect for wearing your hair pulled back and never needing bangs again. I have also had a little bit injected into my chin to relax my clenched jawline.

Botox must be administered by a licensed and trained professional, and our skilled artiste Jeff Balila will make you feel very comfortable while he  makes you even more beautiful than you already are!  Some people come in before a big event (we recommend that you do it a week or two before so it has a chance to settle in) while many schedule regular shots three to four times a year so they always look their best.  Botox has zero downtime, you can go about

your business immediately.   Slight redness or swelling may be noticeable at the injection sites for 1 to 2 hours post procedure.

Depending on your skin type, heredity and sun exposure, Botox can be started on patients as young as their late 20s, though most people opt for their first shots somewhere between 35 and 40.  Generally speaking, start when you start to see wrinkles, and the earlier you start, the less you will need in the future.  A new study reported online indicated that after two years of treatment, a good result can be achieved with less frequent injections.

Beauty Of Wax has Botox parties every other month all year round. Add your name to our mailing list to be notified of our next one. Our parties are so much fun, filled with laughter, snacks and champagne. Appointments typically take between 10 and 20 minutes from start to finish.

And bring your guys! 453,281 men got Botox injections in 2016 — adding up to 9.9 percent of total procedures done on both men and women. In 2015, a study by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons said that the number of men getting injections increased by 337

per cent since 2000!

Be sure to mention this blogpost when you make your reservation for a special promotional treat. We promise that you will still be able to smile!