I'm breaking up with BOTOX!

Ok, Ok, I realize I should have put "temporarily" in the subject, but just hear me out!

Injectables of any kind are super controversial. You have one side that is passionate "Give me all the needles! I want to age gracefully." And then the "OMG i can't believe anyone would be THAT concerned with their appearance." Can we agree to not judge either side for all intents and purposes? :)

I personally, started botox at age 30. It started off innocently enough. I was competing for Mrs. Virginia, and a Doctor I went to, offered to sponsor me botox. I was initially put off by his offer. "I don't even have wrinkles, and I'm so young!" And then his offer intrigued me. I started surveying my girlfriends and was STUNNED at how many of them had already gotten it for years as a preventative. If you never GET wrinkles, you'll never HAVE them. So, I tried it, and of course fell head over heels. The doctor sponsored me the entire year leading up to the competition, and then once I won Mrs. Virginia, med spa's were throwing needles at me like confetti as sponsors-haha!

After almost 2 years of not paying a cent for the magic botulism poison, I was no longer a title holder and needed my "fix." I metabolize it quickly, so I haven't gone more than 3 months without it, in 5 years. (CRAZY) And I didn't just get a little bit. For most of those years, I joked that I wanted to be an "ice queen," So each visit I was averaging 50 units. (eeekkk)

I noticed last summer, that my inner eyes started to have a very unattractive pulling trait when I smiled. A hollowing effect, with lines that I only see in much older ladies. How could this be? I GET BOTOX! And then, I came across an article that confirmed my fear. The botox was causing those muscles to over work, and creating a whole new monster. (and of course they are in an area that can't get botox.)

So, my injector, started treating my 'bunny lines' as the best solution to lessen the problem. It does soften the lines, very temporarily.

Insert this past weekend. My hubby and I attended a beauty show in Orlando (gotta be on the cutting edge for Virago Babe) and I was stopped by a GORGEOUS girl running a skincare booth. We had a wonderful conversation about skincare, and then she stopped and said "You are a beautiful girl, but you are ruining your face with botox." WHAT?!? OMG how did she even know I got it? So I heard her out. (very skeptical because she was trying to sell something after all!) She told me to do an internet search for "long term effects of botox" and similar searches. And I was horrified. I had NO idea that my own personal dose of youth serum, could actually make me look like a human science experiment with continued use. (allegedly).

SO- she sold me some cream that is supposed to be used once a week on my eyes and forehead in place of botox. The claim is, after just four weeks, it will give a similar smoothing to botox. I used my botox $$$ for the next 3 months on this cream, (we just finished Dave Ramsey's financial peace university and I had botox as a line item on my budget-ha!) so I'm S.O.L. if it doesn't work!

I could have gotten royally duped. Royally. BUT, one thing is certain, for the next 3 months I'm out of my botox budget $$$ so I cant get it! So that will be a total of 6 months without my injections. If nothing else, I'm hoping it will help me go down to twice a year rather than 4 times a year without looking like a troll:) And it was important for me to write this for any other women out there who, like me, were over using botox without realizing it could be creating new problems.

Im excitedly anxious to see how it goes. I could love it- or it could do absolutely nothing. But I'm willing to try it, and I will definitely be updating the process for you. So that is why, I'm "temporarily" breaking up with botox.

xoxo,

Danette