GEORGIE - The anti ageing fight!

Anti Ageing – my biggest challenge and in the industry that I work in – the greatest fight of all I reckon. TV is an industry where we are always judged on our looks. Very few get in on personality alone and to stay in, looking good certainly helps. I recently took the decision to have a teeny-weeny bit of Botox. It wasn’t a decision I took lightly, and I took wide ranging advice on it – I knew that I couldn’t simply rely on a dermatologist (who probably wanted to sell me Botox and take my money) to tell me whether I actually needed it or not.

So, I went, and I had it. 3 months ago. I am pleased with the results. I am pleased that I took the decision when I did and I will do it again in the future.

I did quite a bit of research - speaking to two dermatologists, a few friends who had had it, and a health journalist too - hence why I am sharing just a few things that I think anyone considering this should know.

Firstly, Don’t start too young. Botox will, over time, cause other wrinkles where the skin isn’t treated. (tell tell sign of an over botoxed person is the wrinkles on the side of the nose where they haven’t had it – while around their eyes looks young!!) Starting too young before you are actually ageing is NOT the way forward and the period of time you can rely on it before you start to heavily need it shouldn’t be a long one or you will get the ‘wax’ look.

Don’t start too late – it doesn’t work for heavily lined people. By the time you are heavily heavily lined you are past the age where you can get away with skin that doesn’t move and it looks weird. If you missed the bus, get over it!!

Check whether alternatives would work for you. For example, I had two sessions of IPL (laser treatment) on my face the years before I was ready to have Botox. It worked like a dream, getting rid of all my sun damage, tightening my skin, refining my pores and lessening acne scarring. It was fantastic and I think it delayed me having Botox by about 2 years which was about right. There are many different skin treatments, and sometimes actually Botox isn’t the right one.

Do your homework!! Check your practitioner. Never go to a clinic cold. Ask your friends, your colleagues, anyone you trust until you find someone that they will personally recommend. I saw an article this week in the Daily mail that claimed that some ‘practitioners’ are injecting Botox on just half a day’s training. ARGH!!! I took advice from a girlfriend and went to her girl who I really liked.

Always start with a little. I got my practitioner to inject the least amount she could into the smallest area she could get away with. All good practices should let you go back for more in the space of a few weeks if you feel like it hasn’t been affective. (In fact that being provided for free is a good sign of a good practice.)

If you don’t like it – blast it away!! I was amazed to find out from my nurse that Botox wears off because it is naturally broken down over time. But, if you hate it, and want rid, you can cheat this!! If you were to hold the barrel of an electric toothbrush or use a battery powered micro-exfoliator on the treated skin, it will break down the Botox in super fast time! That was very reassuring for me, as I didn’t like the idea that Botox might be permanent and I had the choice of keeping it or getting rid of it immediately.

Finally – ask yourself if this is what you really want. I REALLY wanted to have it. Not because my friends were, not because I felt pressured but because for me it was something I felt I was getting to the right stage for. I had two mega lines and a huge frown crease on my forehead and with clever injections I can still move my eyebrows, still have expressions and actually no one has noticed the difference. I am lucky as forehead is the easiest place to have it. All I am saying is that some people are just genuinely happy with the way they look and the way they age and I am jealous as that isn’t me. Just make sure you are having it at the right time for you, if at all.