Disclaimer: I received complimentary Botox for writing this review. However I would have written it anyways because Dr. Shenker rocks!
It was a regular Thursday morning trip to the dentist. I needed a quick cleaning and checkup from Dr. Shenker, but noticed on the walls that she had a Botox poster and a license. “You do Botox now?” I asked, perplexed as to how this pertained to teeth.
Her: “Yes!”
Me: “But you’re a dentist?!”
Her: “Dentists are specialists in head and neck anatomy and we also give more injections than any other specialty. So we are very very comfortable with a needle. Want it?”
Me: “Um…Yes!”
And that’s how my first ever Botox treatment went down.
I didn’t even think twice and it never occurred to me to check with my husband, who I didn’t know had very strong opinions on the subject. I was more worried about the girls. They were in the waiting room and if they walked in I was trying to think about what to say and how to explain why I wanted to visually alter my face. Then I was like, Mommy wanted to try Botox, there’s no need to make this a teachable lesson!
I hadn’t been feeling well after two knee surgeries and losing Heather, and I wanted to cheer myself up. And I always say, when you don’t feel good, dress up. Putting myself together, getting dressed, doing my hair and makeup, this always helps me get out of a funk. So I went for it hoping that a little wrinkle removal would give my endorphins a kick in the butt!
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU GET BOTOX
I honestly had no idea what was about to happen, so I started documenting it quickly on Instastories. I imagined huge needles, pain and bleeding. But instead I was met with small gauge needles and I barely felt it. She did the injections in my forehead and little around my eyes and we were done in less than five minutes. The redness only lasted 15- 20 minutes after the procedure and I saw results within three days!
MEDICAL USES FOR BOTOX
I also learned from Dr. Keri Shenker that Botox is used for medicinal purposes as well. She told me,
It’s found to be very beneficial for patients for TMJ pain, you put it in their masseter muscles and they don’t have to wear a mouth guard. It also works for migraine sufferers, you inject in the temporalis muscle and it gets rid of the discomfort from headaches. Sometimes you’ll get temporal pain if you are a heavy grinder. So grinders sometimes need it in their jaw and temporal area” Bonus huh? You look good and feel better!’
HUSBAND AND WIFE IMPRESSIONS OF BOTOX
I was a fan of Botox right away. During the first two weeks the Botox slowly began working and my face changed a lot. I didn’t realize how wrinkly my forehead had become until after the treatment, and I loved how it gave me a youthful appearance. It lasted for over five months and I am totally going back to get it again.
My husband however is not a fan. Not of how the product worked of course, but of the idea of Botox in general. When I came home and proudly announced, “Guess what I did today?! I got Botox!” Jubilantly parading around, happy with my decision, his face fell.
“Why?”, he asked sadly. “You’re beautiful exactly as you are, you don’t need Botox. I don’t want you to look fake or different.”
I was touched by his kind words, but I told him that this isn’t about him, it’s about me. And while I may not need it in his eyes, I wanted it.
For men it’s different, they turn into silver foxes, and their dad bods are celebrated all over the internet. But for women aging is taboo. Society markets to us differently, adding airbrushed unattainable bodies to magazine covers and bathing suit ads, and we are constantly barraged with weight loss commercials and advertisements for plastic surgery.
Is it any wonder we feel inadequate when we start to age?
I appreciate his opinion and love that he loves me as is, but I really do love the way I look with Botox. And if it makes me feel good until I can fully accept my changing face, then I am all for it! In fact, when visiting NBA TV reporters say things to me like, “You never age, what’s your secret?” I usually say, “Botox & Spanx!” They are shocked that I openly talk about it – but why not?
Do I think everyone reading this needs Botox? Hell no! My life motto is be who you want to be. Do what makes you happy!
But if you’re on the fence about Botox, talk to your dermatologist or dentist. It’s easier and less painful than you think, and really does make a big difference quickly! And if you live in my area, go see Dr. Shenker. I love Keri as a dentist, Botox expert, and she’s basically just an overall awesome person. Take your kids to see her too, she’s a great at pulling out their wiggly teeth without them feeling a thing.
(PS – Message me if you think we should arrange a Botox party!)
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