Sheila Magazine

sheila I beauty If you're looking to invest some of your hard-earned into a bit of a personal spruce up, you're not alone in vain because results are not as expected. Our road tests reveal three top treatments that definitely work. A 1 ustralian women spend thousands of dollars each year on beauty treatments, but many report their efforts are the extreme effects of Botox and fillers. I have been contemplating a "freshen up" ever since I turned 30. I am not sure if it was the fact that I had turned 30, or that as my kids got older, I felt older. But when it came to the crunch, I was a chicken. We all see those pictures of stars who are "overworked", whose faces look plastic, whose eyelids look non- existent and whose foreheads seem to reach over their head and stop at their backs … so naturally, I was worried. If I went in, would I come out looking like that? Up until this point I had done every possible thing I could do to turn back time that didn't involve cosmetic procedures. I gave up smoking, I gave up drinking alcohol, I consulted a naturopath, I started an exercise program and got healthier, I invested in facials, facial acupuncture and night creams. Now all of these things did their part to slow down the process in play, but nothing actually addressed the damage already done, so back I came to the "freshen up". Let's rationalise this for a moment, of four was looking for something to refresh her looks but was fearful of ROADTEST Our 30-something mother I know there are the "horror" stories of botched jobs, things going wrong and people becoming so addicted their faces begin to break down, but for most people you wouldn't even know they have had a jab here and there. It wasn't until I met a lady my age, a cosmetic nurse, who looked 10 years younger than me that I decided maybe I could give it a try. She didn't look frozen faced. Her features looked normal. And I began to think, maybe not everyone came out looking like a beaten piece of chicken breast. So I bit the bullet and made the appointment. All day I was anxious. Had I done the right thing? The time came, I parked my car and OH PRETTY don't fret it BABY l Most women find their skin remains elastic, plump and evenly toned until well into their 30s. l experts don't recommend invasive treatments for women under 30. l Botox is considered to be preventative, but realistically is not usually needed until fine lines start to appear. It should only be administered by a reputable practitioner. went into Subiaco's Assure Medispa. It was quiet and peaceful. The staff were lovely and I sat nervously in the chair, fidgeting while I tried to keep my mind off my worries. "Ok what are we going to do today?" asked my nurse. She looked me over and made a few suggestions about what could be done and we went into the consulting room. We decided on some dermal fillers around the mouth to basically fill in the cracks. My mouth was numbed with anaesthetic cream (you can opt for a dental block if you are a bit of a wuss when it comes to pain), and we were away. To tell you the truth, I expected it to hurt like hell, but if you have ever had to wax your upper lip, it is no more painful. The needles are minute, and basically the procedure is a process of injecting the needle into tiny threads under the skin and filling them with a mixture which includes hydrolauric acid. About 20 minutes later and it was done. Admittedly, straight afterwards, my lips are swollen and a little red. There are some tiny needle marks where the needles have gone in, and my lips feel a little hot. But this sensation lasts only for 2-3 hours. After I have breezed through the fillers, I agree to have a little bit of Botox injected around my forming crow's feet. This is done without anaesthetic and once again is just like plucking hair. The whole thing is over in about five minutes. I'm told there may be some bruising, but I don't notice any and I am told to wait three to four days until the results kick in. I drive home feeling a little silly, SHEILA MARCH 2012 77

• Cover