This weekend I sat at a Med Spa and saw my 29-year-old sister make Botox for the first time as she sniffs her ears and the words of a tree ringing. Med Spa hosted one of the “Tox Party” with free consultations and Botox being held for $10 for just $10 per unit. While my sister was checking in, I sat on a fuzzy white sofa, flipping through the shiny brochures displayed on the rectangular coffee table. As her two young daughters muttered green and white vial-shaped cookies, they browsed a shelf full of clinical skincare products depicting glass smooth skin. They picked them upstairs, where the actual party was being held. A delicate flash tattoo, ear piercings and a neon sign surrounded by walls of artificial ivy declaring “time of sparkle.”
I thought I’d go on my own or at least consider consulting. After all, I was interested in injections for a while. At first I thought Botox was a possible solution to repeated migraines, but ultimately I was curious to see what aesthetically possible. I saw a self-proclaimed injector on Tiktok talking about the benefits of “facial balance” and bookmarks before and after posting on Instagram. I don’t call it exactly pressure, but the idea that Botox is a maintenance like retinol, hair masks, and Pilates is slowly settling in my brain, especially in my 30s.
However, when I saw my sister return to her chair and chatted a bit with the nurse’s injector about her aesthetic goals, I felt an unexpected change. Suddenly, I wasn’t sure I wanted consultation, let alone what was injected into my face.
It wasn’t Botox itself that I hesitated, it wasn’t the needles, bright lights, or Harry-style songs that ring inside the office. It was probably the idea of losing something. Getting Botox every 3-4 months as my sister MedSpa recommends, and in the end I might lose some of the little expressions that make up who I am. The grooves in the eyebrows tend to pull upwards in the photo when reading.
My sister was excited about her appointment with her outcome. I went near the needle and left happily. If Wood hadn’t said that podcast, things might not have shaken up like this.
Source: Allure – www.allure.com