Plastic; cosmetic; nip; tweak and tuck – whatever the lingo that you choose-to-use when describing it, aesthetic-led surgery is big business here in the Middle East. To paraphrase Bruno Mars, we think that girl you’re amazing, just the way you are, but Cosmo’s belief in your natural beauty may not stop the curiosity, and definitely shouldn’t stop you being well informed.
We’ve made it our mission to get under the skin of some of the regions gone-viral cosmetic procedures, by trying them out for ourselves, so that whether you’re a curious cosmetic-cat or nosey-natural beauty, you’ve got the comprehensive lowdown on how to stay safe and sassy.
We sat down with leading industry expert, Dr. Kayle, at his eponymous clinic in Umm Suqeim 2 to iron out any wrinkles behind the procedure and give it a try ourselves. Read on for the results, but spoiler alert: I can still move my eyebrows!
So what actually IS Baby Botox?
Baby Botox is the exact same product as you wrinkle-softening regular Botox – the difference is the way and quanitity of which that is injected. The goal is to soften any harsh lines around the face, while still allowing movement, to give you a natural blur as opposed to an expressionless face. Think more Jenifer Anniston than Courtney Cox.
How does the process really go down?
Dr. Kayle first donned full PPE and told me to lie down on the semi-upright bed. From there, he sanitized the areas he deemed safe and appropriate to treat (in my case, that was across the forehead, with a little more emphasis on the sides of my head, just across from my brows, as we had agreed together I could do with a little ‘lift’) before taking an assuring amount of time to map-out the designated ‘injection areas’. The whole thing took around six minutes, and after a quick wipe of the (minimal) bleeding, I was done.
Is it going to hurt?
You’re basically asking someone to push a needle into your forehead repeatedly so, yeah, it kinda is – BUT, not even nearly as bad as you’d expect. As explained by Dr. Kayle, it’s all about how its administered. After a gentle warning before each syringe from his side, and a deep breath from mine, the procedure was more of an uncomfortable inconvenience than an actual pain.
What’s the recovery time?
None! You’re advised to stay out of the sun and away from strenuous sports or activities, but you can, as I did, go straight back to your day afterwards. Bruising can, on occasion, occur, however this wasn’t the case for me, and Dr. Kayle has assured me to come back if I had an uncomfortable sensations or problems.
Let’s talk results.
The most surprising thing for me was the length of time it took for the results to kick in. Unlike the instant effects if injectable fillers, Botox is more of a creep-up-on-you than a wham-bam thank you mama kind of treatment. I started to see some slight softening after around three to four days, but I would say the full effect was noticeable after around two-weeks, and even more so after four. I could (and can!) still move my brows; my eyes still scrunched when I smiled and when an unpleasant email landed in my inbox I was still definitely capable of frowning – but my face was softer, my eyes more open, and I had a slight… glow(!?), that was picked up on by both my in and out of knowledge friends.
Should I do it, and if so, who should I do it with?
Read this next bit very carefully – if you’re going to do it, take the time to research, consult and do.it.properly. For every one good practicing doctor out there, there’s a hundred cowboys who don’t know one end of the needle to the next. You may think you’re getting good deal online, but is the saving in Dirhams really worth the risk to your face? Plenty of clinics just want your dolla’, but Dr. Kayle took one look at my (anonymous) face, then down to my wish-list of treatments, then back up to my face before giving me a less-than impressed, but gratefully-received honest answer of ‘no’. If your Dr starts suggesting additional treatments (at additional cost), that’s a big, red, flashing warning sign to run.
As to whether you should do it? That’s a decision that really only you can make – so make sure you make it carefully