Botox - no longer taboo?

Botox... swap stories with your mates

Not entirely convinced, I haven't told anyone of my appointment. I'm here to try Vistabel, one of a range of products that contain the protein toxin produced by the Clostridium Botulinum bacteria - in other words - Botox. I'm not middle-aged, I'm not even thirty yet. I'm one of a growing number of women (and men) who are using Botox as a preventative treatment as well as an appearance enhancer. I'm hoping that the treatment will not only get rid of fine lines around my eyes and forehead, I'm hoping that by restricting movement of the skin I'll be protecting it against further damage (or 'dynamic lines' as they are called in the trade).

An appreciated but little known fact about Vistabel® is that it was first Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved and used for injection into the delicate eye muscle of patients with crossed eyes. It has been used since 1989 to treat a range of conditions, from cerebral palsy to excessive perspiration. Indeed, Dr Mohan let slip that many high-powered businessmen use botox injections to control sweaty palms. And while they're in, they may as well tidy up the forehead...

Dr Mohan asks me to frown, smile and look surprised, so he can gauge where I need the injections. I'm not surprised to learn I'll be having treatment on my crows feet and frown lines across the forehead and between the eyebrows. I lie back on the couch and prepare for pain.

To my surprise, there is none. The mini injections are pretty much painless (unless you're terribly squeamish about needles) and take just minutes to complete. In fact, the entire treatment (including consultation) takes around 15-20 minutes.

I can see in the mirror that a few tiny marks have appeared at the point of injection, but this is no more than a tiny midge bite or little spot and certainly nothing that anyone could notice on the train home.

Dr Mohan tells me it will be up to two weeks before I can see the full effect of the treatment, and as an afterthought throws in "I raised your eyebrows just a tiny bit as well". Bonus!

It's now two weeks later and I am a botox babe. My crows feet have almost disappeared and smiling no longer results in a mass of creases from eye to hairline. My forehead, having felt frozen for a week or so, now feels entirely normal, despite being completely unlined when I laugh, look surprised or even when I frown. I look younger, although it's difficult to gauge how much. I also know that I'm limiting the damage that excessive movement can do to my skin.