Recently I came to know that Botox can help you achieve a more V-shaped face without going under the knife. WHAT?!?! I’ve been living in the well for the past few years of my life….
Yes, of course, I’ve heard of Botox treatments but I always had this misconception that it was only for aging adults. For example, to reduce fine lines and wrinkles but I've never heard that it could help you to get a smaller face!
I was really taken aback and impressed when Dr Liu from Centre for Cosmetics was explaining the whole procedure and how it goes about. I’ve always wanted a more defined V-shaped face because my face is oval shaped (SIGH). But I will never go under the knife as well, so I guess botox was the best decision ever!!! You can definitely go straight for plastic surgery and do a Jaw Reduction, however, I wouldn’t recommend it because I will never know if I will regret it as we age because our facial features will change as well. If you’re vain like me and just want to give it a try, Botox is the way to go! (I AM NOT ENCOURAGING ANYONE TO CHANGE YOUR OUTLOOK OR APPEARANCE FYI) – Also, the difference isn’t that huge and there’s no downtime, so nobody will know if you’re shy about it.
Botox is a temporary solution for you because it wears off after 4-6 months depending on the individual (for some, it can last even longer). The entire process at Centre for Cosmetics was simply hassle-free and quick. There wasn’t any pain at all (PERHAPS MY PAIN TOLERANCE IS HIGH, YOU SHALL SEE LATER :p) for me. However, for those who are afraid of needles or have super low tolerance for pain, fret not. The pain is really tolerable and numbing cream would be applied as well so you won't really feel anything! I have friends who are exceptionally afraid of pain, but after going through the procedure, they totally agree with me that it was a painless procedure.
Dr Liu was really nice and kind as he brought me through the entire process. He started with giving me a brief description of what he was going to do after analysing my face. To kick start, he injected 30 units of Botox into each side of my cheeks and added a little fillers on my chin so that it would give the “V-shaped face look”. The remaining last bit of the fillers were added to my nose. I’ve a small tiny protruding hump/bone on my nose at the top (prominent from the side view) and I didn’t like it, so Dr Liu was kind enough to suggest adding some at the top so that the hump would be gone and I can achieve a sharper nose!
(ALL THE PHOTOS BELOW ARE PHOTOS BEFORE ANY PROCEDURE)
Could you spot the hump on my nose?
WHEN I SMILE (MY FACE ISN’T THAT FAT)
WHEN I DO NOT SMILE (IT IS A ROUND BALL)
WHAT IS BOTOX?
Botox (Botulinum Toxin) is a drug made from a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. It’s the same toxin that causes a life-threatening type of food poisoning called botulism. Doctors use it in small doses to treat health problems, including severe underarm sweating, Blepharospasm (uncontrollable blinking), Chronic migraine, Overactive bladder.
HOW DOES BOTOX WORK?
Botox injections work by weakening or paralysing certain muscles or by blocking certain nerves. The effects last about three to twelve months, depending on what you are treating. The most common side effects are pain, swelling, or bruising at the injection site. However, as I’ve mentioned I did not undergo any of this and was completely fine. Many of you might wonder, “Since it’s a toxin would it kill me??”, I guess it might if you are using it excessively and if it is not administered by a medical practitioner. It treats non-cosmetic medical illness too, so it isn’t a bad thing!
So basically, whenever we chew, our jaw muscles are working (BLAHBLAHBLAH, going into pretty and boring subjects for some of you), and over time, those muscles become really strong and we do not want that. So Botox helps to partially paralyse the muscles. You can feel it for yourself by placing your hand near the jawline below your ear and clenching your teeth and relaxing them. The part that bulges out is where the doctor will do the injection.
ARE THERE ANY SIDE EFFECTS?
Initially, that was my main concern and not whether it would be painful or not. It’s been a few weeks now and there still isn’t any side effects, and neither did I feel any discomfort. NOT A SINGLE BIT AT ALL!! (PERHAPS IT’S ALL THANKS TO DR LIU’S SKILLS). However, that could be due to the dosage or the amount that was injected too. I only wanted a subtle difference as I do not like those unnatural looks, neither do I wanna look “shock all the time” where you face is like super expressionless and stiff.
IS IT PAINFUL?
As I’ve mentioned above, NOPE NOT AT ALL! (Perhaps due to my high threshold of pain). Numbing cream was applied 30 minutes before the procedure although it only numbs the top layer of the skin and does not numb your muscles. Hence, I could feel the needles when Dr Liu was doing the injection, however, there really wasn’t any pain involved. I did ask one of my friend who tried fillers before and she rated the pain to be 3/10 (AND MIND YOU, SHE IS SUPERRRR AFRAID OF PAIN AND NEEDLES) – but she’s a daredevil!!!
During the process, however, if you do feel any pain, do communicate and sound it out to your doctors. Let them know any prior allergies if you experienced any before. Each individual might have different effects and pain thresholds, so it’ really varies from one to another. Nevertheless, I’m still pretty confident there wouldn’t be any problem UNLESS you’re injecting an excessive dosage.
As promised my DAREDEVIL PHOTO!!!
HOW LONG WAS THE PROCEDURE?
The procedure of the botox took me 10 minutes at most and my fillers for another 10 minutes as well (excluding the waiting time for the numbing cream). So all in all, my entire procedure was an hour max. The consultation took roughly 15 minutes (depending on whether Dr Liu is busy or not), but it should not take you longer than 2 hours in the clinic. Therefore, you need not take a day off from work or whatsoever.
I would go through the timeline of my entire procedure. (15 mins consultation -> 15 mins brief and walkthrough+ decision making -> 30 mins numbing cream -> 10 mins botox -> 10 mins fillers : 1 hour 20 mins) – If you are excluding fillers than probably 1h 10mins. However, this are just rough estimates of timing.
IS THERE ANY DOWNTIME?
This was taken after the procedure!! (No bruising etc)
I was perfectly fine, I didn’t have any bruising. The needles are really fine so there will not be a big hole on your face, if you are wondering. I do have pretty sensitive skin and therefore, I was kinda surprised I didn't have any side effects or downtime!! YAY!!
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO SEE RESULTS?
I was told by Dr Liu that it would take roughly 2 weeks after injection for the Botox results to be visible. As for fillers, you can see its effects instantly. However, do bear in mind that for the first few days, the fillers are still soft and mouldable, so be gentle when you are touching the area where you've got fillers injected!
WHERE IS CENTRE FOR COSMETICS?
They are located at Shaw Centre! You can walk in or call before hand to make a consultation with Dr Liu. I would recommend calling the clinic before making your way there.
Address: 1 Scotts Rd, 03-03, Singapore 228208
REALLY HAPPY THAT I’VE A MORE V SHAPED FACE!!