WHILE she racked up £9,000 worth of Botox and fillers over five years, writer Julie Cook, 46, told her children she was going to the dentist rather than confessing she was having beauty treatments. She says…
I hated lying, but I had to. I was embarrassed to admit to my two children, then aged six and 11, that Mom was away spending the family finances on vanity.
9
My husband Cornel, 42, a musician, has never hesitated about my little secret, which could see me spend £250 on Botox in my forehead and another £200 on fillers in my lips and cheeks.
In fact, he says I look “much better since taking the tox.”
I started Botox when I turned 41. I always had wrinkles on my forehead because I had an expressive face, but as I got older, those lines became permanent — and I hated them.
So I took a risk and went to a general practitioner who did aesthetics.
Five days after Botox injection, it was as if the fairies had worked on me overnight.
The lines? Lost. The skin? Smooth as silk, with an almost glassy appearance.
From then on I was hooked.
I had Botox every three months, as I didn’t want the spell to be broken.
Then, when I was 42, I noticed my cheeks were a little flat, so I had £200 worth of filler injected into them.
The result was instantaneous: fuller, more uplifted cheeks and a rounded face. There was just one problem.
Every time I came back from adjustments, I would have swelling or needle marks on my face.
One day, when my cheeks were particularly swollen, my son asked what was wrong.
“Dentist,” I blurted out. “Anesthetic. It will fall.”
A few months later, I got lip fillers. My lips used to be full, but age has made them thinner.
Later, when my daughter asked me what was wrong, I repeated my old refrain: “Dentist.”
And so the lie continued.
Not only did I feel guilty, but I also didn’t want her to grow up thinking these things mattered or were what women did.
Unlike today’s wave of honest stars, a few years ago, celebrities who had clearly worked would deny it. There was shame there.
A few months ago, I felt my jowls falling a little, so I lifted the line. This involves inserting small topics into your skin, which stimulates collagen production.
Then I looked in the mirror and gasped. I had red marks all over my swollen face.
When my children, now ten and 15, saw me, their mouths dropped open.
Thinking quickly, I said, “I got acupuncture for teeth grinding.”
Another lie, but they believed it.
My mother friends who also had Botox were in the same situation.
“I never tell my boys,” one of them told me. “I don’t even tell my husband,” said another.
So, earlier this year, my daughter was out of school when I scheduled a Botox appointment. I tried to rearrange it but couldn’t, so I reluctantly took it with me.
She screamed
When we got there, I thought about putting her in the waiting room, but I didn’t like leaving her alone.
So I told her the truth that I have Botox.
She screamed and cried, “Do you like people on TikTok?!”
“Er, yes,” I replied.
She was shocked and it took a few minutes to calm her down.
I did the adjustment with her in the room and she was fascinated rather than disgusted.
When I told my son, he just shrugged.
Now I feel relieved that I can be open about Botox.
Pretty much every friend I have has this and there really is no judgment between women.
More celebrities are also being honest about Botox, and in recent years, it has become less shameful to admit it.
If my daughter wants these treatments when she is an adult, I would be totally fine with that.
Fits are really the norm now and I don’t think women should be judged for wanting to look their best.
I’m relieved that I no longer have to spew lies.
In fact, like many of us on Botox Anonymous group, I can now say, “My name is Julie and I have Botox.”
9
FREEZING our faces is becoming the norm, with more than a million Botox injections given out in the UK each year.
Tweaks are now so common that celebrities are happy to talk about the secrets to their wrinkle-free faces.
Harley Street cosmetic surgeon Dr Riccardo Frati says: “More and more people are admitting their nips and tucks. It turned Botox from taboo into a trend.
Singer-turned-actress Lily Allen, 39, said last week that she would get Botox before the holidays, saying: “I need to get my Botox refilled. I need to get rid of these wrinkles.”
Actress Angela Bassett, 61, also had the procedure, saying: “Botox is no surprise! I’m a big proponent of going natural, but I’ve done it twice. Just a little, not much – I still need to express myself.
9
9
Reality TV star Kim Kardashian, 43, recently said: “Half the muscles in my neck are probably Botoxed”, while former X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne, 71, claimed Botox is “one of the best things I’ve ever done. have already been created.”
Oscar winner Olivia Colman says she has had “a lot” of Botox.
And Only Murders In The Building star Selena Gomez responded to an internet troll who claimed she had cheek fillers, writing: “Hahahaha I had Botox bb girl.”
But This Country Bafta winner Daisy May Cooper said last week she went too far with the scams and had to quit after her agent warned her she would no longer be able to act.
“I literally couldn’t move my eyebrows,” she said.
“It killed me because I loved not having wrinkles on my forehead.”
9
9
9
9
So with everyone seeming to be in on it, could you tell if your friends or colleagues were secretly in on the skin-smoothing jabs?
Here, Dr. Frati gives readers five telltale signs to watch for. . .
THE 5 SECRET SIGNS YOUR BEST FRIEND HAD BOTOX
1. ARCHED EYEBROWS
Do your partner’s eyebrows feel like they’re being pulled by puppet strings?
It’s a surefire sign that they’ve just had a shot or two.
Dr Frati says: “Looking a little more surprised than usual is a typical feature associated with a Botox overdose.
“Too much injection in one area can pull in the wrong places and produce the ‘Joker’ appearance.”
2. RABBIT NOSE
The wrinkled appearance may suit your pet rabbit, but it is not good for us humans.
Dr Frati says: “When Botox is injected near the nose, such as in the cheek or lip, fine lines around the nose become more obvious as the muscles in the face work harder to make expressions such as laughing or squint your eyes.
“Keep an eye out – bunny noses are hard to miss.”
3. FROZEN FACE
MANY people use Botox to make their face look young and wrinkle-free, but getting rid of fine lines can have a scary effect.
Dr. Frati says: “Properly applied Botox should look natural, but applying too much can cause your face to ‘freeze’ as your muscles don’t work as well as they used to.
“When an area of the face is paralyzed and unwrinkled, you can assume they’ve had Botox.”
4. GLOWING SKIN
IF you overdo the Botox, your skin can look overly smooth, a bit like a porcelain doll.
Dr Frati says: “This extra smooth skin causes light to reflect off the tightest spots, such as the forehead, nose and cheeks, and makes the skin appear incredibly glowing.
“If a friend’s face is literally stunning – especially in photos on social media – it’s very likely they’ve had Botox.”
5. FACIAL CLOTHES
POKE, poke and poke your skin enough and you’ll get a bruise. It is common after any needle injection, but is most evident on the face.
Frati says: “Many people apply concealer to try and mask Botox bruises, but there will be telltale red and purple tones beneath the makeup.
“Bruises will disappear quickly – within the first 24 hours – so you will have to be extremely vigilant to spot them.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
