How Botox and Exercise Helped Me Get my Groove Back

I am a single mom of two. I wasn’t always single, but find myself in the unfortunate position of “singledom.” Most of my friends are still “happily” married and don’t worry about companionship or intimacy. During the course of twenty years of marriage I rarely focused on my appearance. I didn’t worry because my former husband would say, “caring about your looks is vain.”
To my surprise he had been having an affair with a subordinate at his office. Younger, prettier, better looking skin and no stretch marks that came with carrying two very large children, however. I digress. Like many women in similar situations, I didn’t see the end of our marriage coming.
My circle of friends was like many “middle class” communities. We shuttled our kids to and from sports and other time consuming events. One of the younger mothers in our circle had been getting Botox for a number of years, but she rarely talked about it. I don’t know if she was ashamed, or felt like we would have judged her because she was “young” and didn’t need any improving.
How naive was I. I guess there’s this negative cloud that followed Botox before it became mainstream. There wasn’t a ton of information about Botox or any other “injectables.” My friends and I thought it was too expensive, or only the vain considered injections. I can remember reading a magazine article about the many uses of Botox, and never grasped the conceptual applications of the drug. How did it work? How can it be used for helping people with headaches, but used to fix wrinkles?
As a consumer there’s a lot to digest and too often I got my information from my friends or what the media promoted. Not until I was faced with the reality of being alone--closing in on middle age--did I start to really take a good look in the mirror. I didn’t like what I saw. I looked tired. Weathered from the years of motherhood and living in an unfulfilling relationship.
What was I to do? I did like a lot of women in my position would do, I started to feel sorry for myself and shifted the blame to him and his selfish ways. That was not good. I needed to pick up the pieces and reclaim my self-dignity and pride. I wasn’t always a Plain Jane. Before my ex and I met, I was what my son would call a “hottie.” I know this because when I broke out my old high school yearbook, my kids didn’t believe it was me. They were like, “wow!”
Was the style questionable in the 80’s? Not in my opinion, but we owned it and the music was THE BEST! Anyway, during my teens and early twenties I cared about my outer appearance and had many suitors. Nonetheless, I needed a redo. I guess you could call it a reboot? I started to eat better and I joined a gym. After my energy returned and I felt more healthy, I began to notice the deep wrinkles that developed from the years of frowning and furrowing my brows. I blame that on him.
At this point I was feeling great and ready to tackle the world, but my skin was a mess! Years of neglect and not protecting my skin from sun damage had taken a toll. How in the world was I going to fix my skin? I began to research Botox and other cosmetic treatments. I looked up laser surgery, Botox, Juvederm, and more. I knew I needed help so I booked an appointment at a local med spa. Before my appointment I started asking my friends if they’ve had any experience with esthetic procedures and armed myself with as much information as possible.
The day had finally arrived, I was ready to do whatever it took to improve my skin, even if it consisted of getting Botox. At one point I contemplated surgery. Not a candidate. So, here I am at my appointment, bushy tailed and bright eyed ready to tackle the world. The esthetician was nice. She was younger, but very well put together and knew her...stuff. She took her time and explained what my skin was showing. I lacked hydration, wasn’t protecting it from the environment, and was clueless about the maintenance of skin care.
She cleansed my face with some product and instantly my face felt fresh and alive. At that moment I felt a rush of emotions and began to cry. The esthetician washed her hands and put them on my shoulders and bent down to my ear. She whispered the sweetest sentence anyone could have uttered at that moment. She said, “it’s okay, let it out I’m right here.” I was overwhelmed with emotion, but felt a sense of relief. For so long I had disconnected from my outer appearance and before that moment had never felt a connection to my appearance.
The saying, “if you look good you feel good,” was true for me. I wanted to look AND feel good. After our consultation I booked an appointment for Botox and a series of facials. I would be remiss in stating the significance of that decision. Botox is like magic. It’s not a fix, but it changes your skin long enough to reinforce this feeling of power and youth. I looked great! My skin was brighter from the laser and product, plus my wrinkles were reduced from the Botox.
Over the course of a year my skin really improved from my newfound focus and attention. My friends were in awe of the transformation I achieved and I slowly began to feel good again. Exercise, eating well, improving my skin, and reconnecting with my friends as well as developing a deeper appreciation for my kids was a true game changer.
Now when I look in the mirror I see great skin and more importantly feel ready for the next chapter in my life...whatever that may be. I personally want to thank the staff at Maine Laser Clinic for being there for me during this amazing journey. Watch out world, I got my groove back!