My First Botox Experience

Yes, I was sure, and if it didn’t work, at least I gave it a shot (no pun intended). After much research, I decided to go to Therapeutic Aesthetics for my first Botox experience. And after meeting my nurse injector, I trusted her expertise enough to understand that Botox, unlike my concerned friend was asking, would not mess up my face.

Though I was turning 30 within a few months, it wasn’t the preventative measures that I was trying to target. After two years of working from home, and often in high-pressure circumstances, I developed a bad habit of clenching my jaw. I didn’t even notice I was doing it until my jaw muscles felt sore, and I saw pictures of myself with visibly puffier masseters than I was used to. I realized that not only was I in pain because of the stress-induced jaw clenching, but it was also altering my facial structure. I tried actively unlearning the habit, wore a nightguard and practiced mindfulness techniques, but nothing really helped. That’s when I decided to take the plunge and try Botox for masseter-reduction.

When I booked an appointment with Therapeutic Aesthetics, the clinic advised me about pre-treatment instructions: avoiding alcoholic beverages, avoiding anti-inflammatory medication, and discontinuing retinoids. Check, check, and check.

I arrived at the clinic the following week, and was warmly greeted by my nurse injector, who instantly made me feel comfortable and was eager to understand my needs. I described my clenching habit, and the desire to slim my masseters to counteract the clenching. My nurse injector told me that injecting Botox into the masseter muscles would not only help with my clenching, but also create a more balanced facial structure by slimming my jawline. She also suggested maintenance appointments every six months to keep the clenching at bay. With regular maintenance, it was likely that I’d need fewer injected units in the future, too. I was sold!

My nurse injector handed me a mirror, sterilized my skin, and marked off injection sites on my masseters with a facial pen. When she started injecting, all I felt was a tiny pinch and nothing else – the entire treatment was legitimately painless. No numbing cream or stress balls required! It also helped that my nurse injector had the most pleasant bedside manner and offered words of encouragement while injecting:

“You’re doing great.”
“Inhale. Exhale.”
“Almost done!”
“I think you’re going to love the results!”

The entire injection process took about five minutes. I felt like we spent three times just chatting and getting to know each other. I didn’t feel anything immediately after, but on my drive home, I hit a lot of rush hour traffic. Out of (bad) habit, sitting in traffic made me want to clench my jaw in frustration. It wasn’t until I tried to clench that I realized I couldn’t forcefully clench my jaw, even if I tried! The Botox was already working and it felt amazing!

Over the next few days, I definitely noticed my masseters were carrying less tension and tightness. All the stressful moments over the past two years where I found myself clenching my jaw were being undone by a simple five-minute treatment. To prevent the clenching alone, I only wish I’d gotten Botox sooner.

The cosmetic perk was another reason I wish I’d gotten Botox sooner than I did. The full face-slimming effects of the masseter reduction were noticeable around six weeks post-treatment, but the progress was visible leading up to that point. By relaxing and reducing my overworked masseter muscles, my face had regained harmony, and my jawline was more balanced. The puffiness and overgrowth of my masseters that I noticed in pictures months ago were gone. I had a more elongated and feminine jawline, which gave me so much more confidence.

My nurse injector was right – I did love my results. After my first Botox treatment, I stopped clenching my jaw, my masseters were no longer sore, and my face was slimmed because my masseters were no longer overworked.

Since my first appointment, I’ve gone back several times to my nurse injector at Therapeutic Aesthetics for maintenance of my masseter reduction. I’m also going to incorporate Botox into my skincare routine and use it to prevent fine lines and wrinkles in other areas of my face. At the heart of my pleasant experience was the personalized care I received from Therapeutic Aesthetics, and I would trust the clinic’s expertise with all my future treatments.