It’s been two weeks since I walked through the doors of NWA Center for Plastic Surgery‘s skin care center for my first consultation. As mentioned in my previous post, I had zero clue as for what to expect. And if you are in the same boat as I was (basically clueless about skin care), then hopefully the sharing of my experience will be helpful!

Once I got all checked-in, I talked with the esthetician for a good thirty minutes about my skin. The approach wasn’t about what I hated and wanted to change – it was about what I loved and wanted to preserve. That positivity matched the atmosphere, which felt more like home than a doctor’s office. With big windows that let in a lot of natural light, and decor that left me wanting to move in, I felt comfortable. Like I was on a nice little retreat from my work day.

After figuring out what would work best with my skin (mine is pretty sensitive), I jumped right in and started a few treatments. One of the first things I did was dermaplane. I think I had heard of it before, but I had no idea what it was. And in case you don’t either, I’m here to tell you that it means taking a scalpel to the face! Sounds horrifying, right? It was actually incredibly relaxing, pain free, and I would do it every week if I could. The process scrapes off the layer of dead skin cells and the velus hair (the peach fuzz) on your face and it instantly made my skin softer than it has ever been.

After that, she did a few more treatments of various creams and ointments, including a very light chemical peel which again, sounds scary and painful, but it was easy breezy. All of this took less time than my lunch hour. From there, I went down the hall and met my new best friend, Annie. She just so happens to be the Nurse Injector and she introduced me to my other new best friend…Botox.

That’s right. For the first time ever, I got Botox. And I would do it again in a heartbeat. I’ve been curious about it for some time now, but only recently realized that it’s helpful to prevent wrinkles, not just smooth them away. Which, by the way – it DOES. Like magic. Like REAL-LIFE Photoshop. The best thing about how NWA Center for Plastic Surgery offers Botox is that they are thoughtful about how it’s done. I was told to start small, which I did, and that no one would actually notice that I got it, which they didn’t. Obviously you still want to look like you, just a refreshed version of you. And now two weeks later, that’s what I got – my skin is smoother, but my expression is still mine. Although, it might be smiling a bit more lately because I honestly love my skin again. I’ve already switched from my full-coverage foundation, to a tinted moisturize – or nothing at all.

Now let’s get to the fun stuff – The before and after photos! I am still a work in progress, but I started noticing a real change on day four. The Botox was injected in my forehead, by my eyes, and in-between my eyebrows. The photo on the left was taken at my first visit, right after the dermaplane. On the right is two weeks later, right after a workout.

With Botox, the only thing I regret is not doing it a little sooner. Now that I’m “on the other side,” I see how it’s a subtle game-changer. I’m also realizing how many other people do it – and I had no idea. I love talking about this sort of stuff and it seems that once the conversation gets started, so does everyone else. So, let’s keep talking, learning, and sharing. I’m been religiously using the SkinMedica day and night, and I go back for another round of dermaplane (woo hoo!) in two weeks. Can’t wait to see (and share) the rest of my progress!

Special thanks to the NWA Center for Plastic Surgery for sponsoring me on this journey! Seriously, y’all have made my year and I’m so excited to share.