You might think getting Botox is simply matter of going to a place that "does it" and going ahead and getting it done. But as the old saying goes: the devil is in the details.
Indeed, it really is all in the specifics, and in order to have the best Botox experience possible, here are a few things you should keep in mind:
1. Make sure its real Botox. That's right. Real Botox. Now, I am NOT talking about Botox's competitors/varieties like Dysport and Xeomin. Those are okay. They work a little different from Botox, but they are essentially the same. What I am talking about Botox that is imported from outside the United States, which may be inferior quality.
2. Likewise, it is important to make sure that you see the doctor mix up the Botox in front of you, or at least show you the bottle. If a doctor gets defensive about this request, you might want to interpret that as a red flag, and take your business elsewhere.
3. Make sure you pay by the unit, and not the area. The fact is when you do the math, you may actually be paying more, even if it seems a deal at the time. Say, for instance, a doctor charges 200 dollars for an area. The doctor may use only 10 units to get the result, which means you will end up paying 20 dollars per unit, which is pretty high in the North Shore market. It may be worth it, especially if you like your surgeon, and they do good work, but it is something to keep in mind, especially if you are not a fan of fuzzy math.
4. Don't go overboard on your first visit. Remember, you want to develop a long term relationship with your doctor, and a doctor (like me) would like to have you as a patient for a long time. If you go overboard and get too many procedures at one time, you may not like the results, and this may sour the relationship unnecessarily. Think in incremental steps, and if you don't like the way you look, have a conversation with your doctor about what you would have preferred, and let the doctor explain their thoughts with you. Remember this is not simply a monetary transaction, but part of a more important doctor-patient relationship.
5. Develop trust with your doctor so you can end up trying new things that are exciting and will make you look and feel your very best. Let's face it, no one picks up a yellow pages and goes to a doctor and says, "How much for a facelift? Okay...book it." That's silly, and can be quite dangerous as well. If there is one thing that is more important than the actual knowledge and skill and professionalism that are brought to the doctor-patient relationship, it's the relationship itself. Trust and communication are the building blocks of a long relationship that can eventually bring beautiful dividends.
