Fess up! Have you ever had Botox, Juvederm or Restylene?

[Sparkly]

I keep seeing ads for these things on television and wonder how common they are. Not that DU is an ideal measure of anything "common," but just curious!

[stuntcat]

1. no but

If I had a bunch of extra money I would get a Lifestyle Lift.
When I win the lottery I'll get a Lifestyle Lift and buy a farm :headbang:

[Sparkly]

3. What's a Lifestyle Lift?

And what's a farm?

[stuntcat]

4. oh it's fantastic!

The farm and the plastic surgery :headbang:
It's just plastic surgery but I guess it's a certain kind, a popular kind.

I'll get it if I happen upon a bunch of extra money. Not just because I'm vain but I realize how differently people treat you and speak to you depending on how you look, that's a total pity, but whatever, I didn't make the dumb world.

[Critters2]

25. I saw an infomercial for these once, but no hint as to what it costs.

That left me curious. Do you know what they cost?

I'm like you. I don't think of myself as vain, but I know people take these things into consideration.

[stuntcat]

30. I just looked

I looked around online and most places say it's about $5,000, which they insist is cheap compared to most plastic surgery, but it's way more than I can pay for anything like that. I'm even too cheap to buy lottery tickets so I can't count on luck I guess.

It makes me officially Vain but really I can't help noticing how differently people talk to me when I've gotten fixed up. I just have to hold my chin up higher every year That's what my one aunt who had a facelift told me to do, to "hold up my chin".. and know I'm figuring out why she said it :(

[RebelOne]

42. Here are some complaints about the Lifestyle lift.

I was thinking about doiing it until I read these complaints from dissatisfied women.

http://www.infomercialscams.com/scams/lifestyle_lift_complaints

[stuntcat]

44. There's a LOT about it online

saying all kinds of stuff, good and bad.
I just need to remember to hold my chin up I think! Then by the time I can afford something like this they'll have come up with like 'Miracle Lift' or something.

[avasmom]

2. botox, didn't work

did botox once 18 months ago for the "worried crinkle" line between my brows... the effect lasted about four weeks. maybe didn't do it right?

wouldn't do it again.

have a friend who used the filler juvederm- had great results, says it lasts longer.

i just decided to accept my lines for now.

[stuntcat]

7. I'm telling my friend this

My best friend's just set on getting Botox. Maybe he's just talking, like I do about the facelift I'll probably never get.

[lildreamer316]

15. Hi Avasmom! Here's some ideas:

I play around a lot over at MakeupAlley.com. It's really the premiere forum for real-people discussion of such things on this side of the internet. I have learned a lot.

My apologies if you already are informed on this! Anyway, in case not:

What seems to be the consensus (and also at smartskincare.com, created by a real doctor); is that three things for sure have real effects on aging skin: AHA/BHAs, Retinols, and Vitamin C. An effective sunscreen comes a close fourth.

Have you tried a retinol product? There are lots of them OTC (over the counter). Neutrogena makes a decent one. Any of the products on the drugstore shelves that say anti-wrinkle...pick them up and check the ingredients. You are looking for retinol or retinaldehyde, or even something that says it contains vit.A (retinols are derivatives of). Of course you can always go to a dermatologist and get a prescription for Retin-A,or a similar product (there's a ton of expensive ones out there; check the brand Avene online - Whew!). If you are interested, wander on over to Makeupalley/smartskincare and do some research.

AHAs are Alpha Hydroxy Acids. There is a product called Alpha Hydrox that you can get at CVS; also Walgreens carries a generic house version of this. Other face products have this in them - it's an exfoliant. Has helped fade a lot of acne scars for me personally, and sunspots for other people. It may have an effect on wrinkles; of course YMMV (your mileage may vary).A good concentration is 8% to 12%.

Same thing with BHA (Beta Hydroxy Acids); although these are mainly for exfoliating and clearing out pores. In most over the counter products, this is called Salicylic Acid. It's in a lot of acne products. Don't know if this is something you would be interested in, but figured you might like the info.

Vitamin C is credited with increasing collagen; so this is a great thing to add to your routine. There is a section of people that do not respond at all to this, but it seems at the moment that a large portion does, so it is certainly worth a try. It also does double-duty as an anti-oxidant. The challenge with getting a good C serum is that C is very unstable unless formulated correctly/made recently (it depends on the ingredients it is mixed with, and the form of the C). I make my own, but that is a whole other post.

If you have the money, the Clairsonic brush (featured on Oprah) had been getting RAVES all over; it's about $175-$200. The new Neutrogena Healthy Skin Rejuvinator brush has also been getting pretty good reviews, but it's so new I'm waiting on more input before deciding. I have the Neut. Advanced Solutions Microdermabraision one, and it's pretty good, but I really don't use it enough. A professional microdermabraison is possibly a good choice, or even a professional peel. Do your research there too, of course - everyone has different reactions.

Sorry for overloading you with info,but I wanted to make sure you knew! There's much more at the two sites I mentioned. At smartskincare; you can pay a small fee and download his instruction manuals on making your own skincare for a number of different things. I think this is a great value, because then I know exactly what I am putting on my face, and what I am not. Tons of great info there on what has been proven to work and what hasn't. Paula Begoun is another good source of info, although a lot of ppl over at Makeupalley don't agree with some of her claims (and some of these ladies/gents are esthiticians and doctors!).

Hope some, or any of this, can help.

We love your daughter here..she is such an inspiration and gives me a lot of hope. Thank you!

[avasmom]

17. i checked it out.. . GREAT SITE

i am going to download the manual, people put so much crap on their skin- forget that the skin is an ORGAN and it ABSORBS ALL OF THOSE INGREDIENTS.

what a helpful post! i've used a couple of the ingredients (AHA, BHA) and while they help with fine lines, i've yet to find anything to work on the wrinkle between my brows. i wish i could just 'numb' it at night, because i wake up with a line in the morning from sleep worrying- anxiety dreams!

anyway, thanks so much for your helpful post and i LOVE the website...

-t-

[avasmom]

18. btw- how do you make the C cream?

i have ALOT of vitamin C (ascorbic) powder (i'm a bit of a health nut) can i make a cream out of it?

[lildreamer316]

21. I'll PM you...if I can.

Not sure if you have enough posts, I can't remember.

[siligut]

24. Look at my method and tell me what you think. nt

[Dora]

46. I'd like that C recipe too, please?

:hi:

[siligut]

23. I don’t know how you can numb just at night, but I do know how you can lessen that line.

Muscles have some influence on wrinkles, I mean that you use those muscles so they are built up around the wrinkle. What works for the skin and isn’t too difficult or expensive, is 3M Transpore tape.

It is a plastic medical tape and you can buy it at many drug stores. It is clear and pliable so it is comfortable and not too obvious. Just use a small piece to cover the line before you go to bed.

Use a piece a few mms wider than the line but as long as the line. This will prevent you from knitting your brow so hard. This will help the line in the skin, but won’t have as much result on the muscles.


You can make Vit C cream using ascorbic acid, but as lildreamer pointed out, in solution it degrades quickly. You can buy Ester C at health food stores that is not in capsules or pressed into tabs. Ester C is fat soluble, so the thought is that it is better absorbed. You can just mix a small amount into any bland face cream, do it each night, that way it will be fresh. Keep your Vit C in the frig.

[lildreamer316]

26. Thanks for mentioning the fridge!! I forgot that.

I use l-ascorbic acid I ordered from bulkactives.com, in an anhydrous silicone gel, so that it doesn't get unstable. But I re-make every two to three weeks anyway (I make a very small amount at a time).

I've never tried Ester-C. May have to give that a whirl.

Now the medical tape..I HAVE heard of that, but more for pores than for wrinkles. Now that I have double-duty for it, I will def. try it! Thanks for the tip!!

[siligut]

28. You are welcome, you have been very helpful. nt

[DarkTirade]

5. Umm... I used benadryl on a rash I had once.

Is that close enough? :shrug:

[Sparkly]

8. Do you have before and after pictures?

Did people say you looked well-rested?

[DarkTirade]

10. Umm... I didn't really let people see that much of me...

:P

[grannylib]

6. No, but I MIGHT consider it...I really hate the crease line between

my eyes, mostly...other than that, it's just the under-eye dark puffiness I'd like to banish forever.

[avasmom]

12. its the angry crease

makes me look MAD all the time, when it is really a "worry" line... next time i have a jury trial, i'll probably do something. i always ask for comments afterward, and the last group (i won) told me that i seemed a little too "angry."

maybe i'll try benadryl. :-)

[lildreamer316]

20. Hey Grannylib!

I'm on a mission today.

I ran right over to my fave site, Makeupalley.com, to get you some info.
As I bet you know, under eye dark circles are usually hereditary (I've got a bit of it myself). There are a ton of eye creams out there, and many different people seem to like them, so I can't suggest a particular one that has worked for a majority, but an ingredient to look for is Vitamin K. This one seems to garner the most consensus across the board. If you register (it's free; no spam!); check out this link:

http://www.makeupalley.com/user/notepad/Marsen

If you don't want to register, PM me and we'll go from there.

For puffiness, again the above is true - there are lots of reviews of eye creams at the site; so if you have a fave or one that has been suggested you can read the reviews without registering (I believe). Very helpful.

The other idea for puffiness is used/wetted green tea bags laid over eyes. The ingredient in green tea is ECEG; try looking for this in any eye creams you try.

Also try reducing your caffeine intake, and a retinol product has helped a lot of people - but of course be careful about the strength, it can be very drying.

For moisture, a lot of people like Juara Sweet Tea Eye Cream.

Oh! This has worked for some: 1tsp gelatin(plain-Knox) dissolved in 1tbsp boiling water. This is hard to get off, though. Be careful about tugging.

[RainDog]

33. okay, miz expert, another question!

oh, btw, I also heard that some actresses use prep-h to make the skin under their eyes shrink when they have early morning calls. the thought of trying that makes me laugh... you can supply the punch line. :)

so this is my question, make up expert.

how does someone in your profession deal with razor rash? again, as I said downthread, my skin is very fair/sensitive and this sort of thing drives me crazy... it's only a problem the higher up on my legs or elsewhere I go. what do you or others do to deal with that one?

[avasmom]

39. best thing i've used for razor rash

is a product for men... tend skin. works wonders.

[lildreamer316]

40. Tend Skin

You can get it online, or you can make your own:

1) Crush 18 tablets of uncoated aspirin
2) Dissolve these in 5.5 oz of 70% rubbing alcohol
3) Crush 8 tablets of uncoated aspirin
4) Dissolve these in 2.5 oz of witch hazel
5) Combine the rubbing alcohol and witch hazel solutions. Some settling of aspirin may occur, just shake it well before you use it. APPLY once a day after waxing/shaving to prevent and treat ingrown hairs and razor burn

I also just use a basic aftershave or solid unscented deodorant (Dove is good). The Dove really helps to soothe the skin, it seems.

Good luck finding what works for you!

[grannylib]

50. *lol* I've tried the buttcream thing, and it surely didn't do a damn thing

for me except make me smell like fish oil for an hour or so *lol*

[grannylib]

49. Ooh, thanks so much for the tips! I'll have to try the tea bags.

Thanks so much for responding - I'll let you know what I try! :hi:

[Ellen Forradalom]

9. I live in Botoxville

but the stuff gives me the creeps.

[avasmom]

13. here in bama, too

everybody, even women you'd think could not afford it- its kinda like expensive tennis shoes to the housing projects. white trash women in trailers get botoxed.

[Bucky]

11. Never! I earned these wrinkles and I'm gonna goddamn show them off.

And if people can't handle that, let them go look at someone attractive instead!

[avasmom]

14. LOL

i definitely earned my wrinkles- five kids, two careers, two husbands, 30(ish) critters... 20 years of breakfasts, laundry, smart-mouthed younguns (not ava, of course ;-) ), snoring men, bawling clients, bandaids to bobos, ER visits with kids who fell down just hard enough to scare me, burned biscuits, so many other things...

(phew!)

and lets not forget...

eight years of bush is enough to age ANYBODY.

[Archae]

16. I have a Botox clock, does that count?

A giveaway clock from the Botox company. ;-)

[grasswire]

19. never will -- I read about the snake venom

ugh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[IzaSparrow]

22. i have no intention on getting cosmetic surgeries

but i am young and maybe when i'm old and saggy i will yearn for more youthful looks.

[jeff30997]

27. I love the smell of

Botox in the morning.

[SarahB]

29. Maybe when I'm 60.

Instead, I wear sunscreen daily. Prevention is the best way to have healthy skin.

[RainDog]

31. no. don't even know 2 out of 3 of them...

but after reading the thread, I'm bookmarking it for the info about facial stuff. I never read women's mags about this stuff. I flip through vanity fair sometimes... I do like their articles.. but I know I cannot afford to buy the sorts of things they sell.

for years I've used cheap ole St. Ives alpha-hyrdoxy masque.. lately about once every 6 months... unfortunately. should do it more often.

it feels good.

I've been such a don'tgiveadamn -er lately that I don't even use mosturizer most days. I wear a tinted moisturizer/sunblock when I'm not rushing around to get out of the house in the a.m. - I should wear it all the time b/c my skin is fair and now that I'm older, I look like I have an interstate map on my cheeks.

someone here mentioned raw minerals make up, and a cheap version is available via L'oreal or something like that... but I tried it and it looked weird on me. so I just stick with moisturizer. I never wore face make up when I was younger. most days I don't even bother to wear mascara, now, tho I like it.

I started taking some medication that made me gain weight... or, more realistically, I took the medication and became a couch potato at the same time.. and I need to get back into my exercise stuff. I think exercise is the best thing for your skin - good health is the best thing for your skin. anyway, I need to buy some work interview clothes, tho my area is pretty much Friday dress casual all week long. For intervews, tho, I need a biz look. However, I don't wanna buy something yet because I hope that I will actually start giving a damn again and... I'm sure others here know what I mean.

when I do interview, however, I will wear make up and give myself a facial, blahblahblah. so, again, bookmarked! and thanks.

[mitchum]

32. I've had the Tahoe Eyetuck...

a little Preparation H applied to the corner of your eyes to tighten up the skin

[RainDog]

34. Ha!

I just wrote about that upthread!! great or demented minds? or harp-playing lovers... or...

[mitchum]

35. I first learned about it when I heard David Johanson as Buster Poindexter explain...

it to Johnny Carson
Great minds all of us!

[RainDog]

36. do you know he's been singing blues lately?

I'm really, really am amazed with guys who can have such impressive pompadours as his. my nephew had liberty spikes for a while when he lived with me and I found out his secret... elmer's glue. I just wonder how those guys with pompadours keep them up.

[mitchum]

37. Yes, I love those Harry Smiths records that Johansen did

I also have a video of him singing a half dozen Howlin' Wolf songs with Hubert Sumlin
He is just a fantastic talent

[RainDog]

38. are u my evil twin skippy?

:scared:

[BreweryYardRat]

41. No, but I'm thinking of starting Accutane. I've had quite enough of this acne.

I'm 19 going on 20, for Christ's sake. I'd like to not break into huge zits if I'm too tired to crawl into the shower after coming home from the gym.

[siligut]

51. Accutane is strong stuff.

Please try zinc taken internally and AHAs and BHAs externally first. Buy some of the prewetted facial cloths for when you are too tired. Honestly, Accutane will dry you out and my personal belief is that you will suffer later in life with liver damage and worse acne.

[RebelOne]

43. My sister had the Restylene treatment.

Actually, I couldn't tell the difference. She looked the same after as before. Just a few less lines.

[pitohui]

45. yes, botox, it's amazing

it really makes a huge difference

[Sweet Freedom]

47. No, but

I know two people who had bad experiences with Restylene. Many doctors are leaving their regular practice for cosmetics (because that is where the money is) so, some of them just don't know what they are doing. A family friend ruined the look of her eyes a year ago and has been trying to find a way to correct it. Then a family member messed up her face for several months. The doctor who did it didn't inject far enough (or something like that) and she ended up with red painful swollen lumps around her mouth that then traveled into her lips. She complained to the doctor and surprisingly, he gave her back her money and closed shop. (She's had various forms of plastic surgery but will never use injectables in her face again.)

As far as common, I know several people who have had Botox, but no Juvederm.

[KitchenWitch]

48. I will NEVER have botulism pumped into my skin

I hate the trenches on my forehead, but I will not get Botox, or anything else, because for one, there is not much long term data on effects, and secondly, they only work for a short amount of time.

I can think of better things to spend money on.