I have regular botox, 3 or 4 times a year, a "procedure" rather than surgery I realise. I feel there are a lot of myths about botox that fly around.
I have told virtually nobody I have had it done - not even my husband. I'm pretty sure nobody knows or suspects.
So one thing people might then say is "what's the point" but unless someone has actively noticed certain lines on you that then disappear overnight, they wouldn't necessarily notice - it doesn't mean you don't look better for it. They'd actually be more likely to notice if you looked worse for it. Looking better and fresher or happier or whatever can be down to lots of things, so unless a person was very focussed on lines in general and studying faces, it can be difficult to tell.
There are a couple of dead giveaways with botox in terms of a certain shape of brow lift you get which can be bordering on "vulcan" with some people (and a good doctor knows how to counter this even if only the next time you have it), another is comma lines, also tied in with "spocking" or vulcan, which is a tiny line that presents itself just above the eyebrow at the outer corner when you would otherwise raise your brows. Once again a good doctor knows how to fix this (usually done at the 2 week top up appointment) without lowering your brow too much. The most likely people to notice these signs and suspect botox are those who have had it themselves.
Another slight myth is that it gives you a completely frozen waxy appearance. This does not have to be the case. I realise some celebs have this look, and i think they really are having the maximum amount, often, or as often as possible, and they are also doing a lot of microdermabrasion or chemical peels which adds to the super shiny buffed frozen look.
I have a more "suburban' style of botox, which limits movement in my forehead and between my brows, such that the movement is not so much that an actual crease occurs. For the first 3 weeks or so after it's kicked in the movement is pretty limited, but for the next 3 months after that, which far more of the time obviously, there is some movement and expression, but just not so pronounced that any creasing occurs. This is how I like it best and how it is most of the time.
For me, it's not necessarily to look "younger" and I'm not honestly sure whether it makes me look "younger" overall, because there are many factors to what ages you, your hair, other parts of your face, your body, your hands, your voice, your teeth, your outlook on life, how many children you have of what age, what car you drive, all of these factors put together can rightly or wrongly make a "profile" of a person that gives another person an idea of how old they perceive you to be, all of which are of course objective and based on the person's own personal experiences and prejudices.
I have it because I personally feel it makes me look better, by stamping out certain aspects of the ageing process that make me look more "masculine" for want of a better way of describing it. A frown or furrowed brow, or tram lines (horizontal creases in the forehead that are there even at rest) look great on Jack Branning from Eastenders, or George Clooney, but not on me, as far as I am concerned.
Crows feet I for some reason don't yet have in any major sense. Just the way my face is shaped I guess. But I feel that a bit of crows feet on a woman is fine, and not "masculine" and nods at laughter more than the more negative emotions and I feel less inclined to stop them happening.
I'm pretty sanguine about botox, and whilst I wouldn't rule out fillers one day if I felt they were needed (if I got a turning down mouth look, or my tear troughs get much worse etc), I would definitely avoid the pillow faced look some women get from a full facial recontouring using fillers which can be over the top (but I daresay there are good and bad versions of this too).
I wouldnt be happy with any major jowling before the age of at least 60 (though ask me at 60 and I probably wouldn't be overjoyed about it either) but I think I might get away with that because I have a very pointy chin and razor sharp jaw line, in that I've never had a double chin even when I've been overweight in the past, and I mean quite a bit overweight). I wouldn't be happy with severely hooded eyes either, though a little brow droop is acceptable and normal.
People who know me wouldn't consider me vain or insecure, and I don't consider myself to be, though I do care about my appearance, possibly more than I should, but I'm certainly very chilled about going out the house without makeup, in whatever clothes, doing the school run with wet hair, all that kind of thing so I'm not a teetering about in high heels full face of makeup cliche, if that makes sense. I think some people would be quite surprised if they knew I had botox.
Just thought I'd share those thoughts on it.