Fall Outfit + My Med Spa Experience

Wool Headband | Jacket | Long Sleeve Tee | Jeans (similar) | Flats 

 

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I’ve been pretty open about the procedures I’ve received at Dr. Jeffrey Sweat’s office (or you can find them on Instagram here).  They’re located in the Arden area for all of my Sactown friends! I’ve received everything from Botox to lip fillers to Micro-Needling & HydraFacials. My husband is also currently going through the process of removing all of the hair off of his back (and almost done! – usually it’s a series of six treatments).

I’m going to talk a little about each of these procedures today including my personal experience, the benefits, and my personal opinion on it all.

I feel like this can be such a taboo subject that really shouldn’t be. It is what it is. If you ultimately feel more comfortable having botox, then girl- get it! It doesn’t have to be something you shout from the rooftops like me (haha!) but remember, my job is a little different than yours. I’m sharing my story in hopes to help you guys! The last time I shared about receiving botox on my stories, you all flooded my inbox with messages thanking me for sharing and being so open and vulnerable about it. A lot of women tend to view it in a negative light where I personally see it similar to any other beauty product. Why do you wear make up? To make yourself look better. Why do you workout? To look and feel better. Why do get botox? To look and feel better. I always have to say to each their own because I get it, not everyone is going to agree. You do you!

I also received a ton of questions via Instagram stories so I’m going to do my best to answer everyone’s questions throughout my explanation of each of these services below. There will also be some Q&A at the end if I didn’t answer your question. Hopefully it will help you gain a better understanding of what each service offers and how it can help you! Remember, I’m not a pro – I’m only speaking from my personal experience.

Botox

Botox is something you want to start before you start getting wrinkles. It is a prevention tool that will help you in the long run with aging signs. It’s different for everyone but I started noticing smaller wrinkles on my forehead around 28, I didn’t received my first botox treatment until I was 29, and I probably will not stop from here on out. How many units do you need? Again, all depends on your personal needs. The last couple of times I have gone I’ve gotten around 30 units give/take a few, most of them being in my forehead. I don’t have too bad of crows feet at this point and I’m very cautious about how many units I have put in this particular area as it tends to freeze your smile quite a bit the more you get. There’s a certain look that you see when women get too much botox and the crows feet area is where you want to be careful of not overly injecting to prevent this look. The amount of time per session varies but most people can go between 2 – 6 months before needing another treatment. For me, I have to go every 3ish months. Irina at Dr. Jeffrey Sweats office is seriously amazing! She made me feel extremely comfortable and at ease, and tends to go on the cautious side of things at first. That’s what you want when looking for a physician. You cannot reverse the effects of Botox so start small and work your way up. This isn’t something you want to mess up on 😉 Cost – it varies per office/state/location but I’ve heard anywhere between $9-$15 per unit is pretty average. With that said, pay more if that means you’re getting a better physician. It’s worth it! One last thing, botox does not hurt at all!

 

Lip Fillers/Injections

Another hot topic 🙂 There are a few different types of fillers you can receive and it all depends on what you’re filling (lips, cheeks, etc.), what look you are wanting to achieve, and how long you want to wait in between each session. I received almost 1 full syringe of Volbella between my top and bottom lip (3/4 of it being my top lip as it was quite a bit smaller. We were really just trying to make my lips look symmetrical as my bottom lip is naturally larger). Volbella tends to be more on the natural side and lasts close to a full year. I have not received any fillers in my cheeks (I get asked this a lot), but a lot of women do because as you age, your face starts to droop (stinks getting older!) – Pain wise, fillers are pretty painful in the lips. It’s something you just have to suck up and do. On a scale of 1-10 I’d say it’s about a 6-7. Irina will also be your go to girl for this if you decide to get yours done at Dr. Jeffrey Sweat’s office. I don’t remember pricing on this but contact their office for details! They do run specials quite frequently so be sure to ask.

 

HydraFacial 

Ahh I love this facial. So much! It’s exactly what it is called – a hydration facial and is currently one of the most popular facials today. The Hydrafacial resurfaces your skin by cleansing, exfoliating, and extracting and is beneficial for every skin type. It is going to suck out all of your impurities and put back in lots of goodness. It makes your skin extremely fresh, hydrated and glowy. At Dr. Jeffrey Sweats office, there are different levels you can purchase depending on what you want to get done. Be sure to ask about the different packages and what best suits your needs. I’d also recommend getting it done every 1-2 months (best case scenario).

Tip: ask your physician what your water looks like at the end as it’s filled with all of your skins impurities it pulled out and basically resembles murky water. It’s kind of fascinating (at least to me :)).

 

Micro-Needling

Micro-Needing invoves using fine needles to create hundreds of tiny (invisible) puncture wounds in the top layer of your skin. This in turn causes your skin to naturally heal itself by increasing your collagen and elastin production as well as your cell turnover. There are at at home micro-needing tools you can buy (this one being a favorite), however, this in service option is an extreme/instant version if you don’t want to wait months for results. It’s a quick 15-30 minute procedure with about 1-2 days down time (depending on the sensitivity of your skin). Is it painful? Not really. There are different levels of micro-needling and again, depends on how high your pain tolerance is, but I’d say it was about a 4 between 1-10. It’s more of an irritation feeling, rather than pain itself.

There are many benefits to micro-needling – overall, it is going to even out your skin texture and shrink your pores. You are also an advocate for micro-needling if you have visible acne scarring, pigmentation, and wrinkles. It also makes your skincare products work more efficiently as your products will go deeper into your skin (from the small punctures/wounds being made).

Personally, I liked it, however I should have gone through with the full three treatments for best results as you will see better results the more treatments you do. Overall it evened out my skin tone and really helped minimize my pores!

The cost on this procedure is going to be a little bit more pricey than botox/fillers although I don’t have an exact number for you as it varies per location.

 

Hair Removal 

My husband is currently about to have his fifth treatment on his back at Dr. Jeffrey Sweat’s office.

Hair removal can be a painful procedure, but it is a very efficient way to remove your hair almost permanently (most places will not say permanent as there are cases where it can come back but it is more on the rare side of things). I do want to stress the importance of getting this specific procedure done at a legitimate Med Spa office. Long story short, my husband bought a Groupon a few years back and wherever he got his procedures done at, was a joke. He had the normal six sessions done, and within 6 months his hair had grown back in. This all points back to the laser that is being used to remove your hair folicals. If it is old or not up to date, you will not get the service you are paying for. We have seen tremendous results so far at Dr. Jeffrey Sweat’s office and I’m confident his back will be hair free following his sixth session. They also have a case by case rule that they will work with you on your specific needs following your sixth session. Cost drastically varies per area.

 

Q&A

 

Q: I’m dying to lip injections but I’m scared. How long is down time?

A: Some people bruise from lip injections, others do not. If you’re not a bruiser, there is no down time! Otherwise probably a few days.

 

Q: Would you trust Groupon for Botox?

A: NO!!! Do not risk it. Go to someone professional and I would advise that you go to someone from positive recommendations.

 

Q: Have you tried at home Micro-needling?

A: Yes I have! I use the one I suggested above and LOVE it.

 

Q: Can you tell the “about” price for your husband hair removal?

A: Around $2500 for the full back

 

Q: Have you done derma planing or peels?

A: No, although I am interested in both! I want to get a chemical peel next because I have some very stubborn pigmentation that has gone away/come back so many times. I think a good chemical peel will get to the bottom of it.

 

Q: You’ve been open with Botox, how does microneedling compare with fine line reduction?

A: In my personal experience, if you are looking to solely reduce fine lines- go with botox. It will hands down take care of the problem. Botox is more effective for fine line reduction.

 

Q: Is laser hair removal dangerous for the bikini area?

A: Not at all! It’s a very popular area for hair removal. I plan to get my armpits done at some point and if I can handle the pain for my bikini line, might just go that route someday too!

 

Q: How many units of Botox did you get around your eyes?

A: I believe I got 2-3 on each side. Not much.

 

Q: What changes have you seen in your skin with hydra facials?

A: Sounds cliche but exactly what they say it does- more glowy and radiant skin overall.

 

Q: Which treatment do you think is most important to having young/radiant skin?

A: They all do different things so it’s hard to just choose one. But I would say micro-needling is going to be your best bet for young/radiant skin because this service tackles many different problems.