We’ve all heard the occasional Botox horror story where someone came back looking like a barbie doll or that with a face so permanently surprised it was as if they saw free food deals everywhere.

But it’s 2018 and we thought that it was about time we got a face lift and found out what the aesthetic industry has been up to.

We spoke to Dr Jason Yip of Astute Clinic to debunk some of the misconceptions of getting Botox to understand where they came from and how they happened. 

1. It freezes your face!

You know how our mums always said “if you keep making that face it’ll stay that way”. Some people have actually been there because of a bad Botox job!

They become creepy expressionless beings who would probably be masters at poker.

Dr Jason explains that its because back in the day, many untrained professionals would inject excessive amounts of Botox into the face, thus, freezing the muscles and the face.

A good Botox job would look completely natural, preserving expressions and getting rid of the wrinkles.

2. It’ll make you look plastic, like a barbie doll

Thanks to pop culture and its exaggerations, looking plastic has also been propagated as the product of the procedure. A good Botox job should make the patient look refreshed, almost as if in an advertisement. 

3. It’s only for women

Botox is for everyone! The procedure is suitable for all genders and ages. Dr Jason says that he’s actually been seeing an increased number of men looking to undergo the procedure for the same reasons as women.

4. It’s only for people to look pretty

There are other reasons why people get Botox done too. It’s not just to look better but it can also help with excessive underarm sweating, migraine, abnormal twitching muscles (blepharospasm), stiffened muscles (muscles spasticity), squint (strabismus), bladder dysfunction and so many more.

5. It’s permanent

Botox usually lasts about 4 months give or take but it will definitely be a good four months of looking ready for a photo-shoot at any moment.

6. It’s only for when you have serious wrinkles

We know Botox as the magic cure to wrinkles and fine lines but it really can be used from the early stages to pug level. Some studies even show that the procedure can prevent serious wrinkles as we age.

Believe it or not, Botox was actually originally developed to treat abnormal muscle twitching around the eye. It was then they discovered that on top of the twitching, the patients wrinkles disappeared completely!

7. Botox and fillers are the same

They are not but certainly work well together!

Botox is usually used to iron out wrinkles, whereas fillers are used to fill up a sunken area or augment an existing feature. When used together they can make a face look filled, healthy and young.

8. It has terrible side effects

Dr Jason says that in his experience, side effects are uncommon or extremely rare. If there are any, they are usually very mild or transient in nature.

Now that you’ve gotten your informational face lift, maybe its time to get a real one?

Written by: Loke J-Han

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