Cara : Full disclosure, I had Botox a couple of times about 10 years ago when I worked in the dermatology office. I liked the way I looked and it was very convenient since I was around it every day! But after I left, I never sought it out again. I think a lot of that was laziness - finding the right person to do it, the cost, etc. As time went on, I just accepted the way my face looked without it. But, in the past few years, I have really started to be bothered by some of the lines and wrinkles that I noticed - especially in photos. Vanity played a big role for me as well; I felt weird caring so much about looking “old”. It is a privilege to age!

Karen : I typically opt for a more natural approach to most aspects of my life; eating organic, using natural skincare products, home cleaners etc.  So I was a little afraid of putting a foreign substance in my body.  I’ve had plenty of friends successfully get Botox and look amazing, but I irrationally feared I would be the one to have some strange reaction;)

Cara :  What I do think is that age has allowed me to be more accepting of myself but, on the flipside, it also helped me to understand that I can do whatever I want to make me feel good about myself (as long as I’m not hurting others of course). As soon as I realized that, I was full steam ahead on exploring my options!

Karen :  I started questioning whether I should get Botox when I started paying more attention to my skincare regimen. I am getting monthly facials, using good products, so I thought it would be great to add that one extra element that would help my skin look its best.  And admittedly I wasn’t loving the way my skin looked in photos - I just wanted to appear a bit fresher.  

After we both decided it was time to get serious about learning what we could do to “freshen up”, we started to ask around. What we learned is that people get Botox (and other injectables) in a vast array of places, even their pediatrician’s office! After talking to friends and doing our research online, we decided to go to a very well established (and reviewed) medspa in Chicago called The Fitz. They have a doctor on staff along with many experienced nurses that do the procedures. We booked our consultation. When the day arrived, I picked Karen up and away we went for our big appointment!

Cara : I was excited yet a bit apprehensive before our consultation. I had a pretty good idea that I would go forward with having something done, but didn’t want to look like I had gotten something done! I tend to get caught up with the excitement of an event and regret later. But our aesthetic injector Kelly was amazing - she took lots (and lots) of time with us. I had every confidence that Kelly would follow our wishes for a “natural” look.

Karen : I wasn’t sure I was going to do it until a minute before she injected the first shot.  I was thankful for the conversation with Kelly; she made me feel a lot more comfortable.  She really understood that I was not looking for a crazy transformation - that I still wanted to look like myself.  So when she said I would, but a little fresher and like I had a good sleep - I said sign me up!