Celeb doctor injected Botox up my NOSE – people tell me I look great thanks to little known secret treatment
LET me start by saying I'm not anti-ageing or anti-wrinkle - at 27, I've got no problem with the idea of looking more mature, and I've come to like the little lines that appear when I laugh and smile.
Maybe that will all change.
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But after months of looking at my face in Zoom meetings and feeling like I appeared a little more tired and weathered than I felt, I started to get curious about Botox.
Not the frozen, wind-tunnel kind, I wanted the whisper of change… the kind that celebrities have before stepping out to say they've tried a new product that's entirely changed their face shape.
The kind of tweak where your friends ask if you've 'been sleeping better lately' or started 'using laser treatments' because you've been looking 'more glowy lately'. Enter: Baby Botox.
Now, I'd heard all the buzz, and the warnings, about microdoses of Botox that are there not to freeze your face in one place, but just soften things slightly, touch things up like Photoshop.
And after a few deep dives on TikTok and a couple of late-night WhatsApp group chats (cue my entire family threatening to disown me), I booked an appointment with Dr Brendan Khong.
Dr Khong is not your average injector. First off, he doesn't believe in the whole ' preventative Botox ' craze that's everywhere online at the moment, even if I desperately wanted him to.
This is not, he was clear, about injecting twenty-something's into oblivion to change their appearance, and it's not a rocket into the space of an entire new look, just a gentle nudge into the stratosphere.
Think a refresh without diving headfirst into the ever-growing pool of fillers, from lips to cheeks to chin to nose, and it all made perfect sense to me.
I went in asking for three things: a lip flip to lift my top lip slightly without using filler, jaw Botox to slim the face and ease my clenching habit, and a bit of brow Botox to give me that snatched, slightly lifted look, think high fashion catwalk model, not permanently surprised.
Instead of plumping the lips with filler, Dr Khong popped a tiny amount of Botox just above my lip, to relax the muscle enough to encourage it to flip up, giving a poutier look without adding volume.
I'm Olivia Attwood's beautician here's why you should avoid 'preventative Botox'
It doesn't make you look like you've had anything done, just like my top lip, which for a while felt like it was on strike in smiley photos, decided to show up to the party for once.
The jaw Botox was a little more… spicy - I was warned the needle might feel a little deeper in the skin.
I've had tattoos in places that I've been warned will hurt and still managed to nap through it, but there's something about being pricked in your jaw muscles that makes you want to clench even harder. Not ideal.
The magic is, if you can get through it, in the weeks that follow it slims your face by relaxing the masseter muscles, seeing them get smaller and smaller until they felt almost like they'd disappeared.
My jaw hasn't felt this relaxed in years, though, eating anything chewy became a chore and I soon realised I'd have to cut my food up into tiny bits to handle the tiredness I'd feel from trying to work muscles that had been, essentially, put to sleep.
Diet hack, I guess.
The brow Botox was the cherry on top - a secret move Dr Khong told me was his 'signature'. Should I be worried? No. He showed me the results on other clients, and I was sold.
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It's not a full-on brow lift, but the difference is real, as a friend told me just days after, I looked 'like I'd had a holiday, or a facial, or both at the same time.' I'll take it.
And to top things off, Dr Khong surprised me by sticking the needle up my nose. Yes, you read that right - in the name facial balancing, one prick more didn't seem a bad idea.
What surprised me most was how little Botox was actually used. Baby Botox really is a minimalist's dream. Dr Khong was conservative with the amount.
He'd rather I come back for a top-up than overdo it.
So what's it like immediately afterwards? Honestly, sort of anticlimactic.
You're left with a few tiny needle marks which fade fast, and you can't lie down for four hours, no hardcore workouts, no drinking alcohol for at least 24 hours, no sun tanning, and no sex.
Luckily, I went on a Wednesday. No plans in store.
The results don't show up right away. It took about a week before I noticed the difference, but when I did?
Everyone kept telling me how good my skin looked - and I got ID'd buying a pair of scissors.
Not one person guessed Botox, so I could tell them green juice, and eight hours of sleep. Lies, all lies - and here I am, spoiling it all for myself.
My face still moves, I can still frown (albeit mildly), and I haven't had to defend myself against a single 'you've had work done'. Instead, I just keep hearing: 'You look really well, what's your secret?'
Just a few tiny jabs. But let's keep that between us, shall we?
WILL BOTOX KNOCK YEARS OFF MY FACE?
By Jack Hardwick
"No gym, no sex and certainly no sunbeds for 24-48 hours" - words most guys would hate to hear.
But as I sat in the plush clinic at 41 Harley Street, this was my reality.
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Though I was promised the short term loss was worth it for the long term gain, as I was about to pop my Botox cherry.
As for the reason for my self imposed gym and sex ban? Any strenuous exercise that would raise my heartrate runs the risk of causing the Botox to migrate before it settles into the muscles.
The areas of concern? My very expressive 31-year-old forehead which seems to have a life of its own - especially after I have a drink - and my eyes.
More and more over the past 12 months I've noticed my eyes were beginning to look tired.
Dreaded crows feet were becoming more and more visible - especially in certain lighting like on the gym floor or in the office lifts.
After months of deliberating with friends - both male and female - I have decided to take matters into my own hands.
Many of my friends have been splashing out on Botox for years but for me it's always been a female option - somehow emasculating to admit I've given in to the age old quest of turning back the clock.
But the past decade has seen a strong rise in men seeking out tweakments.
The amount of money spent by men on Botox rose by 400 per cent between 2000 and 2023, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
In 2020 alone, it's estimated that 265,000 men had Botox procedures.
Even with that in mind, as I sat down to pop my Botox cherry with Dr Ross at Cosmedics on Harley Street, my brief was clear - I wanted subtle touch ups rather than looking like I was frozen in time.
Enough to enhance my look, but subtle enough I could deny if anyone were to ask me.
After being marked up with no less than 20 injection points, it was time to receive my Botox.
The best way to describe the feeling is a wasp bite - a quick unpleasant crunch similar to being stung that's over as quick as it began.
'Exactly what I wanted'
The worst of these came in the six - three each side - around my eyes.
But even then, it was hardly painful. I was told it could take up to a week for the Botox to kick in but due to it being my first time I could feel my forehead freezing up within 48 hours.
Some of my mates love the feeling, I on the other hand was unsure.
Initially I admit I missed my formerly very expressive forehead but within a week I was super happy with my new smooth complexation.
When it comes to the six injections I had to remove my crows feet, I couldn't be happier from the get go.
Thanks to a few little pricks, this issue has gone.
Has it knocked years off my face? No. But do I look fresher and more youthful? Yes. At least I think so - and to be honest that's more than enough for me.
In fact, the few people I have told about my trip to Cosemedics had zero idea I'd had anything done - exactly what I wanted.
Though after showing them before and after pictures everyone can see the improvement.
Even my mum, who living in a rural village in Derbyshire couldn't be further away from the often shallowness of London, conceded she thought it looked good.
Do's & Don'ts before and after Botox
Dr. Aamer Khan reveals the do's and don'ts with Botox
Do's Before Botox
Consult a qualified practitioner with medical training and experience.
Inform your practitioner about all medications, supplements, and medical conditions.
Avoid alcohol and blood-thinning medications (aspirin, ibuprofen, vitamin E) for 24–48 hours.
Stay hydrated and have a light meal before your appointment.
Ask questions about the procedure, expectations, and outcomes.
Don'ts Before Botox
Avoid retinol, glycolic acid, or exfoliants on treatment areas for 24 hours.
Don't schedule within 2 weeks of major events to allow time for the treatment to work and any healing. needed, possible bruising, which can occur.
Reschedule if you're feeling unwell (cold, infection, etc.).
Try to avoid makeup on the day of treatment, unless it is mineral make up.
Do's After Botox
Gently move treated muscles (smile, frown) to help Botox settle.
Stay upright for 4–6 hours post-treatment.
Apply cold compresses gently to reduce swelling if there is any.
Use mild, non-active skincare to keep skin clean and calm.
Don'ts After Botox
Do not lie down or bend over for at least 4–6 hours.
Avoid touching or rubbing the injected area for 24 hours.
Skip workouts and heat exposure (gym, saunas, hot yoga) for 24 hours.
Don't apply makeup or active skincare for at least 12–24 hours.
Avoid alcohol and blood thinners for 24 hours post-treatment.
For any concerns post-treatment, always contact your provider directly. Mild redness, swelling, or bruising is common and usually subsides within a few days.
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