Y’all had so many questions about Botox and Fillers that I thought I would have my nurse injector, Alexis Hudson, answer the top 25 of my most-asked questions for you! Alexis is an RN with over 20 years of experience in nursing. She has focused the last 12 years of her career strictly to the plastic surgery/cosmetic industry and she’s AMAZING! You can make an appointment with her at Taylor Wellness MedSpa by calling 843-353-1616.

1. What age should you start?  You are never too young to start taking care of your skin.  Most fillers are approved for 18 years and older.

2. What areas did you do botox and what areas did you do fillers? We did Dysport between the eyes, forehead, and around the eyes. Filler in the cheeks, lips, and a little in the chin. 

3. What is the difference in botox/fillers? Botox is a chemical reaction and gets rid of the wrinkles by blocking the chemical that makes our muscle move.  The results are seen at 7-14 days.  Fillers fill in an area thereby giving it volume and diminishing wrinkles. 

4. Where all can you inject? Face, neck, decollate, buttocks

5. Is Botox/Filler safe for your face? Yes! We only use FDA approved products at TW

6. How much does botox cost? How much do fillers cost? Depends on the areas treated. Botox you pay by the unit.  Fillers you pay by the syringe.  Average Botox for three areas is around $400.  Fillers start at $400 and go up.  

7. On a scale of 1-10, how bad does it hurt? Do you using numbing cream?  Botox has a slight stinking sensation and fillers have lidocaine in them so you are numb for several hours after.  Yes, we use topical numbing cream as well.

8. How long does it last?/How often should you get botox? Botox 3-4 months; fillers 6mos-2yrs depending on which filler you choose

9. How do you know if you have gotten too much Botox/Filler? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!  In my opinion, you should have some movement with botox for a more natural look.  Fillers are meant to enhance the face, not change it!  I tell my patients NO all of the time! Lol!

10. Is it true that once you get botox, do you always have to get it? You never have to get it again although you will, lol!

11. When will I see results and what are the side effects? Results are seen in 7-14 days with botox.  Filler is instant.  The swelling from filler is worse the next day and if you bruise it can last 5-7 days.  I like to say your final results are at two weeks when the botox has completely kicked in and the filler has integrated with your natural tissue.  Side effects with botox is bruising, dropping of the eyelids.  Fillers, bruising and swelling.

12. Does it cause your lips to feel lump or dry? If your lips are lumpy I would contact the provider that performed the injection or dm me a pic and I will try and help.

13. My eyes are very hooded, would botox help lift them up and open eye area? Yes!  Botox does lift the brow but it can only do so much.  I would suggest having a consultation to see what available options there are.  

14. Why did you inject Whitney’s cheeks? Did you do her eyes too? As we age, even in our mid 20’s, we start to lose the volume in our cheeks.  By putting filler in her lateral cheeks (the part of the cheek closest to the ear) we were able to restore that volume.  This is also the area that helps support the lower face for later in life.   Bonus….it slims the face and helps give contour that we try to achieve when we apply makeup in that area.  Botox goes around the eyes and yes we did that for Whitney.  This helps to lift the brow, get rid of crow’s feet (smile lines), and open the eyes, especially in pictures.

15. What is a lip flip and is that what you did to Whitney? The lip flip is performed with botox and takes 5 mins and cost around $50-100!  It simple and easy for such a great result.  Whitney already has a natural flip to her lip so we did not need to do this.

16. Does it help with headaches/migraines? Yes! Botox can be placed in certain areas to help with migraines.  It takes a lot of Botox for this so most patients see their neurologist so insurance can cover it.  

17. Can you get Botox or Fillers while breastfeeding? No

18. Do you recommend Botox over Dysport? I am a personal fan of Dysport.  We offer all FDA approved toxins at TW. Currently, there are four with the same FDA approval. Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, and Jeveaux.  Though there are slight differences in all of them, I like to say it’s like comparing LV to Gucci!  Advice…there are lots of variables when it comes to all of the toxins.  Most places charge by the unit so prior to getting injected make sure to ask.  Otherwise, you may get sticker shock at checkout! 

19. If no longer getting Botox or Filler, does your face return to normal or start sagging/drooping? Your face returns to normal and you never have to do it again. 

20. What did Whitney get that is different than what her mom got? Whitney and her mom both received the newest FDA approved fillers to hit the market!  The company is Revance and the fillers are called “RHA 2, RHA 3, RHA 4”.  This stands for resilient hyaluronic acid.  These fillers received an FDA approval for 15months and are $700 per syringe.   They are very soft and natural and I absolutely love them!  They both received Dysport between the eyes, forehead, and around the eyes.

21. How many units did Whitney’s mom get to have lips? Fillers come prepackaged in a syringe and are not unit based.  She received one syringe of RHA 2 that we placed in her lips for subtle volume and above her top lip to help with the fine lines that she has there.  This will last her up to 15 months. 

22. Do you inject men? YESSSSSS!  I do a TON of men!!!!!  

23. Does Whitney need anymore or is that all she will need for however long hers will last? You can always add more to simply enhance certain features such as the chin, jawline, nose, n/l folds, marionette lines, etc.   The filler we used will last 15 months.  That is beginning to end so I am guessing she will probably want to add more around 6-8 months when it starts to fade away.   

24. What all does Taylor Wellness Med Spa offer? We offer all FDA approved toxins (Botox’s) and fillers, skincare including facials, dermaplane, microdermabrasion, light to deep chemical peels, Diamond Glow hydrafacial , and microneedling with prf.  We carry four skincare lines.  Obagi, Skinceuticals, SkinMedica and Beautycounter so we have something for everyone!  Laser treatments for the face (browns, reds, even out skin tone, and stimulate your collagen) and body including hair removal, cellulite and skin tightening treatments, Eyebrow tattooing including the trending nano brow, ombre brow, powder brow, eyelash tinting and perming, eyelash extensions.  We also offer a BHRT (Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy) program to include blood work and saliva testing.  Private label supplements are added to the list as well. We have several other procedures we are working on now so stay tuned 😉

25. Are you offering any Christmas specials? Yes! You can call the office at 843-353-1616 for more details or follow us on our social media pages.  @injectoralexis, @taylorwellnessmedspa

I also wanted to take a minute and personally answer some questions that I have been commonly asked, with #1 being, does it hurt?! And I would say NO, not at all. I do want to mention I have a high pain tolerance, but I have never not had some type of numbing cream. However, I believe botox/filler is worth every little pinch or prick, hehe!

The first time I got filler or botox, I was 26 and wanted a little fuller lip, I did have a “pretty” lip before, but I think as women we all want a little more. I will say my mom had barely any top lip and now has GORGEOUS lips! Alexis did an amazing job on my mom as well. She has a couple of follow ups and then hopefully mom will let me share her journey with you all!

I do not have a set amount of months that I wait or that I normally go, just when I feel like it is time or I need it again, I will make an appointment and trust whoever is doing my botox/filler to do what he/she feels like I need, never overdoing it. I am always happy to go back and get more rather than being over injected. This time we didn’t do anything to my eyes, we just lifted my cheeks a little, touched up my forehead, and then filled my lips a little more. The last time I had botox or filler was early March so felt I was definitely due.

In past times, I have bruised fairly easy and have also been swollen for days however, this time I had no bruising and the next day you could barely tell I had anything done. If you saw my stories you could have seen a little swelling but by day two I was completely normal. The photo from above is from day 3.

Another question a ton of you all asked was about Shawn caring if I had any work done. Thankfully, he never tells me what I can or cannot do and rarely makes suggestions or says anything. The very first time I had it done, I didn’t tell him I was going. After, he barely noticed until the next day when my lips were swollen. I, of course played a joke on him and told him that is what they were going to look like, hehe! He was pretty freaked out, but once they went down he seemed to have liked them. He trusts me and knows I wouldn’t do anything too crazy, and also being in the fashion industry and constantly sharing my life with you all, he totally gets it. And no, you can even ask him, my lips are not lumpy, haha!

Today, I am actually headed back to Taylor Wellness Med Spa to get a Diamond Glow Facial and consulting for laser shading on my lips as well as hormone testing to check my levels. I will definitely keep you updated on how the facial goes!