We are so excited to have a special guest blog post today! Melissa S., a Blu Cocoon client, shares with us her experience with the dermal filler Restylane at Blu Cocoon Med Spa in San Jose:
At 29, you’re probably not a “virgin” with many things beauty-related, if in general. If you’re like me, you’ve been dyeing your hair for years, you’ve been getting facials, you’ve been plucked, waxed, and perhaps had some special treatments like chemical peels. Maybe you’ve even gone Brazilian, the full monty, or had laser hair removal—which (full disclosure) I’ve actually yet to try!
Well, when I came into Blu Cocoon last week, I entered as an enthusiastic, if not a bit nervous virgin to a new beauty procedure for me: my first Restylane injection. Now, I know what you might be thinking, which is what I was thinking a little bit, too: “29! Why do you need Restylane? You’re still so young!” It was something I had considered greatly before pursuing the treatment. Was I too young? Was this an overreaction to some minor imperfection?
For me and for any woman that choice is very personal. I’ve struggled with acne for most of my teen and adult life, which I’ve finally managed to get some control over. The trouble is that it’s left me with some noticeable pitted scars. After lots of research, and trying other procedures, Restylane seemed like a great way to go to literally fill in the old scars. What I liked even more was that over time, this could help the scar actually physically improve in texture and be less noticeable. As a musician and performer, being confident on stage is key. And in a month, I’ll be shooting my first big production music video in LA with the klieg lights front and center on my visage. If I wanted to improve the texture of my skin, there was no better time than now. Still, with all the potential benefits of Restylane, I hoped I was doing the right thing for myself.
While waiting in the procedure room, I’m not sure what came over me. Maybe it was my ‘Beauty Guru’ Cristina’s vivacity. Maybe it was because my face felt so comfortably numb with the aid of generously applied local anaesthetic. Whatever it was, I had a beauty epiphany, right then and there in the procedural chair. Maybe it was even a life epiphany.
I was reminded of just the weekend before when I was observing my parents fixing up their backyard for the summer. It looked beautiful to me with its landscaping and new lawn furniture, like a finished work of art. Still, they couldn’t help but think of what next to add. It made me consider the nature of humans in general, always wanting to improve, never satisfied. And really, is that such a bad thing? If we sat back and said, “Ah, this is a finished work—behold my creation!—now I can just sit back and be satisfied,” wouldn’t that be something like retirement? Human beings like to strive, even of course when it comes to making themselves more beautiful. It’s human nature, and suddenly this procedure seemed (almost) perfectly natural to me.
After Cristina had worked her magic, and I saw the nearly instant improvement in the texture of my skin, I knew I had made the right decision. Most surprising of all, the injections hardly hurt a bit—no worse than an extraction during a facial. I could see now why people fall so madly for dermal fillers like Restylane. It was something I could definitely see myself doing again. But like most pleasures in life, says the first-timer, all within moderation.
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Melissa Sweat is a San Jose-based Creative Communications & Marketing professional, as well as the solo artist behind the music project, Lady Lazarus. Learn more about her work and music at http://melissasweat.wordpress.com/ and http://ladylazarus.net/.