The first step......

is to realize that you have a problem!!  Eleven lines, what the heck are those???  Well, those are the lines between your eyebrows that form when you are squinting.  Why am I squinting you ask (when I work for an eye care practice?).  Because I am not ready to admit just yet that I need glasses to see my computer clearly!  So I do two things, I get my first injection of Botox®!  Yes, Botox, nectar of the Gods!! You go from these ugly little lines that give your age away to smooth, porcelain surfaces.  I don't care what anyone says, friends, husbands or co-workers.  If botulism makes me look younger, I'm all for it.  Now let me say, my husband could care less if I get Botox, actually, he is probably happy because it keeps me from standing there at night pointing and saying "here, right here, don't you see this line?"  Every six months or so, I get a few tiny injections and Poof, I don't look so irritated or tired.  (of course, I still am, but as long as no one noticed, it's all good.)

The second thing I did was to stop off at the optical store.   I'm lucky because we have a great optical department with tons of options.  Being style conscious, I went straight for the Dolce and Gabbana's, picked out a pretty little black frame with some bling and felt pretty good.  Then my eye caught this fun, funky, turquoise frame by Airo that would go perfect with soooooo many of my outfits.  Okay, now this was getting fun.  3 frames later, including a purple Coach frame, I was happy again, despite my aging eyes. 

So on most days, when I sit here at my desk, concentrating on some new task, you can't see my furrowed brow and you are so capivated by my gorgeous eye glasses that you don't even care that I need them to see!

Hope I'm not boring anyone, until next time.............Do your best to look as good as you feel.

From the beginning...

Have you ever stood in front of the mirror, first thing in the morning, with your teenager's music blaring in the background, wondering to yourself  (and in my case, speaking out loud to my dog, Casey) "How did I get to be in my 40's?"

Well, that's exactly what occurred about 3 years ago.  I stood there wondering.... when did I get crow's feet......where did those ugly lines between my eyebrows come from and why do I look so tired when I just woke up?  I mean really, I'm just not one of those people that will embrace the sentiment, Grow Old Gracefully!  I plan to fight it every step of the way.

Now, I realize there are quite a few people out there that would never consider getting injections, for whatever reason.  But I am definitely not one of those people.  I don't get my face frozen, I'm not crazy, I just want to look 10 years younger, LOL!  It's not an overt difference, but I don't look as tired as I used to and I am able to convince some that I am a peaceful sort of person.

Next came my realization that I had to take the steps to prevent aging myself.  Standing in front of the mirror each morning, complaining to my loyal best friend, certainly wasn't going to do the trick. First, you have to know, that I am a red head with a fair complection and several decades worth of sunburn in my past.  Second, between our swimming pool and my summer spent on the back of a motorcycle or driving a convertible, staying out of the sun was somewhat of a chore.  So, I did what every self respecting, age fearing 40-something year old woman does, I bought a great hat!  Several in fact, in many different colors, from floppy poolside styles, to baseball caps to visors. Then I bit the bullet and decided to invest in skin care, not just any drug store skin care, but good stuff.  I started washing my face at night and putting on the serums and creams that are supposed to make me glow.  I even started paying attention to age appropriate make up applications and took the time in the morning to apply my make up correctly. 

I've learned a lot over the last few years and I've worked hard to surround myself with people that have been trained well and can give me good advice. 

I wanted to take a minute to introduce my reasons for starting this and I am looking forward to sharing the things that I have learned, to talk about my favorite products and to pass along the tidbits that we teach patients about each day.  Aesthetics by Katzen has been wonderful for me personally, and I've really enjoyed watching it grow as part of Katzen Eye Group. Stay tuned for more, I'm gathering my thought!!

Janna