Botox and Filler at Home? What You Need to Know

I just watched a woman on YouTube give herself botox, filler and do a 30% TCA peel at home.   Her videos came into my feed when I came across Penn.Smith.Skincare, a YouTube channel hosted by a master esthetician who provides in-depth advice as to which skin care products are best for a number of age related skin care concerns.  Penny talks about which spa treatments are safe to do at home.  (If you are interested in going deep learning about skin care, I highly recommend Penn.Smith.Skincare on YouTube.)  Anyway, after seeing so many expensive treatments done super cheaply at home, I wondered if doing some of them at home might be for me.

I can definitely understand why we might be interested in doing some treatments at home; much like hair coloring, going to the salon can be costly, maybe you just want to do it at home instead of going to a spa or doctor’s office, and for those who know what they are doing, it’s a “no brainer”.  For me, hair coloring has been best left to the pros, and after watching some of the videos, many of treatments such as botox and filler would go in that category as well.   

I have had TCA peels done in the doctor’s office, I think they were $400 for three treatments run as a special.  I didn’t have an issue with the peels, but the series didn’t do as much as I thought it would. (I still have the brown spots, for example) I was told that I would get the best results if I had a peel every six months, for a total of $1000 per year. That, along with the facials I get, my skin care and possibly an IPL treatment, and I am running into $4,000 per year on “anti aging” skin care in the doctor’s office.

I am trying to get rid of a couple of brown spots on my cheek; and have tried all sorts of things to get rid of them, including expensive lotions and potions, facials, and the TCA peel I had last winter.  Those pesky brown spots are extremely stubborn, and so far, nothing I have tried has worked.

I am looking at a series of IPL treatments costing $1,500 (typically you need three to four treatments to get results). I am also looking to boost collagen, so my skin will be firmer. IPL, Fraxel ($1,000 per treatment and Micro-needling ($700-1000 per treatment) are said to address those concerns.

I purchased an IPL device for $260, the ingredients for a TCA peel which cost $20. I also purchased a LED mask and electro current device for home use, totaling of $680. While none of the devices I purchased offer fast results, they are said to work well over time. Oh, and a micro needling pen kit runs $110-$120 on Amazon. So for under the cost of just one of the treatments I am considering, I can have a bunch of devises that, given time work as well as those offered at the doctor’s office. All you need is courage, skill and time.

And, speaking of results, here are some of the results women are looking for: firmer skin, removal of fine veins, treating acne, removal of brown “age” spots and acne discoloration, improving scars, fewer wrinkles, better skin texture, plump skin, skin that “glows” with good health.

I could see doing a peel myself, I do “Babyfacials” twice a week currently.  (They are a 25% AHA blend and it’s sold at Sephora) I could even see myself trying micro needling pen (not the roller) at some point in the future, perhaps after having it done in-office first.

Recently, I purchased an IPL laser gun and have been experimenting with it. It has nowhere near the power of an in office IPL, it is said to take 8 treatments to equal one in office treatment. So far, I’ve used it three times, and I have seen a little improvement; I zapped tiny blood vessels around my nose, and one of the brown spots is beginning to lighten; the others have stayed the same.

But Botox?  And Filler?  Yikes!  I know I don’t have the skill nor the courage to try something like that.  Plus, so much can go wrong.  One of the reasons I have only gotten Botox twice is because the second time I got Botox, my doctor botched it.  It wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t great either, and because of the way it was done, I had to let it resolve naturally so I had a slightly wonky eye for a while.    

Apparently, there is a fairly large community of women who are doing botox, fillers, and a variety of acid based peels at home.  Facebook communities and videos are springing up so people can talk about where to get products, some provide tutorials, they support each other, show before and afters, and trouble shoot.  If you are interested, it might be a good idea to lurk in these groups a bit to get a sense of typical problems and concerns, as well as tips to make your experience easier.

One of the big things I worry about when considering doing some of these procedures at home is where to get the products.   For someone who worries about buying skin care on Amazon, I am not a great candidate for ordering from random companies.  

Recently, one of the YouTubers came under fire on the show The Doctors. While they were very misleading in the way they edited the show, I can understand the concern; a lot can go wrong when doing many types doctor’s office procedures at home–but on the other hand, we should have free choice, some of us are capable and good at doing these treatments on ourselves, and, frankly, if the in office treatments weren’t so expensive, women would be less likely to look for at home alternatives.

Anyway, if you are interested in upping your skin care game and haven’t come across Penn.Smith.Skincare, be sure to look her up.  As to the rest, ‘may the force be with you.’ As for me, I’m definitely on the fence.

What about you? Have you done any of these treatments at home?  Would you consider it? Let me know in a comment below!

Mature Style: Summer Shapewear for Women Over 50

Spring Dresses for Women Over 50