We're addicted to Botox . .

For some, it can be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to turn back
the clock and restore their former good looks. For others, it
seems, cosmetic surgery, particularly Botox, can turn into
an obsession.

As a study reveals that four in ten people who use Botox feel
compelled to do so repeatedly, Adam Searle, president of the
British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS),
will tell a conference of surgeons this week that more patients
are becoming "addicted" to surgery. "Cosmetic surgery is
potentially habit-forming," he says, adding that many patients
may have imagined ugly body syndrome (also known as body
dismorphic disorder), where they become obsessed by what
they perceive as a defect in their appearance.

Dr Eileen Bradbury, a consultant psychologist at the Alexandra
Hospital in Cheadle, near Manchester, treats patients hooked
on cosmetic procedures. She says: "People can become
addicted to the anticipation, the excitement and the attention
they receive. "There is a short-lived result of feeling fabulous,
but after the post-procedure high, life goes back to normal
and all the mundane problems return, so you need to go
for another fix."

Here, Diana Appleyard and Sadie Nicholas talk to four women
who can't imagine life without Botox. Jay Nicholls, 32, is a
model and dancer and lives in Battle, East Sussex, with her
son Harry, nine. Jay says: "I've been having Botox every three
months for the past two years at £500 a time. It's completely
addictive and I'll definitely have the injections for the rest
of my life. I don't ever want lines again.

Even when I've not had the cash available, I've just put it on
credit, because it's so important for me to keep up with the
injections. I waited until my 30th birthday two years ago before
succumbing to Botox because I knew that I would become
addicted to the effects.

I'd seen the colleagues and friends who'd had it and was so
impressed that I wondered why anyone would want to go back
to their old face. I was so excited the first time I had it.
I remember giving £500 to my therapist, Mary Barber, for the
Botox injections into my forehead and around my eyes.
I squint a lot when I'm driving and had developed quite deep
frown lines and the first signs of crow's feet.

I hated my wrinkles and didn't want to look old before my time.
I'd already had a boob job and went for regular saline injections
to plump up my lips at £500 each, so having Botox wasn't
such a big deal. The injections feel like bee stings.
It's certainly not a pleasant experience, but it's bearable
and better than having wrinkles.

It takes a week for the full effects to kick in and the results are
absolutely brilliant. I don't have a single line on my forehead
or around my eyes for about three months afterwards.
It's a bit strange not being able to move the muscles around
my eyes and forehead once they are paralysed by the Botox,
but you soon get used to it. The great thing about it is that it
doesn't just smooth out my skin, it also lifts my whole eye
area and makes me look much more awake and bright-eyed.

As the Botox wears off towards the end of three months, the
movement returns to my face and I get really impatient for
my next fix. I scrutinise my skin terribly for wrinkles and it's
an enormous relief to feel the needle going into my face again
to top it up. I've noticed that I'm getting wrinkles in the bits
where I don't have the injections, such as my actual eyelids
and around my mouth and nose; I need to see what I can
do about those.

I know of people who have Botox under their chin to reduce
a double-chin and even under their armpits to stop them sweating. I'm seriously considering having the latter.
I already use a roll-on solution that stops me sweating for
two weeks, and would love to be able to stop it for longer.

I do worry a bit about the long-term effects of Botox because
no one knows what they are, but I don't worry enough for it to
put me off. Even my mum has had Botox since I started.
So has my boyfriend (who's also called Jay).
He's an actor so it's important for him to look bright & youthful
as the industry tends to favour the young. As far as I'm concerned, it's my face and my money. Having Botox gives
me confidence, so there's no way I'm going to give it up."

Jane Hammond, 48, is married to David, 47, the director
of a company. She has two children, Tom, 20 and Amee 17.
The family live in Bolton, Lancashire. Jane says: "I started
having Botox four years ago. It was mainly because I had
deep lines above my nose and across my forehead which
made me look stressed and angry.

I was also getting bad tension headaches because I was
frowning all the time and the lines had affected my health.
A friend who'd been to a clinic in Manchester told me about
Botox. At first, I thought it was too extreme. Injecting botulism
straight into the skin sounded horrific. I was apprehensive
because I'd read that it is effectively injecting toxins into your
face. But we take in enough toxins anyway with the food that
we eat, so I wasn't unduly concerned.

When I saw how much it had smoothed my friend's lines
and wrinkles, any reluctance I had went away. I soon booked
into the same clinic. Naturally, I was apprehensive, but the
treatment was completely painless. All I could feel was a tiny
sting when the needle went in. Afterwards there was a little bit
of inflammation, but that soon went down. I was delighted with
the result. Almost immediately my frown and laughter lines
had disappeared, and I looked ten years younger.
The biggest improvement was that I looked less stressed.

People really noticed and commented on how well I was looking. I wouldn't say that I am addicted to it, but I don't think
I could ever stop. I'd hate to go back to the way I looked.
I have the treatment at least every six months. To me it's no
different than buying expensive skin creams. It usually costs
me about £200 per treatment, although I have spent around
£500 when I've had more work done.

Most of my friends don't know I've had it done, they just think I
look well. But my children have noticed and they don't mind.
My daughter thinks it's great and compliments me on how
good I look. It may be addictive, but it means I feel better
about myself, so why not?

Lisa Jeynes, 37, is a television presenter and has been a
contestant on Big Brother. She is single & lives near Cardiff.
Lisa spends about £1,000 a year on Botox. Lisa says:
"Once you start having Botox, it's very hard to stop as you
get used to the way your face looks. I am terrified that if I stop
now, all my frown lines and wrinkles will return.

After appearing on Big Brother, I lost about a stone-and-a-half
and my face started to look gaunt. That's why I began to have
Botox and lots of other surgery, a breast augmentation, a
nose job, lip enhancement. I had wanted to re-shape my
Roman nose since I was about 13. When I was on the show,
I was called "beaky" or "the witch", you?ve no idea how
hurtful that is.

But before the show, I never had the money to do anything
about it. When I left, however, I had enough money for the
operation. I spent weeks researching the best plastic surgeon.
In the end, I had a consultation in Harley Street with a Mr. Kahn
for the Transform Medical group, and then the operation at the
Hampstead Hospital. The operation cost about £5,000 and I
loved the result, my nose was so much smaller and neater.
My breast surgery cost another £5,000.

Of course, once you've had this much surgery you look even
more critically at yourself. I wanted to get rid of all the lines
and wrinkles on my face, so I had Botox & Restylane (another
filler to smooth out lines). I'm about to try a new treatment
which has come over from America, called Evolence.

I spend about £1,000 a year on Botox. It's a fantastic way of
making your lips look full, like a child's, without getting that
dreadful trout pout. Botox is amazing because it just smooths
the wrinkles. I haven't found that it made my face look
paralysed. I feel I can move my face very naturally, it just
isn't lined any more. I have completely re-invented myself
and Botox has played a big part in that. Once you start Botox,
you do get rather addicted.

Victoria Leighton-Clark, 45, works as an operations director.
She is a widow and has no children. She lives in Cheshire,
and has been having Botox treatments 3 times a year since
2002. Victoria says: "I struggle to remember what I looked
like before I began having Botox, and so have my friends.
The other day, someone I knew well walked straight past me,
they didn?t recognise me because I looked so different.
Meanwhile, other friends are always saying:
"You look amazing, have you been on holiday?"

I began having Botox after my husband, Brian, died of a heart
attack at the age of 54. It was very traumatic and it's been so
hard for me ever since. I lost a lot of weight and I begin to look
very thin, gaunt and ill. I knew I needed to do something about
my appearance, and I'd heard a lot about Botox. I did some
research and found an excellent surgeon, Dr Roy Saleh,
who works at the Medispa Clinic in Adlington in Cheshire.
I went to see him, and he recommended Botox and a
procedure that involves taking fat out of your stomach and
injecting it into your face.

The latter operation cost £2,000 and involved a very fine
needle taking the fat from my stomach. The fat was then
frozen for 3 weeks, before it was gently injected into my face.
It worked a treat; combined with the Botox, it has totally
revitalised the way I look. I didn't want a facelift or invasive
surgery, this is a much more subtle way of enhancing the
way you look. I have three Botox treatments a year, costing
£190 a session. I have the injections in my frown lines,
my chin and jawline.

I also use Botox as a brow lift, Dr Saleh injects it into the
middle of my forehead and it arches my brows. It makes me
look much more wide-eyed & youthful. I do worry about
side-effects of Botox, but I have a lot of faith in my surgeon,
who insists that Botox is given only on prescription.
To my mind, it isn't a quick fix. It must be carried out by
a skilled surgeon. These treatments have given me the
confidence to restart my life after Brian's death.

I know that thousands of other women rely upon Botox
to keep them looking youthful and knowing the results,
I'm not surprised at all that they do.

By Diana Appleyard and Sadie NichoIas
Source: MailOnline