In recent years, we’ve seen a spike in demand for skincare along with tips and tricks on how to achieve a flawless, airbrushed look. While at-home treatments and products can certainly help with reaching your skin goals, it will not completely give you the fine-line free, youthful and radiant look you’re envisioning.
Despite what people may say, the real secret to giving your skin the boost it needs actually comes from nonsurgical procedures and injectables like chemical peels, laser resurfacing, Botox and even filler.
View this post on Instagram
I’ll be honest — at 29-years old, it is still a never-ending battle with keeping my skin looking (and feeling) healthy on a longer term basis. There are days where it’s clear and perfectly hydrated and others where I’m unrecognizable with large breakouts, dryness and even scarring. To end the drought of clear skin once and for all, I’ve taken it upon myself to visit numerous medspas and dermatologists across the US for different lasers and facials to see what may work. And while we would see incredible results days following treatments, the affects would not last very long, making me feel discouraged that I would never be able to fall in love with my skin the way I would like to.
Being at the age where retinols and eye creams are needed more than ever to help stop the process of aging, the idea of trying Botox has always been on my mind. I wear a lot of makeup for my everyday looks, so all the cuts and creases in my skin are visible even with layers of translucent powder. And after doing extensive research on how Botox helps relax facial muscles rather than plump you up, I decided to take the leap and try it for the first time in hopes of eventually feeling confident with the skin I’m in. I mean — who doesn’t want to help treat dynamic wrinkles to prevent them from becoming permanent?
While in my quest for finding a trustworthy professional to give me my first Botox treatment, I came across LA-based Le Jolie Medi Spa located in both Studio City and West Hollywood. The brand is quite literally the most Instagrammed of them all, as they boast over 60K followers on the platform and are loved by celebrities like Lisa Rinna, Stassie Karanikolaou, Emma Roberts, and Noah Cyrus. And after taking a look at what Le Jolie is about and their offerings, it’s no surprise that they are the best in class when it comes to anti-aging beauty, skin and even body contouring services.
For my appointment, I was scheduled to see owner and medical director Dr. Parvaneh Rafaeloff at her Studio City location. Tucked inside an alcove filled with high-end cafes, coffee shops on Ventura Blvd, I was welcomed with nothing but love from the minute I arrived. Known for making her skincare sessions both personal and highly beneficial, Dr. Rafaeloff took time out of her busy schedule to start our session by getting to know me and my skin goals while explaining the do’s and don’ts of Botox and filler. It really helped calm my nerves before the injections began and I was excited to see what I would look like post-op.
After examining my skin, we decided to go with Baby Botox in my forehead, “elevens,” crows feet and eyebrows, as Dr. Rafaeloff mentioned that my face would get the “pick me up” lift it needed without drastically changing my appearance. For those who don’t know, Baby Botox is just like regular Botox — it aims for the same result of smoothing lines and wrinkles on your face, however, it uses smaller doses of botulinum toxin during the procedure — that is, “baby” amounts.
To top things off and keep everything in proportion, Dr. Rafaeloff suggested we also add some Juvéderm Volbella to my lips, as it gives the same results that last longer than a lip flip with Botox.
While I saw a difference immediately after the injections, I made sure to not lie down on my back for four hours following my appointment and avoid alcohol for 24 hours, per doctor’s orders. While I received the injectables with makeup on, I gently removed it post-op and refrained from putting future pressure on my face by applying makeup and other skincare products — as well as drinking from a straw — for the rest of the day as this could move the Botox and filler out of place.
I eventually went back to my normal makeup routine as I had to walk the red carpet at the 2023 iHeartCountry Festival in Austin, Texas the following weekend. As I finished my full glam, I held back tears as it was the first time in a very long time that I loved the way my skin looked. I was using the same products that I would prior to visiting Le Jolie for Botox, but this time, I looked airbrushed and lifted without going under the knife. It made me feel more confident on both the red carpet and on-camera during the event and beyond, as there was no need to Facetune or even put a filter on my photos. The way Dr. Rafaeloff injected my Botox gave me a real-life filter.
View this post on Instagram
From one female entrepreneur to another, it was exciting to see a woman with nearly two decades of experience build Le Jolie to what it is today thanks to her extraordinary talents. I can’t wait to go back and get another “pick me up” to keep up with the youthful, filter-free look that helped me love the skin I’m in.
You can book your appointment with Dr. Rafaeloff at either location on Le Jolie’s website here or by calling Studio City at 818-501-1114 and West Hollywood at 424-355-0070. You can also keep up with Dr. Parvaneh Rafaeloff and see her work in real-time by giving her a follow on Instagram here and Le Jolie Medi Spa here.
