So…I got Botox! With my mom! We did the dang thing. For my fellow Philly/PA babes in the house, if you’re looking for where to get the best Philly Botox – look no further. Dr. Christian Subbio of SUBBIO Plastic Surgery & Med Spa is where it’s at. He’s a board-certified plastic surgeon that’s so well-reknowned, I was getting DM’s from some of you across the country saying you were jealous we were seeing him because you’ve heard about him in the space! So, let’s talk Botox. It apparently gets a bad rap and has a bit of stigma around it – and I can kinda sorta get why. From frozen Hollywood faces trying to look two decades too young to botched Botox jobs gone viral, there are a lot of horror stories out there – AND misconceptions. So, today’s post is going to be a bit of a Botox Bible with everything you could possibly want (or need) to know about what it is, why/where we got it, who we went to, as well as questions specifically asked by followers over on Instagram that were answered directly by the Dr. Christian Subbio himself!

Why get Botox?

I think it’s safe to safe that neither my mom nor I ever planned on getting Botox. If anything, we were the folks making fun of it as some crazy unnecessary Hollywood ploy to make women feel worse about their bodies than they already typically do.

But, my own interest was piqued after learning about the benefits of preventative Botox, especially starting around my age (I break this down further since Dr. Subbio A’d a Q specifically on preventative Botox, so stick with us!). So I was down to give it a go, especially since it’s not permanent and usually pretty low risk. So I texted my mom, “Hey would you ever consider Botox?” She gave it a thought and figured WHY NOT – and here we are.

In short, Botox is best known for its ability to lessen the appearance of facial wrinkles or lines. (Although it’s also been used for some more wild stuff, like treating excessive sweating, an overactive bladder, or lazy eye!). Botox injections use a toxin that temporarily prevents a muscle from moving, which, over time, can prevent harsh etchings or lines in your skin from forming (since the muscle underneath isn’t moving as harshly as it was before, stopping those skin creases from happening!). So preventatively, you can see why this makes perfect sense.

We actually got Dysport, which is the same chemical as Botox; it’s a different brand name, but the one that Dr. Subbio prefers + recommends for his patients. And since I’m convinced he’s truly the best Philly Botox provider out there, I wholeheartedly trust his recommendations and assessments. (He explains this more below, too!)

Why Dr. Christian Subbio?

Subbio is SMART. He performed better than 97% of his peers on his board exams, and the guy just knows his stuff – as very quickly evident on his website or social media, and even moreso in talking to him in person. You ask him a question and it’s like opening an encyclopedia of information, so it’s easy to feel comfortable and confident that you’re in good hands.

He’s also got a heart – he travels to third world countries once or twice a year to do pro bono surgeries on kids with cleft lips.

Dr. Subbio places ZERO pressure on folks to do certain services, which is very much appreciated and apparently rare in the plastic surgery space. Even his receptionists said this of him while we were heading out (and he wasn’t in the room – ha!) – he’s a very body positive person who genuinely wants to help you feel like your best self, and sees human beings as works of art.

We jokingly asked him if he secretly judges everyone he passes on the street now thinking of everything he could do to tweak their appearance, and he really genuinely said no – so I have full faith in him as the best of the best in Philly Botox (among the other procedures he’s well known for – his Instagram has incrediblly informative AND incredibly humorous content, so check him out there!).

“Does Botox really help with Migraine headaches?”

Dr. Subbio: Absolutely, in particular it is very useful for those types of migraine headaches that arise from tension of the muscles around the upper face. Since Botox relaxes muscles, it causes less strain around the brows and forehead, which many patients find improves or even completely alleviates the migraines altogether.

“How long does Botox last, and how often is it needed to keep up?”

Typically lasts about 3 months, so it’s recommended to plan for at 3-4 trips a year for touch-ups.

“Once you start getting Botox, do you have to continue it? Or can you stop without any side effects?”

Nope! It wears off (see above), so you can just let it wear off and be done forever if you hated it. BUT…according to literally EVERY SINGLE HUMAN I have ever seen get it, or see get it via Facebook, or talk to about it…you don’t hate it. You get addicted to it. And then Botox becomes a budget item every 3-4 months for the rest of your life because you love your life with no wrinkles and smooth skin.

“Does Botox PREVENT wrinkles if you already have lines? Does it get RID of lines?”

Dr. Subbio: Absolutely, if started early enough, and with proper dosing and maintenance. It all depends upon how long the lines have been there and how deeply attached they are into the skin. For instance, if the patient starts in her 20s or 30s with very faint lines, then appropriately dosed Botox injections should erase the lines altogether. If a patient in his 50s with deeply etched lines, then Botox will help soften them, but he might need other treatments such as fillers to help erase them completely.

E: Dr. Subbio also explained this SO well in real time on my Instagram Stories while injecting my face, so that’s saved to my highlights if you want/need his direct response. 🙂 Such a plus for preventative Botox – it’s easier to prevent them from forming in the first place than it is to REMOVE them once they’re already there, especially if they’re older/deeper, like on more mature skin. (Dr. Subbio talks about this on my Stories, especially since we were essentially comparing me getting preventative Botox with my mom getting it as a treatment at age 50+.)

Best Philly Botox Before and After Photos:

On that note, here are photos of the actual procedure – which, I kid you not, took 10 minutes tops per person. Both my mom and I were expecting some lengthy or more intensive process, and that just wasn’t the case!

First, Dr. Subbio has you make certain faces – like raising your eyebrows as high as humanly possibly, or scrunching into a frowning face – so that he can assess + mark where to make the Botox or Dysport injections.

Next, the injection! I was surprised to learn that the needle is SO SMALL – honestly, my flu shot hurt worse. It’s a tiny prick, that’s it, and neither one of us had residual pain afterwards. We both took the recommended homeopathic anti-inflammatory over the counter medicine leading up to the procedure, but neither took anything afterwards at all. I had a TINY bit of stinging around the prick points, and mom had a BIT more soreness since she got significantly more units than me. But no bruising, swelling, or bleeding for either of us. #BlessUp.

As a sidenote: 1.) No clue why I kept my eyes open – I realize it looks silly, but it was so fast I didn’t even think twice, feel nerves – nothing. So just bing bang boom BOTOX, BABY.

2.) There is a needle shown in the below pictures, so if you’re sensitive to that, just wanted to give the friendly heads up. 🙂

This final shot of me was RIGHT after my injections – so you can see, very little redness from prick points!

“I’d love to know if a patient taking a blood thinner is a safe candidate for Botox. This is fascinating, btw!”

Dr. Subbio: It depends on how aggressive the blood thinning is, and how much bruising may bother a patient. If we are talking basic aspirin, a Botox treatment might leave some small bruises. If we are talking about a more powerful blood thinner, such as Arixtra or such, injections could cause more significant bruising or even a small hematoma. So ideally, a patient should be off blood thinners for about a week prior to an appointment, the injections should be done very carefully by an expert, and with the expectation that bruising is a very likely possibility.

“How much does Botox cost??”

Dr. Subbio: The prices can vary widely. It depends upon the geographic location, the skill of the injector, and the amount of product needed to treat a given patient’s facial muscles. For instance, best Botox in Beverly Hills is probably going to cost more than best Botox in Philly, while Botox done by a new injector is going to be less expensive than by an injector who has been doing it for 15 years. Botox in a young patient with faint lines is going to be less expensive than in an older patient, with deeper lines and stronger muscles which need higher doses. I think as a general rule, Botox should cost somewhere between $10-15 per unit. If someone is selling Botox for, lets say, $7 a unit on Groupon, I would be suspicious and ask myself why is it so much cheaper than everywhere else? As in all things in life, we get what we pay for. Unless, the provider is charging something like $20 a unit. Someone who is that far outside of the typical price distribution is probably simply price gouging.

“How many units should I get?”

Dr. Subbio: This really depends upon how old you are and how strong your muscles are. The number of units needed varies widely. In general, I prefer to start conservatively, and increase the doses as needed.

“What areas of your face CAN be treated with Botox?”

Dr. Subbio: Botox is classically used on those muscles of the upper face such as the forehead, brow furrows, and crow’s feet. However, it can be used all over the face for a variety of indications, such as jawline, smoker’s lines around the mouth, lip flips, etc.

“What the heck happened to the viral Instagram girl with her bad Botox?”

Dr. Subbio: I’m going to do a post on this soon on Instagram. Essentially, her injector placed the injections too close to her upper lid, and since Botox relaxes muscles, it relaxed the muscle which is responsible for keeping the eyelid open. Another reason why it is so important to not go for cheap Botox, but rather, someone who has the essential training and expertise in this area.

“What else does Dr. Subbio do besides Botox?”

Dr. Subbio: Literally everything from injectables up to complete surgical makeovers. It’s one of the things I love about plastic surgery, it keeps things interesting.

NOTE from E: Dr. Subbio’s office also has a med spa and does everything from facials to laser treatments to microneedling! He’s very well known for his tummy tucks and breast augmentations (trained an additional year after residency for it), and he’s also trained under the doctor who pioneered Vaser Lipo. So, best Philly Botox AND other plastics procedures, both cosmedic and medical!

Best Philly Botox - Dr. Christian Subbio - on Coming Up Roses

“What’s the difference between Botox and Dysport?”

Dr. Subbio: Dysport is the main competitor to Botox. In my experience, Dysport actually works much better. It requires a lower dose, works quicker, and you end up getting more bang for your buck. I recommend it to all of my patients, but I also use Botox for my friends and for those patients who feel more comfortable with the brand name they recognize.

“Is it FDA approved?”

Dr. Subbio: Botox and its competitors are all FDA approved for wrinkle reduction in certain areas on the face. However, most injectors will use it for other indications as well even though it is not specifically FDA approved. That does not mean it is unsafe, but simply not specifically studied for that intended purpose. But, any good injector uses Botox “off label” dozens of times every day.

“Was it hard to get an appointment time with Subbio? I laugh – he has billboards on 95 in Philly!”

Dr. Subbio: Currently my practice is very busy to the point where someone might need to wait 6-8 weeks to get an appointment for injectables. We are currently searching for a Registered Nurse Injector to help offload my book and reduce the wait time. But, in the meantime I like to think that the result is worth the wait. You cannot rush perfection. 😉

NOTE from E: For my local girls, Dr. Subbio is TRULY the best in Philly Botox – amongst other procedures at his practice. He’s a full-blown plastic surgeon with so many years of experience + training under his belt – I second that he’s worth the wait, so just book now to get your name on the list awhile!

“What treatments do Kardashian women get on their face? Is it Botox?”

Dr. Subbio: I think the better question is what treatments do they not get on their faces? While they claim that they have done minimal work to obtain their looks, most plastic surgeons believe otherwise.

Drumroll please…our before/afters! Here is mom on Day 1 versus Day 7 – crazy! You can clearly see less forehead lines, crows’ feet, her eleven’s…all softened, after ONE round of conservative dosages. These photos are makeup free and totally unfiltered, unedited, etc.

Now me! Mine are less “dramatic,” as they should be since I a.) only got my forehead done and b.) got less units. While you can see the biggest difference when I raise my eyebrows, I wanted to show a resting face since you can still see three forehead lines on the left photo just resting – and those are gone on the right! I have no makeup on on the left and have some on on the right, but if anything, makeup always made those lines WORSE because it had the tendency to sit/crease INTO the lines. So. Crazy!