We talked about various treatments that might be right for me and my skin, now and down the road: Fraxel, microdermabrasion, light therapy, and, yes, Botox, which she agreed would be a good move. But, what sealed the deal for me was simply that she erred on the side of less rather than more — an approach that's not often talked about when people discuss cosmetic surgery and procedures.

She recommended we try what she called "baby" Botox on this first visit, which is a reference to the unit amount (not Botox for actual babies, I swear). "I credit many of my patients for my less-is-more, natural philosophy," says Dr. Fusco. "Over the last few years, many newbies to botulinum toxin, during a consult, stressed how they prefer a non-frozen look with 'some' movement. Most are okay with not being able to frown, but they want to preserve some brow-raising and some smile-squinting. By starting initially with fewer units, this is possible. The amount of 'tox' injected is very individualised and based on the patient's forehead size, muscle size, brow placement, and muscle movement. It is not a formulaic approach where there is a documented, fixed amount for every forehead."

After a quick in-office peel, she showed me, as I held a hand mirror, where she was going to apply the injections. With a little pencil, she marked tiny spots over my eyebrows, up by my hairline, and on the unrelenting perma-frown between my brows. After which, she administered the injections so quickly, I almost didn't know they happened.

And, well, that was pretty much it. After sweating the prospect and process for so many years, I can't believe how easy and painless it was. No blood, no bruising, even later on. I just had to wait a few days to see the results. And, considering her "baby" formula packed just under 20 units as opposed to the standard injection of up to 35 units, she suggested I come back the following week to review the results together and possibly tweak the recipe.