The New Botox Facial

Tempted by the promise of a younger looking complexion, Emily Listfield steels herself for an innovative injection technique

- Emily Listfield

I am no stranger to skin smoothing injectables, but the thought of someone repeatedly stamping a device with 20 Botox filled needles across my face has me terrified that I’ll end up more mummified than beautified. Nervous but intrigued, I head to the Upper East Side office of plastic surgeon Norman Rowe, M.D., for the Botox Facial, a new skin-rejuvenating technique that claims to build collagen, plump wrinkles, and dramatically increase (a much needed) glow with no downtime.

Rather than injecting Botox deep into the facial muscles to smooth furrows, the traditional use of the muscle-paralyzing neurotoxin, Rowe combines smaller amounts with a personalized mix of vitamins and nutrients, then uses clusters of tiny needles (a technique known as micro-needling) to infuse the cocktail just beneath the surface layer of the skin. “Deeper injections of Botox and fillers address wrinkles and nasolabial folds, but they don’t affect the appearance of the skin itself,” he explains. “I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to use a micro-needling technique to get the Botox and other nutrients exactly where they are needed?’”