Aging. It freaks me out.

At 24, I really can’t tell you why. I am well aware that I have years before I have to worry about wrinkles, sagging skin, age spots and lying about my age. I’m young, stay out of the sun and have good genes. My mother (whose exact age I do not know) is one of the most beautiful women over 40 that I have ever seen. My Nano (also whose age I do not know) is looking great for a gal over 70. Even my great-grandmother, who lived to be 98, was lively and rocked red lipstick until the day she died.

But aging isn’t like it used to be. Nowadays it seems our society is obsessed with youth. Every time you turn around there is a new anti-aging product on the market. A new hairstyle that provides an instant facelift effect. A new makeup technique to erase the years.

This obsession isn’t going away – so I say, if it makes you look younger or just plain feel better – WHY NOT DO IT?

On Saturday, Oct. 6, the fabulous Dr. Deborah “Doctor Deb” Sherman was the guest speaker at an invitation-only event at the Beauty Boutique in Lebanon. If you go to shermanaestheticcenter.com, you can read more – but for the sake of this blog I’ll keep Doctor Deb’s bio brief.

In her impressive career, Dr. Sherman has received two nationally distinguished awards for the discovery and description of the presence of lymphatics in the orbital area.For this landmark research, she received the Lester T. Jones Anatomy Award and the Merrill Reeh Pathology Award.Dr. Sherman is an active member of the prestigious American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and has served as President of the Nashville Academy of Ophthalmology .

She is also a National Expert on Botox and Aesthetic surgery, selected as a National Trainer by Allergan, the makers of Botox Cosmetic, to teach physicians the technique of aesthetic Botox.

I first met Dr. Sherman last year, at a similar event at Five Oaks. What impressed me about her, other than her obvious credentials and ability to make women look and feel good, was her vivacious personality.

Dr. Sherman is one of the most down-to-earth people that you will ever meet. She and her team are extremely personable and made all of the women present feel at ease about cosmetic procedures.

As Dr. Sherman put it – “Your face is the only outfit that you wear every day.” Who wouldn’t want to look their best? During the brief seminar at the Beauty Boutique, Dr. Sherman showcased the work that she does and answered questions about the various procedures she performs at her Nashville office.

Botox was obviously the most popular, due to minimal side effects and no downtime. When performed by a Master Injector, such as Dr. Sherman, she said Botox can help address “11” lines in your forehead, crow’s feet, and horizontal forehead lines – all while providing natural results.

I attended the event with my mother, Pamela, and saw many other beautiful local faces like Meleia Bell, Sandy Hubbard, Tasha Irby, Maggie Julian and Beauty Boutique Owner Misty Kennedy. My mom got Botox to correct the crow’s feet around her eyes that day!

We went to the Low Country Boil, a fundraising event that benefits Sherry’s Run, later that night and she had no bruising or side effects – other than the fact that she looked refreshed and awesome!

So maybe aging isn’t that scary – as long as Dr. Sherman and Botox are around.