Courtney Thorne-Smith: I'm a Proud User of Botox

Courtney Thorne-Smith is no stranger to the demands of Hollywood. At 19, she starred in her first movie, Lucas, alongside Charlie Sheen, and has since made unforgettable appearances in the television hits Melrose Place, Ally McBeal, and All About Jim.

Now as Smith, 43, returns to primetime to reprise her role as Lyndsey, a love interest for Jon Cryer’s Alan Harper on Two and a Half Men, she shares some refreshingly honest thoughts about her diet, fitness habits, and looks.

Unlike many 30- and 40-something actresses, Thorne-Smith shamelessly admits she has been using Botox regularly for the last ten years. “I don’t think I ever really thought it was a secret,” she shares. “If someone asks me in my personal life, I tell them all about it.”

As a brand ambassador for Botox, Thorne-Smith is sharing her experiences on a national stage, including whether she felt pressured into using the wrinkle- smoothing treatment and how she feels it’s a part of her healthy lifestyle.

ishonest: What made you want to try Botox at first?

Courtney Thorne-Smith: When I was in my mid-thirties, I had lines between my eyes that were bothering me and that I felt self-conscious about. So I went to my dermatologist, who I really trust, and voiced all my concerns. I was nervous about the pain and about how it would look. And he just said, ‘Look, just try it. And if you don’t like it, you don’t have to come back.’ But there I was four months later for my next go-around!

EH: Being in the spotlight, did you feel any pressure to look younger?

CTS: No, not at all. This was a totally personal decision. Obviously when I was pregnant and breastfeeding my son [now 4-year-old Jacob,] I didn’t use it. And I was working during that time and no one ever said anything.

I was just distracted about those lines, and so Botox was a way to take that worry away. I take care of my skin and my health, so, for me, this was just an extension of that.

EH: Speaking of which, you’re in terrific shape as a 40-something mom. What’s your secret?

CTS: I’ve been following the Atkins diet for about 10 years now, and, for me, it works. When I started eating low-carb it was such a boon for me. I had been trying all of these different diets and nothing was working.

Then I found I could eat fruits, vegetables, and proteins, and not a lot of starchy foods, which didn’t make me feel good anyway, and I felt great and my weight has been consistent.

EH: But come on, don’t you just get a hankering for a cookie or sweet treat every now and then?

CTS: Of course! It’s not like I can’t have a piece of cake at my son’s birthday or something, but I don’t do that every day. And because I eat well most of the time, I can afford a treat and it doesn’t throw me off-kilter.

EH: In the past, you’ve talked about how you were a compulsive exerciser. How do you approach fitness now?

CTS: It’s really moderate. I walk about 40 minutes on the treadmill with an incline. If there’s no treadmill, then I’ll take a walk. Then I do either yoga or a 15-minute Pilates routine that I can do on the floor.

I exercise to feel good and to tone up. I’m not trying to atone for something bad I’ve eaten, and that makes it a lot easier.

EH: You’ve returned as a guest star on Two and a Half Men; what was the experience like without Charlie Sheen?

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CTS: It was fun last season, and I think it was hard for people to believe that because of what they heard about Charlie. But he was lovely and charming and funny — and obviously extraordinarily talented.

And Ashton is lovely and charming and extraordinarily talented. So the set felt great then, and it feels great now.

EH: So no craziness on set? I guess that bodes well since you’re a working mom?

CTS: With sitcoms, you go, you rehearse, and then you go home. So three days a week, I’m home by 3 p.m. That way I get to be a mom most of the time.

But it feels good to remember that part of me. I’ve been a professional actor for almost 27 years now, so it’s nice to work that muscle again.

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