Month: June 2020

Having dermal filler for the first time can be a daunting experience and it’s very common to feel nervous about it. The ‘what ifs’ tend to creep into your mind – what if something goes wrong? What if I don’t like the result? What if I end up looking fake? In my opinion, one of the most important elements of any treatment is the consultation. During this time, this is when you will get to know your practitioner, gain trust and confidence in them and discuss the best treatment option for them. I spend a minimum of an hour with my patients and ensure they have a full understanding of the treatment before they even consider proceeding. It’s also really important that a full list of side effects are disclosed prior to treatment. There are generally two instances as to why you may need your filler dissolved. The first instance is in the case of an emergency or complication to avoid a vascular occlusion. It is absolutely crucial that all injectors must have access to the filler dissolving agent before proceeding with treatment from a safety perspective. The other instance is if the patient is left with an aesthetically unpleasant outcome. What happens if I don’t like my filler? Provided a Hyaluronic Acid-based filler was used during treatment, Hyaluronidase can be injected to break down and dissolve the poorly placed filler. Hyaluronidase (also known as Hyalase) is an enzyme that causes hydrolysis of synthetic hyaluronic acid (leaving your natural hyaluronic acid intact).  Before dissolving any filler, a patch test should always be carried out to ensure that the patient is allergic to Hyaluronidase (there has been evidence to show that people that are allergic to bee stings may also be allergic to this product). Hyaluronidase is injected directly into the area where the filler is that needs to be dissolved. The treatment can sting, therefore generally lidocaine is injected to reduce discomfort.  Hyaluronidase works very quickly, and filler is broken down almost immediately but can take up to 24 hours for the full effect. It is very common for there to be swelling and bruising following a filler dissolving treatment. Who do I go to when I’m not happy? My first piece of advice to any patient that has had filler when another practitioner and isn’t happy with it is to go back and see them. This is because they have the full treatment details about where the product was placed, how much and therefore have a better idea of where to inject the Hyaluronidase.  By the same token, I completely understand that this can be an awkward and uncomfortable situation. When the patient is unhappy with the treatment, often trust and confidence in the practitioner is completely lost and therefore the concept of going back to see them again is not an option for some people.  In this case, I will do my best to help as much as I can. First of all, I will ask the patient to get the treatment notes and details so that I know exactly where the filler is and therefore where the Hyaluronidase should be injected to break it down. What are the most common problems (That need dissolving)? The lips are most definitely the area that, if not treated correctly is very obvious. Sometimes, it can simply be down to the fact that the lips are overfilled. When too much filler is placed in the lips, they can look unnatural and hard as opposed to looking beautifully balanced and soft. Poor placement can also be an issue when the lips have been treated. Filler placed incorrectly in the vermillion border (the outline of your lips) can often migrate, or may have just been injected into the wrong area in the first place. This can make the border of the lips look overly projected and full in an extremely unnatural way.  The skin around the eye area is extremely thin which means that if too much product is injected into the tear trough, it is very noticeable. Sometimes this can result in an uneven or lumpy appearance or in some cases, a bluish hue (Tyndall effect) can be visible. This can worsen the appearance of dark circles under the eye. Both can be due to a poor filler choice and/or placement or a lack of understanding about the anatomy. Why do things go wrong? Contrary to popular belief, it’s not always down to poor injection technique as to why things go wrong. Sometimes, even the very best injectors will see unsatisfactory results. It’s important to remember that everyone’s anatomy is completely individual and therefore a guaranteed outcome is impossible to give.  Should it be the case that you are unhappy with previous filler and would like to discuss this with me, please contact the clinic by clicking here or calling 01793 959010.

But the truth is, everyone’s lips are unique and therefore to suit a variety of different concerns, there are many different techniques and products that I use. It’s a common misconception that all lips should be treated the same in a lip augmentation treatment.Whether it’s beautification, restoration, hydration, balancing or asymmetry correction, there are many reasons why my patients are interested in having their lips treated. Natural lip fillers? Different indications require different techniques. A 25-year-old that would like a little more volume or perhaps correction of asymmetry will require a different technique, amount of product and consistency of the product compared to a 70-year-old that would like to hydrate and restore the lip volume… All of these factors should be carefully considered and selected to suit the patient’s concerns. As we age, the definition between the skin of the face and the lip can become less apparent, and natural lip fillers such as MaiLI can be used to redefine that edge for proportion. Some people will require a little bit of hydration, some will require more volume and others will require full profile balancing. Some results can be achieved in one session, and some will need multiple sittings of treatment to achieve the outcome they want. Different products can also have a significant effect on the outcome of the treatment, therefore Lip Fillers product should be carefully selected by your practitioner to suit your aesthetic goals for natural looking results. Product placement is also crucial. Too much product in the wrong part of the lips can leave you looking unnatural with the dreaded ‘trout pout’ or ‘duck lips’. A thorough consultation to assess your lips, discuss your concerns and goals and have the chosen treatment and product explained to you in detail is essential before treatment. The majority of my patients have similar concerns before the procedure; ‘Is it going to look fake?’‘Am I going to end up with duck lips?’‘Will my family and friends notice?’ ‘What natural lip fillers can be used for a perfect lip augmentation” It is important to remember that swelling post-procedure is almost definite in patients following lip treatment. This can make the lips look larger, but this is not the final result and should not be confused with overtreatment and cause you to panic! I am a firm believer that aesthetic treatments should only be used to achieve natural results and accentuate your natural beauty or correct asymmetry as opposed to trying to significantly change the way we look. Dermal fillers can provide amazing results when they are used in the correct way! SOMETIMES LESS IS MORE AND MORE IS LESS!