How to beat our fear of fillers
There is a strange relationship between the media and our world of aesthetic medicine: as new innovations come out (botulinum toxin, fillers, threads, skin laser) there is often a great excitement in the media about how exciting this will be for us. Then there are pictures of celebrities having the injections. However, as interest in this wanes, the media turns to the disasters that have happened because of these treatments. For example, in a TV series like ‘Botched’, two brave plastic surgeons show how past surgery has gone wrong and how they can fix whatever disaster has just walked into their surgery.
The result of shows like this is that instead of being excited about what can be achieved, most first-time patients at our clinic are petrified about what might go wrong. All that they have seen in the media are grossly oversized lips and over-tightened faces. As doctors, we are acutely aware of these concerns and the whole industry has moved towards subtle, artistic aesthetic work.
Today we will tend to give a small facial improvement on the first visit and then allow the body to build a fine network of strengthening collagen before putting in another subtle layer of strength. There is an evolving science of giving small injections over a few months to get subtle, natural changes. Today’s patients want small changes and the result of this approach is that people get excited about seeing gentle improvements over a period of time. It is a far cry from the scaremongering that we see on the TV, and patients feel very much in control of this process.
As an example, the above 40-something-year-old friend-of-the-clinic allowed us to take a series of photos as she underwent some micro injections to improve her skin. She felt that she had been working too hard and that this exhaustion had taken its toll on her face. What she didn’t want, was to do anything that other people might notice and judge her for.
We started by doing some Aptos threads in her forehead, cheeks and jawline. These are strong natural threads that we insert under the skin with a fine needle. They stimulate a layer of collagen to strengthen the skin in areas where life has taken its toll and then gradually dissolve over a two-year period. The result was that week-by-week, the sagging and weakness of her skin is improved in a very natural way.
On her return, we looked at adding fillers to the areas that were still creased and shadowed. Modern fillers are natural products that fill creases and then stimulate the body to strengthen that area. There is nothing toxic about them and the body dissolves the filler away gradually over a year.
The final result was a very natural improvement to her skin. The fatigue and ageing were replaced with a healthy glow. All of her fears of being ‘Botched’ were long forgotten. She was delighted and inspired by this process and it gave her confidence and inspiration to take better care of her health.
We offer the latest technology at IHA. Get in touch for more information or to book a consultation with Dr Duncan Carmichael.
