What are Tweakments?

Aesthetic tweakments offer a range of options for individuals looking to enhance their appearance with subtle, natural-looking results. These minimally invasive procedures can address specific cosmetic concerns and help individuals achieve a refreshed, rejuvenated appearance without the need for more extensive surgical interventions. They are designed to subtly enhance one's appearance. Unlike more dramatic surgical interventions, tweakments aim to make subtle improvements that enhance natural features or address minor cosmetic concerns. These procedures are often sought by individuals who want to refresh their appearance without undergoing invasive surgery or experiencing significant downtime.

Here are some common examples of aesthetic tweakments:

1. Wrinkle Relaxing: Neuromodulator injections are used to relax muscles in targeted areas of the face, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. This treatment is particularly effective for smoothing forehead lines, crow's feet, and frown lines between the eyebrows.

2. Dermal Fillers: Dermal fillers are injectable gels made from hyaluronic acid or other biocompatible materials. They are used to add volume, smooth out wrinkles, and enhance facial contours. Common areas for filler injections include the lips, cheeks, nasolabial folds, and tear troughs.

3. Chemical Peels: Chemical peels involve the application of a chemical solution to the skin, which causes the top layer of skin to peel off, revealing smoother, more radiant skin underneath. Peels can improve skin texture, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and address issues like acne and hyperpigmentation.

4. Microneedling: Microneedling, also known as collagen induction therapy, involves using a device equipped with fine needles to create micro-injuries in the skin's surface. These controlled injuries stimulate the body's natural healing response, triggering the production of collagen and elastin, two essential proteins that promote skin firmness, elasticity, and youthfulness.

5. Profhilo: Profhilo is a revolutionary injectable treatment designed to remodel the skin from within, addressing signs of ageing and restoring hydration, firmness, and elasticity. Unlike traditional dermal fillers, Profhilo contains a unique formulation of stabilised hyaluronic acid (HA) that spreads evenly beneath the skin, providing deep hydration and stimulating collagen and elastin production.

6. Mesotherapy: Mesotherapy is another popular aesthetic tweakment that involves injecting a cocktail of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other active ingredients into the skin. This treatment is designed to nourish, hydrate, and rejuvenate the skin from within, targeting a range of concerns such as fine lines, wrinkles, dullness, and dehydration.

Are you ready for an injectable treatment?

My heart sinks when I get a potential patient inquiring about a cosmetic injectable treatment and the first question is "how much is the treatment?"  Whilst I try to keep my prices reasonable so I can reward my loyal patients and help them manage the upkeep of continued treatments, please be aware it would be foolish for price to be the deciding factor when choosing to undergo a cosmetic procedure.

A good proportion of patients who contact me do not seem ready for a treatment. Firstly, you must be over 18 years old and I would prefer you to be over 21 years old.  You need to have emotional maturity and resilience to undergo a cosmetic procedure.  There are certain common complications that you can expect following a treatment and you must have the resources to handle them. It can take 2-4 weeks for the body to heal post-procedure and you must be able to manage your emotions and expectations should that occur. 

It is also best to wait and schedule your appointment well before any holiday or big event - at least 4-6 weeks beforehand. It is ill-advised to have a treatment prior to travel (how could you be reviewed in the event of a complication or undesired outcome?) or big event (what if you encounter severe swelling and/or an undesired outcome?) In many respects, you will benefit from scheduling your appointment with plenty of notice - especially if before a holiday or big event and taking time off work, if required.

Lastly, there are lots of good resources out there for you to read up about before you come to your consultation. Do check out the Consulting Room and Save Face and Real Self.

Be wary of social media photos and videos from lay-people demonstrating procedures because you are best seeking a comprehensive consultation from a medical professional that takes time to cover all that is needed to give you a safe and effective treatment.

How do Fillers Work?

Gone are the days of pillow face and expressionless face, we are a modern aesthetics service that prides itself on being able to deliver a treatment to any age group with its specialist and advanced aesthetics techniques.  Meticulous care is crucial to injecting into the deep dermal plane or intradermal plane. This expertise makes the difference between a great result and an average result.

How does it work?

Modern injectable fillers are made from hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance that the body breaks down gradually. Depending on the purpose and the viscosity of the filler, it can last for different time frames but that is a good thing. Although you might feel inconvenienced by returning for further treatments, your face will change as it ages which is why refreshing a treatment is advised.  As the company's Lead in filler treatments I am trained in the advanced treatments and only use products that are the market leaders in effectiveness and safety.  Anaesthetic cream is used topically to minimise the pain of injecting but the filler also contains an aesthetic chemical so if you are one of the minority who experience some discomfort, the pain should not worsen. 

How long do fillers last for?

For lips: Lip filler commonly lasts 6-9 months though we hear reports from our customers that they are still pleased with their results 12 months later. For other customers who are looking to work towards longer-term pouty lips, they stagger 3-6 months between treatments in order to reach a stable end result 18 months later.

Cheeks: Juvederm Voluma restores lost volume to regain a youthful curve in the cheek. The product is elastic, viscous and supports structures to enhance the cheeks, it lasts 18 months and is seen as a great investment as an alternative to a face lift and is known as a liquid face lift. A commonly occurring issue is that it may highlight deficits in the tear trough and so dependent on your consultation, it might be worth considering a simultaneous tear trough enhancement.

Laughter lines: Juvederm Ultra 3 is used to fill the nasolabial lines that are a deeper wrinkle.  The product plumps up the skin and stays in place for a result that will last about 9 months, though we have reports of 12 months from our customers.

Tear Troughs: I call this treatment the "cherry on the cake" because all the other filler treatments aim to take the viewer's aim to the mid face.  The eyes really are the windows to the soul which is why a beautifully proportioned face keeps a person's attention in that area.  Depending on whether or not other treatments are required, the tear troughs are "airbrushed" with a light filler because it sits next to the service of the skin, only the best product is used and it is meticulously applied. Unlike other fillers that encourage water being drawn to the area for a plumping effect, Juvederm Volbella aims to restore lost volume in the orbital rim without causing swelling to the area, it lasts about 12 months.

How quickly can you see the results?

Unlike toxin treatments (like Botox) the result is instant and your clinician is guided by what they see as they deliver it in order to complete the entire procedure. However you can expect swelling and bruising after a filler treatment so don't feel alarm if there is more volume initially than you expected.  In exceptional circumstances filler can be reversed with an enzyme (because it is a naturally occurring substance).

How does Botox Work?

How do wrinkle reducing treatments work?

Wrinkles are mainly caused by muscle contraction. For example, when you are angry or confused, you draw your eyebrows together and downwards. This causes pleating of the skin which results in frown lines. Similarly, elevation of the eyebrows causes horizontal lines on the forehead and smiling/squinting causes crows feet around the eyes.

Toxins are injected into the target muscle directly below the wrinkled area and blocks the transmission of signals from the nerve ending to the muscle. This causes temporary paralysis of the treated muscle the causes the wrinkles, which results in the reduction or loss of wrinkles.

How long do results last?

Results will start to show after 3-10 days and will last 3-5 months. The result is not permanent because the nerve ending re-establishes it’s signalling by forming new nerve sprouts. This sprouting takes approximately 3-4 months, at which point the muscle regains it’s activity and the wrinkles begin to reappear. Clients who have treatments 2 or 3 times per year tend to find the results may last longer after the first 2 years of treatments. When combined with other skincare treatments, it is an essential component of anti-aging.

10 Bot Toxin Myths Busted!

There are A LOT of inaccuracies and untruths out there about B-Tox. Here are 10 myths that we are going to bust!

MYTH 1: B-Tox can be used anywhere on the face
There’s a filler and injectable to treat just about every line and wrinkle on the face, but Botulinum Toxin cannot be used for everything.  While it may seem like B-Tox can be used all over the face, there are only certain areas where it works; other injectables are an option for problems that B-tox cannot correct.

MYTH 2: It works immediately
Because B-tox acts on the nerves that control muscle movement, its can take anywhere from three to five days for it to set in before you notice results.

MYTH 3: You can never develop an allergy to Botox
Anyone can be allergic to anything, B-tox included. Although rare, there have been cases of allergies following Botox injections though it can be hard to distinguish between a true allergy to B-tox or an allergy to the dilutent used to dilute the B-tox.

MYTH 4: If you workout a lot you’ll need more B-tox than the average person
Whether you’re a workout fiend or you haven’t seen the inside of a gym in years, it’s not your workout choices that dictate how much B-tox you need, but rather the degree of your lines and wrinkles.

MYTH 5: B-tox alters your emotions
In actuality, if done correctly and in proper moderation, B-tox will look natural and emotions will still be expressed on your face. But angry appearances emotion that occurs when you furrow your brow will be diminished. But in the right amount, B-tox will not affect any other movement in the face like lifting your brows or smiling so you remain expressive.

MYTH 6: You can never become immune to B-tox
It is extremely rare but it is possible to develop resistance to B-tox due to the formation of antibodies to it following repeat injections.  Techniques to deal with these cases include using a different brand of toxin to inject, using the minimum dose required to achieve the desired effect at the longest interval between treatments.

MYTH 7: B-tox is the same exact thing as botulinum found in food
Some people believe that B-tox injected is the same as the bacteria that causes botulism.  Actually the B-tox manufacturers produce an isolated toxin that is not the entire bacteria.

MYTH 8: B-tox gives a fake looking result
The majority of my patients tell me no one knows they have had anything done. That's what I want.  In Aesthetics anything done correctly and in moderation can look natural. My goal is to under-treat so you look renewed and refreshed.  Celebrities that look over injected and fake or plastic have been over treated and good aesthetics practitioners should have conversations with their clients about keeping treatments looking natural.

MYTH 9: B-tox won’t do anything for super-heavy lines on the forehead
B-tox can work wonders on deeply etched lines in the forehead. It can sometimes take multiple rounds of treatment and time before the muscles become weak enough to really soften the lines.

MYTH 10: It’s safe to have anyone inject B-tox as long as they are some sort of doctor
Aesthetics practitioners should be MEDICAL professionals with advanced training and clinical experience in aesthetics. Each person will have differences in their anatomy and expectations of treatment and so the skill of an appropriately trained aesthetics practitioner is pivotal in planning injection sites, dosages and considering vector movement changes to deliver a beautiful aesthetic result.