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LASER? FILLER? BOTOX? What do I need?

From Botox to fillers, lasers to needle resurfacing, here’s how to know exactly what your face needs

Your problem: SAGGING CHEEKS  ‘Fillers’ made from hyaluronic acid injected into the cheekbone in small quantities. ‘This can help lift the sag that leads to a visible fold in the nose to mouth lines,’ says Harley Street anti-ageing physician Dr Lynette Yong.  ‘The fat pad that sits on the cheekbone slides down the face as we get older and a touch of filler can literally help lift that.’  Fillers are injected into the skin and last from three to nine months. Fillers are temporary and reversible if you’re not happy with results and brand names include Juvederm and Restylane.

Your problem: DULL SKIN TONE  Laser treatment, chemical skin peels and microdermabrasion can all help improve pigmentation and sun spots but freckles and deep pigmentation won’t disappear immediately.  ‘You must avoid sun exposure if you have these treatments,’ says Dr Yong.  ‘They work by removing a layer of skin which encourages a new layer to emerge.  That makes skin much more vulnerable to sunlight and pollutants so protection is essential’.

Your problem: LINES AND WRINKLES  When a wrinkle is visible at rest, for example around the lips, between the eyebrows or from the nose to mouth, doctors may use fillers (see above) to gently correct them.  ‘There are light versions of filler designed to go into the skin for fine lines and thicker versions for use in the deeper layers of skin if lines are deeper and more pronounced,’ says Dr Yong.  ‘Unless you are absolutely certain it’s what you want, never use permanent fillers,’ she advises.  When lines are only visible when expressions are made, some doctors may choose to use muscle relaxants such as Botox or Vistabel. Tri-Aktiline Deep Wrinkle Filler. Squeeze a little into each line over or under make-up and wait for it to set. It makes lines disappear temporarily.  £24.95 from pharmacies.

Your problem: DROOPING BROWS   ‘We can now do a brow lift for women using Botox,’ says Dr Yong.  ‘You need to go to a highly experienced practitioner as that frozen forehead look is unappealing.  We tend to paralyse the forehead muscles less and less with Botox today so that patients are still able to animate their faces and have full expression as this is what makes a face attractive, individual and appealing.  Strategic Botox use should enhance that, not erase it.’

Your problem: DEHYDRATED, ROUGH SKIN  Professional skin-needling is a new in-clinic procedure that uses a ‘dermaroller’ device that applies hundreds of tiny needle incisions to the skin.  ‘These puncture the skin and induce a small injury, which creates a healing response in the skin’, says Dr Yong.  Within a month of treatment, the skin that comes back is improved in quality and texture with smaller pores and fine lines, she explains.  Some patients see a difference after just one treatment.  Prices start from £250 per session.  For a practitioner see www.geniunedermaroller.co.uk

FINDING A QUALIFIED DOCTOR  Please ensure that your doctor is qualified and trained to a high standard and please do NOT go to beauticians administering any of the cosmetic procedures named above.  To ensure you are seeing someone who is accredited, check that your doctor is a member of one of the following professional bodies.  If you haven’t found a doctor yet, the websites below all have facilities through which you can find an accredited doctor in your area. Please use them. UK: The British Association of Cosmetic Doctors www.comsmeticdoctors.co.uk or 0800 328 3613, the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons baaps.org.uk AUSTRALIA: Society of Cosmetic Physicians Australia 1300 552 127 www.cosmeticphysicians.org.au

Dr Lynette Yong practices at 1 Harley Street, London. Phone 07866 436 373 or email drlynetteyong@googlemail.com for appointments. 

 

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