The New Injectables – Q & A with Dr Jonathan Lee on Non-Invasive Facial Rejuvenation
Ever heard of a liquid face lift? Did you know collagen can be stimulated with injections?
Innovation in aesthetic medicine has advanced considerably since Botox made its mark (and started smoothing over them), and there are now injectables available to solve a wide range of problems. And best of all, when used together they can dramatically improve your appearance without ever having to go under the knife.
Dr Jonathan Lee, of The Aesthetic Studio, thinks they are Science’s greatest gift to aesthetic medicine, “A lot of treatments that were once treated with surgery can now be resolved safely with non-invasive and minimally invasive techniques.” How? Dr Lee is here to answer a few more questions on this dynamic area of aesthetics.
Why do you like working with injectables?
I think they’re a great tool, or range of tools, because they offer so much flexibility to personalise solutions for every patient. From lifting and tightening to smoothing and volumising, the likes of Botox, Fillers, Skin Boosters, Rejuran and Profhilo can be combined to great effect.
How can injectables be tailored for each patient?
It’s really a meeting of art and science. Having an appreciation for the unique features that make each client beautiful and knowing where to position things to draw them out, and then knowing your tools well so you make the best choice from a palette of options. Constant innovation in this space means that patients have increased choices to therapeutically improve their appearance.
Which injectables provide the best results?
They all work to achieve different things so the best thing to do is to study what is taking place in the face first. I approach it by trying to treat the cause and not just the symptoms. For instance, if there is sagging around the jaw line it’s probably because something else is happening higher in the face. By figuring out what the muscles are doing and the directions they are pulling in I can better select a solution. And a thorough knowledge of the qualities of each injectable is paramount to achieving good results.
These are some of the products I like to use:
Botox is good for smoothing lines, shaping and lifting the brows and feminising the jawline
Restylane can offer volume, tightening and lifting and come in a variety of structures that bio integrate
Prohilo is designed to remodel the skin and stimulate collagen
Rejuran is good for healing and treating damage from acne
Radiesse provides structure and firmness
Sculptura stimulates collagen to build volume
Skin Boosters retain moisture to hydrate the skin
Are the results of injectables overly noticeable?
If the correct injectable has been chosen for the job, and at the right depth, all that should be noticed is that you look better. If we’re talking about fillers for example, they come in a variety of dilutions, structures and ingredients. A filler that is suitable for filling the tear trough area might not be suitable for the Nasolabial folds. So choosing one that allows for movement to look natural in that part of the face is the key.
We tend to think of injectables as Botox and Fillers, where lines are being relaxed and smoothed. But there are injectables that can be layered to moisturise the skin. Some of these treatments are designed to penetrate the whole face, so you can’t actually detect that any particular line or wrinkle has been worked on. It’s an overall improvement.
Where should someone start with injectables?
Opening up the eyes is a good place to start. Lifting the brow and smoothing fine lines with Botox is the foundation of rejuvenation with injectables. I prefer to start at the top of the face and work down the face over time. Aging goes hand in hand with gravity, so altering things on the upper third of the face first helps indicate what should be done on the middle and lower thirds. This leads to a more harmonious look.
Can injectables lift the face?
As we age there is a downward gravitational loss of tissues so we want to restore that volume and smooth over areas that show demarcation between muscles and fat. But an over dependence on fillers can create a balloon effect so it’s good to combine this with other treatments that improve skin laxity like radio frequency and laser resurfacing.
Simply put, injectables could be used for overall facial rejuvenation like this:
Botox: to treat the upper face
Fillers: to treat the mid face
Threads: to treat the lower face
And follow up with energy-based treatments like ultrasound and radio frequency to alleviate dropping features.
What results do you see from injectables?
I’d say the goal is to fill areas that have deflated, relax the areas that are overactive and tighten up where we can. But overall, I like working with patients to improve their self esteem. Appreciating their anatomy and using injectables to enhance that is very satisfying.
Would you like to find out more about what injectables can do for you? Get in touch with us to book a consultation.