3 critical Things you need to consider before starting cosmetic medicine treatments.
One issue faced by most women who do cosmetic medicine treatments is that eventually they look ‘fake’ or ‘plastic’. That flat shiny forehead or the expressionless face … everyone has seen someone who makes you think ‘THAT looks strange!’
For the women I see, I promise (and guarantee) a completely natural look. Fresher, younger and brighter.
YOU, but better. Here are some of the things I consider when advising clients on looking natural and planning their process forward:
1. ‘Botox’ and Filler – why they must not be the only thing you do
This means it is a medication that stops muscles from moving.
Muscle movement causes wrinkles.
The stronger the muscle, the deeper the wrinkle.
As you age, you ‘exercise’ your muscles of facial expression more and more.
And thus, your facial muscles strengthen in the areas of your most common facial expression.
If you have a tendency to smile a lot or raise your eyebrows a lot or frown a lot – this is where your lines will appear first, and are deeper.
Remember this: studies prove that your face stops aging in the area treated with Botox.
(Ref. Botox Twin Study)
If you keep having Botox only, that part of your face gets younger in comparison to the rest of your face that continues to age.
The same applies to having injectable filler.
If you get your cheeks or your lips filled; that part of your face looks younger than the rest.
You MUST choose treatments that keep all of your face looking the same age wise..
Having a 20-30 year old forehead, 30-39 year old cheeks and eyes and jawline and neck of a 50+ year old looks bizarre, not attractive.
Another VERY important thing to consider is that THIN skin wrinkles more easily.
Hence I do don treat only the muscle.
I treat the skin quality as well. All my patients get nutrients, collagen support and a maintenance plan to keep skin hydrated, thick, radiant and less able to wrinkle.
You want to choose a doctor who completely understands the way your muscles move and compensate. And can adjust your treatments accordingly.
I calculate the dose each time I see you, because your muscles shape and size change, as do the lines on your face.
Stay away from anyone who uses the same dose in the same spot every single time. And anyone who says you have to come on a fixed schedule for your treatments.
2. Your face ages differently in different areas:
Let’s examine the above pictures.
One the left:
Her cheeks and forehead are young looking compared to her eyes (much older).
Note the skin folds on each side of the mouth: this shows you she is much older than you might think – there is loose skin that can ‘fold’ more easily; and there loss of jawline definition compared to when she was younger in the picture on the right.
Note the textural changes of the chin – this gives it away -she is in her 50’s.
Notice how confusing it is – a 30+ year old forehead and cheeks; then 50+ year old eyes and chin/ lower face!
The picture on the right:
You have Botox active in the forehead and between the eye brows.
Notice the shape of the eye brows – there is a ‘lateral lift’ that is more prominent than in the picture on the left.
(A lateral lift is achieved when we place Botox in a part of the upper face that allows the outer 1/3 of the eyebrow to be flared upward, and very attractive on certain face shapes.
Compare the skin quality of the eyes… now you can see the aging.
The picture on the right has a more defined jawline which is a hallmark of being younger. The COLLAGEN is stronger and the skin is tighter.
Notice the aging of the lips – the picture on the left has less fullness and more lines.
If we add filler to these lips, it will look even more out of place: young lips within an aged lower 1/3 of the face.
This is why you MUST choose a doctor who can advise you what you NEED based on your goals and your budget.
At Better, we recommend Thermage as an essential collagen restoring treatment.
There is no point in continuing Botox and filler to further worsen the ‘age mismatch’ that you see in the above pictures.
Even a facelift or tuck will still leave this person with weak collagen. All surgery achieves is to remove excess skin.
3. Skin laxity and collagen tightening:
With Thermage™, we end up with younger-looking, firmer skin that matches in age to the forehead and eyes.
Thermage™ is the only treatment that can treat your eyelids.
In combination with PRP/ Regenplasma, we achieve much younger looking skin of the upper and lower eyelids, and neck; so patients can look uniformly younger, and no-one will guess what they are doing to look so fresh, young, natural. Just their own face, but younger looking.
Thermage™ is the best scientifically proven treatment to tighten loose skin. It has the most studies. It is my favourite treatment because there is no spot left untouched.
From your hairline down to your collarbone, ALL your skin is treated.
Here’s another reason I love Thermage™:
When we tighten loose skin we don’t have to inject too much filler under the skin.
It is when people seek only one treatment to look younger that we run into problems… people get over filled and look like inflated dolls because the wrong treatment is selected to try and achieve a certain result.
Book your skin consultation NOW to look younger and natural: like YOU but Better.
Dr. Natasha Iyer, MD
