Fillers Under Fire
ARE FILLER TREATMENTS ON THE WAY OUT?
In the last few weeks there have been several articles in the national press that described filler treatments apparently going wrong.
In truth, complications after filler treatments are rare in experienced hands, but in the recent coverage the focus was on something else. The treatment went well on the
day, however too much filler overall was used and the patient ended up looking unnatural.
We have been seeing this phenomenon for a while – both in celebrities and people we meet every day. Using too much filler or injecting the product in the wrong place, can change the contours of a face to such a significant degree that it may look distorted.
When this happens, to me it is not so much the sign of a filler treatment that was unsuccessful, but rather the sign of a failure of a patient – doctor relationship or a misjudgement on the part of the doctor.
WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN?
We all know this phenomenon – when something makes us feel good, we want more and more of it. Be it good wine or good chocolate – sometimes it is difficult to stop, despite knowing that too much of a good thing is no longer good for us.
We do see the same phenomenon with aesthetic treatments and fillers in particular. It is exciting to be able to reverse signs of ageing or bring out your best feature with a quick injection! It is too easy to get carried away and it does happen to all of us, even if only a little. Dorctors are susceptible to this as much as the patients.
So if we know that we are not objective judges of our own facial proportions, what can we do, if we still want to use fillers for aesthetic or age-management reasons, but want to continue to look like ourselves?
FIND A GOOD DOCTOR YOU CAN TRUST
It is the duty a doctor to act in the patent’s best interests and at times this means saying no. A good aesthetic doctor should help keep our expectations realistic and not simply inject more and more product because we are asking for it.
Not treating a patient when it is not in their best interest is undoubtedly one of the biggest tests of a doctor’s integrity. I agree that we may not like what we hear on the
day, but in the long term, I believe it is always better to proceed with caution.
WOULD IT NOT BE BETTER TO AVOID FILLERS ALTOGETHER?
The decision to have aesthetic treatments is individual and it is perfectly fine, of course, to decide not to have any treatments. But if you would like to maintain your appearance as you grow older, fillers can be an essential tool in helping you stay youthful.
FIllers are certainly not the answer to every aesthetic concern. However, to date we have no alternative product/procedure in cosmetic medicine that will address the loss of volume and decline in skin hydration caused by the ageing process.
With a practitioner who understands the importance of respecting facial proportions and creating bespoke adjustments, filler injections can be a really satisfying experience.
It can leave you looking hydrated, fresh, youthful and quite literally fill you
with confidence (pun intended)!
Contact me if you have any questions or would like to discuss your bespoke treatment plan.
