Let's take a deep dive into skincare, injectable therapies and why sometimes, even when you have lots of money and resources, it can all go VERY wrong!
There is a quick-fix treatment that is available everywhere.
Let's break it down!
Dermal Fillers:
Dermal Fillers are used to fill up lost volume caused by thinning skin and depleting muscle mass. Think of Dermal Fillers as a thick gel that works like putty or Polyfilla to fill up the gaps created in the skin from lost volume caused by diminishing strength and size of muscles and lost collagen, elastin, and blood vessel growth within the skin.
There are many different dermal fillers on the market to date. Some of the most commonly used are:
Juvederm Voluma – Both Juvederm and Juvederm Voluma are hyaluronic acid dermal fillers, but Juvederm is softer and thinner while Voluma is thicker and heavier.
Restylane Lyft – Both Restylane and Restylane Lyft are composed of hyaluronic acid. The primary difference between Restylane and Lyft is that the hyaluronic acid gel particles in Lyft are larger than those found in Restylane.
Restylane Silk – Both Restylane and Restylane Silk are composed of hyaluronic acid. The primary difference between the two products is that the hyaluronic acid particles in Silk are smaller, making it more suitable for use in the lip area.
The above-listed Dermal Fillers are made up of biodegradable hyaluronic acid.
Hyaluronic acid can bind with water molecules and hold up to 1000 times its weight in water. This is why it is advised to stay well hydrated after having hyaluronic acid-based Dermal Fillers. The more water molecules that are drawn towards the hyaluronic acid-based Filler injected into the layers of the skin, the more effective it is in making the skin look thicker.
The problem with these Fillers is that the skin is being filled up with hyaluronic acid and other chemical components (no injectable Filler is made up only of hyaluronic acid) and NOT replenished with new collagen, elastin, and blood vessel growth. Muscle mass depletion is also not being addressed, so these problems continue to worsen behind the scenes.
Think of a brick wall.
The mortar used to hold the wall together needs to be strong. A typical mortar mixture consists of 1 part cementitious material 2 1/4 - 3 1/2 parts sand by volume. Water is alsoo an integral ingredient that is added to the mortar mixture until it attains the right consistency for use.
Whilst water is an integral part of the mixture of mortar, if the mixture has too much water or is mainly water, then it will lack the integrity and strength to not only build the wall but also enable the wall to stand the test of time.
Think of our skin.
Collagen and elastin in the mesh hold the skin together and give it bulk, bounce, lift, strength, and integrity, much like the cementitious material used in mortar.
Whilst hydration, in the form of hyaluronic acid molecules, is an integral part of what makes up thick, strong, and healthy skin, filling the layers of thinning skin with hyaluronic acid-based Dermal Fillers is like using water balloons as mortar in a brick wall.
Whilst continuously using Fillers may make the skin look thicker and firmer, more and more will be needed in more and more areas due to the natural ageing process. It is important to remember that whilst hyaluronic acid-based Dermal Fillers work to make the skin look better, they do nothing to make it better and correct the underlying problem of thinning skin.
The Dermal Filler called Radiesse is made up of Calcium Hydroxylapatite.
Calcium Hydroxylapatite is a substance found naturally in teeth and bones. When used in a Dermal Filler known as Radiesse, calcium hydroxylapatite helps to create volume lost due to thinning skin and can be used in larger areas of the face like the cheeks or jawline. Radiesse is used to gain longer-lasting results than other hyaluronic acid-based Fillers.
The Dermal Filler called Sculptra is made up of Poly-L-Lactic Acid (PLLA).
PLLA particles are made up of repeating units of lactic acid, which is produced by the fermentation of sugars found in renewable resources like corn starch, sugarcane, or other plant-based materials. Since its source is biological (plants), it is categorised as a biopolymer.
Once injected, the tiny PLLA particles are spread throughout the deeper layers of the skin (the dermis). The body recognises these PLLA particles as foreign, which prompts a mild, controlled inflammatory response.
As part of this response, fibroblasts (the cells responsible for producing collagen) are activated, leading to the gradual production of new collagen fibres around the PLLA particles. Over time, the PLLA is broken down naturally by the body, but the collagen it has stimulated remains, providing long-term volume, firmness, and smoothness to the skin.
To gain the full effect of Sculptra, 2-4 treatments are spaced about a month apart, and the full effects of Sculptra can take up to 9 months to develop.
The Dermal Filler called Bellafill is made up of Poly(methyl methacrylate).
Bellafill is a long-lasting Dermal Filler that contains bovine collagen (collagen harvested from cows) and tiny Poly(methyl methacrylate) beads (a transparent thermoplastic). The collagen provides immediate volume and lift, while the Poly(methyl methacrylate) remains in place and works to create a base that provides structural support to the skin. Think of the bovine collagen replacing your own lost collagen instantly, and the Poly(methyl methacrylate), which is basically specially formulated plastic, working to create more support to collapsing skin.
There can be many side effects caused by Dermal Fillers.
Most people can have them with no or only short-term side effects such as bruising, redness, and/or swelling.
In rare cases, longer-lasting side effects can develop, resulting in the need for antibiotics, steroids, and/or surgical intervention, and in the very rarest cases, cause long-term scarring or disfigurement.
Some side effects are Granulomas, Injection site ulcers, Erythematous papulocystic nodules, and Delayed Onset Nodules.
The pictures shared are of a Jessica t Medi-Spa client who suffered from Delayed Onset Nodules.
Our client chose to have some Fillers due to her going on a lengthy trip and not being able to come for treatments for a long period. She had Dermal Fillers in her tear trough area, upper cheeks, and nasolabial folds (smile lines). After approximately 8 months, the first of many nodules appeared at the sides of her mouth. These cyst-like growths continued to pop up on both sides of her face and included ones around her eye area that were visibly noticeable at around the 14-month mark after the Fillers had been done.
Our client was very lucky as the clinic (whose practitioners had done NOTHING wrong) where she had the treatment done helped her to resolve this problem, first by recommending and providing two courses of steroids which successfully shrunk the nodules but did not completely get rid of them, and then dissolving the nodules manually with other injectable substances throughout 2 treatment sessions in the hospital.
This is why it is very important to only have injectable therapies from a provider who guarantees they will support you if anything goes wrong after treatments are provided.
Fat Transfer – a more natural alternative to synthetic Dermal Fillers.
While Fat Transfer (also called Fat grafting) cannot technically be called a Dermal Filler, autologous Fat Transfer is another way to reverse the visual signs of thinning skin. This procedure is a two-step process that begins with the removal of fat deposits using Liposuction from an area like the midsection or thighs. The fat cells are then harvested and prepared for injection similar to a Dermal Filler. The difference is that the patient’s own cells are used to produce the most natural result, and the results are permanent for most patients. Make sure you do your research and see highly qualified and experienced plastic surgeons (not cosmetic surgeons) like Dr. Quinn to get more info about Fat Transfer procedures.
Jessicat believes only after creating thicker, stronger skin by targeting the problem of depleting muscle mass should you look at having Fat Transfer procedures to perfect your overall results.
There are two main problems with Injectable therapies:
One: They are a quick-fix and addictive way to hide the effects of thinning skin, which can get us into the bad habit of thinking we can simply inject the ageing process away. They do nothing to fix the underlying problem of thinning skin, so the problem goes on unchecked and is allowed to get worse and worse until the skin is so thin, fragile, and damaged that the injectable therapies cannot gain the same effect as they once did.
Two: Over time, as more and more injectable therapies are used, the individual contours that make our faces look like us can be lost, and we can become more mannequin-like in appearance, or worse, our faces can become misshapen and gain a look we do not want.
Sometimes, people do not notice this happening and get lost in trying to freeze or plump away individual imperfections, causing them to lose sight of the overall picture.
Think it can’t happen to you? Let’s look at some examples of injectable therapies that were used well, overused, and when things go terribly wrong!
Used well, or overused? In this case, it's all in the eye of the beholder due to Trinny looking amazing at 56 years of age!
Trinny Woodall is a beautiful woman and is well known for co-presenting BBC television series What Not to Wear with Susannah Constantine.
She is also well known for her honesty about using Botox, Dermal Fillers and Laser resurfacing treatments.
Trinny has said; ‘I’d never have a facelift, as I’ve never seen anyone who has had one that looks good.’
Due to Trinny having more and more Dermal Filler under her eyes (possibly temples) and in her upper cheeks, her eyes are looking much smaller, and her mouth is being pulled wider, making it appear like she has had fillers in her lips, which she denies.
It should be considered that Trinny has a lot of Botox (watch this video of Trinny having a treatment with Dr. Sebagh) very regularly. It is logical that paralysing her muscles over the last 15 years or so has affected the muscle’s size and strength. This means that more and more filler will be needed to fill up both thinning skin and space caused by lost muscle mass, which is why her smile is now beginning to look much wider and more stretched.
This is what can happen when we work to spot and treat problem areas and end up losing sight of the bigger picture!
When it comes to injectable fillers, Christie Brinkley has been quoted saying: “fill but don’t stuff!”
Courteney Cox is iconic for her fresh, energetic, and carefree style of beauty. She is famed for looking much younger than she is and is well known for regularly having treatments, including injectable therapies like Botox and Filler, to keep herself looking youthful.
The pictures shown are an example of what too much Filler can look like. After seeing pictures of herself, Courteney had the Fillers in her skin dissolved and publicly spoke out about how easy it was to lose sight of how she actually looked and how easy it was to go too far with injectable therapies.
As you can see from the pictures below, after having the Fillers dissolved, Courteney is looking much more like her radiant self.
The text accompanying the photo below is an excerpt from an article featured in New Beauty where Cortney Pelletteri interviewed Courteney Cox on June 22, 2017. Follow this link to read the full article: https://www.newbeauty.com/courteney-cox-beauty/
This is what we may want to avoid!
All the women shown are beautiful women in their own right, in both the before and after pictures shown below.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so whilst some of us may view these pictures and feel too many injectable therapies (and or surgery) have been used, others will like the effects. This blog was written with the hope that the information contained in it will better enable you to attain the look you desire and avoid a look that you do not want.
Whilst I dislike criticising other women’s appearance, to make my point it is unavoidable due to our needing to see examples of faces before and after injectable therapies have been used.
It needs to be said here that it is all a case of degrees, and everyone needs to find their own balance. Knowledge is power, and reading this blog is enabling you to take the power of knowledge into your hands so that you can go on to make better-informed decisions for your individual needs!
What About Botox?
For many women, Botox is one of the first medical-grade aesthetic treatments they use to try and hide fine lines, wrinkles, and or sagging skin due to the natural aging process causing their skin to thin/collapse.
Botox is a brand name and is an abbreviation of the name Botulinum toxin. Botulinum toxin B is marketed under the brand name Myobloc and is a type of muscle relaxant.
Muscle relaxants like Botox work to paralyze the muscles and stop the skin from moving when expressions are made. This works to hide the problem of thinning skin but does NOTHING to help improve the problem.
It also needs to be considered that over time, as the muscles are paralyzed over and over again, they can lose size and strength and eventually sag much faster than the natural aging process would cause.
Injectable muscle relaxants like Botox work to hide one problem but do nothing to address the problem of thinning skin that causes fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin, which means more and more Botox will be needed over time to hide the problem as it continues to get worse.
As more and more Botox is used to hide the problem of thinning skin, the muscles can become weaker and smaller, which can cause hollows within the facial features and feed into the problem of fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin. To address this, doctors and other providers of injectable therapies will most often advise the use of Fillers in order to try and make up for the lost volume caused by depleted muscle mass, which is a result of using Botox regularly. As more and more Fillers are used, the shape of the face can become more and more swollen, and the gentle contours that make up an individual face can be lost, causing women who rely on injectable fillers to often look very similar to one another.
So how do stars like Jennifer Lopez do it?
They have treatments like the ones we provide that include the use of state-of-the-art technologies that work to repair, rebuild, and improve the cellular function of the skin. Many of them are smart enough to address depleting muscle mass as well in order to keep a strong, full, and lifted scaffolding for the skin to sit upon. Jennifer Lopez is said to own one CACI Microcurrent device (I am sure she does not do her own treatments, though).
Stars like Jennifer Lopez’s team of beauty professionals work to keep their client’s skin thick, full, and lifted, the muscles strong and full (this step is still left out by so many amazing beauty professionals, but awareness is slowly building), and use injectable therapies, and/or procedures like fat transfer and surgical procedures minimally to fine-tune their look.
THEY DO NOT RELY SOLELY ON INJECTABLE THERAPIES TO CREATE THE FOUNDATION OF THE LOOK!
We have put a man on the moon; of course, we can do better than using toxic creams that work only to melt away dead skin cells and cause us to be even more prone to damage from the sun, and quick-fix injectable therapies that work only to hide the signs of ageing and do nothing to address the underlying issues that cause our appearance to change as we mature and can actually make these issues worse.
Injectable therapies have their place, but this place should be to finish off a look, and not to create it!!
Let's work to solve the underlying problem of thinning skin and depleting muscle mass, opt for procedures like using our own fat in place of Injectable Fillers if possible (using fat transfer procedures provided by an experienced and highly qualified plastic surgeon), and use injectable therapies minimally, or not at all.
I hope you find the info shared interesting and that it enables you to find the right treatments and devices to help you gain and maintain a timeless and youthful look. Jessicat
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