What Are Facial Aesthetics?

Facial Aesthetics Background

Injectable facial aesthetics procedures are growing ever more popular by the day. This increase in demand for treatments such as dermal fillers and anti wrinkle treatments has seen these procedures become readily available on the high street.

The aesthetic industry is currently largely unregulated, despite some of the available procedures being invasive and carrying serious risks. Many patients may not be aware of the potential dangers of such treatments. For this reason, you should always ensure you are satisfied with the credentials of your injector. In this blog post, we at Andrew House Dental Practice are going to shed some light on certain facial aesthetics procedures that are available today.

Popular Facial Aesthetics Treatments

Arguably the most popular procedures when it comes to facial aesthetics are anti wrinkle treatments with Botulinum Toxin. “Botox” is a well known brand name of this product with the toxin being produced by the bacteria Clostridium Botulinum. It has been adapted and used with FDA approval for some aesthetic indications since 2002, however it has been used far longer for other medical conditions.

It works by temporarily blocking the neuromuscular transmission of a target muscle causing the muscle to relax. This results in a smoothing of the overlying skin, thus softening and eliminating wrinkles. The injections are given with a very fine needle and usually it is almost painless. The most common areas to treat include forehead wrinkles, crows feet lines and frown lines.

You may start to see the effects of treatment within 4 days and the full effects are usually apparent after 2 weeks. These effects can last for around 3 months.

Unwanted side effects are usually minimal and can be mild such as headaches as well as bruising and redness near the treated areas. If the solution is placed incorrectly or affects undesired muscles then it can cause facial muscle weakness, drooping eyelids and crooked smiles.

Botox is also used in dermal filler injections to replace lost volume in the face, augmenting areas such as cheeks and lips. This procedure uses a fine needle as well and results can be seen immediately.

After treatment with dermal fillers there is often some swelling and redness which may last a few days, bruising is also not uncommon. The main risks associated with these kinds of treatments are rare but severe. These can include scarring, granuloma formation and in some instances, vascular occlusion or blindness. This occurs where a blood vessel becomes inadvertently blocked by the filler product, interrupting the blood supply to the area and if not treated appropriately and quickly, can cause death and ulceration to the overlying skin. Thankfully such complications are rare but patients should be aware of them and also be sure their practitioner is able to spot the signs of this.

Botulinum toxin products are a prescription-only medicine, but unfortunately some products are available to buy on the internet by anyone. When choosing a practitioner, patients should satisfy themselves that the injector has appropriate training and experience. Many reputable training companies will only provide training for healthcare professionals, registered doctors, dentists and nurses. These professionals will be registered with their governing bodies and hold appropriate insurance for carrying out such procedures. Patients should expect a consultation prior to treatment, to be fully informed of their treatment options, including the risks and benefits of any such procedures. There should also be follow up care provided.

With all of this in mind, there are millions of people being treated safely and receiving excellent aesthetic care. You would probably be surprised how many people you know who have had an aesthetic treatment performed. It is no longer a taboo topic and people are seeing it as part of their anti-aging regimen along with skin care and facials. When performed well, the results look natural and enhance what you already have.

Get In Touch

At Andrew house Dental Practice, we have highly trained professionals who are experts in delivering top quality facial aesthetics treatments. We offer free consultations for cosmetic procedures and would love to hear from you. Just give us a call on 01732 353358 or contact us today to book an appointment.