Medi
Subtle
CHANGES Are we finally seeing the tail end of overfilled faces? Cosmetic Nurse Sheri-lee Knoop explains her considered and slow approach to injectables, and why dissolving shouldn’t become the norm.
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nyone who has worked in the Cosmetic Medical industry for the last 10 years knows that the thirst of patients to do more non-surgically has increased and that the demand has fuelled Pharmaceutical companies to develop better, more resilient and varied fillers that have been developed over the last two decades to increase our ability to fill, lift, inflate, define, soften and enhance tissues at several levels. We can now address areas of bone loss, fat loss, dermal loss, myomodulation and muscle management. We can tighten, stimulate, lighten and smooth skin. We no longer only focus on age restoration but enhancement and correction also. We used to completely freeze faces but that no longer dominates popularity. Thirty years ago, when I began, we could only fill dermal lines and relax a limited portion of the face. We were frightened of wrinkle relaxers and were worried about using it. We were yet to discover how powerful the art of wrinkle relaxer was. The average age of patients has also changed to a much lower age and wider range. Patients may enter a clinic as young as 17 years old and patients as old as in their 90s continue to have regular treatments. What else has changed? Social media arrived and a phone with a camera that not only could take a lot of photos at no cost, no film and no development, but from every possible angle. These factors have increased our awareness of our flaws and this can be helpful and hindering in my opinion.
“That means small amounts of work only where necessary to restore ageing or enhance the patient’s present situation, not changing all aspects of the face at once because we can.”
From ‘overdone’ to the ‘makeunder’ Patients are much more critical of themselves than ever before due to a heightened sense of awareness propelled 96 | SPA+CLINIC
by social media and comparing themselves to others online that may include filtered pictures that are unrealistic. This has increased the search for more and more treatments resulting in overdone and distorted faces. Having these faces out there in the community, however, has also scared a large proportion of potential patients away from seeking treatments as they don’t want to look “done”, unnatural or overdone. The ‘makeunder’ has been born from this. That means small amounts of work only where necessary to restore ageing or enhance the patient’s present situation, not changing all aspects of the face at once because we can. It is the practitioner’s role and duty to fully inform the patient seeking treatment. This includes assessment of the face and ensuring all treatments are conducted safely and considering facial harmony. All faces are unique. They are genetically unique even within families. This uniqueness should be respected as nature intended. Facial harmony is important so that all aspects of the face remain in balance. It is important to fully discuss treatment plans with the patient so they are clear what can be done vs what should be done to suit their facial features. We should never just simply deliver what a patient asks for without considering if the outcome will suit them, enhance them or be in their interests.
