Have you heard of the expression the whole is greater than the sum of the parts?
This is the key to optimising the success of facial aesthetic treatments. By combining skin resurfacing and rejuvenation treatments with injectables to reduce lines and to replace lost volume, it is possible to achieve multiple benefits.
Research has shown that wound healing is enhanced by using Botox and similar products to reduce muscle movement in the site of surgical incisions or tissue trauma. By reducing muscle movement the edges of the skin are able to unite without being pulled by the surrounding muscle, resulting in reduced scarring. Even after the initial healing process, facial scars can still be improved by injecting Botox.
Botox and other muscle relaxants can also be used to enhance the results of laser skin resurfacing, by protecting the new collagen from being pinched by the muscles, improving the overall result & longevity. In the treatment of deep frown lines or lipstick lines with dermal fillers, the concurrent use of muscle relaxing injections protects the filler, providing longer lasting results.
Light hyaluronic acid dermal fillers are used superficially in the upper layers of the skin to treat individual lines, whereas volumising fillers and tear trough fillers are placed deep down immediately above the bone and under the muscle. Botulinum toxin type A such as Botox and Azzalure, is used to relax the muscles on a temporary basis.
Timing of combined treatment protocols is very important, the practitioners will need to develop a joint treatment plan to ensure safety & efficacy. Certain treatments are contraindicated for concurrent use e.g. Profhilo (concentrated hyaluronic acid) and radiofrequency based treatments.
If you think of the face in 4 D, specific treatments are designed to work at different depths, in different planes of the skin. HIFU (high intensity focused ultra sound) based treatments target the SMAS layer, a protective fibrous coating of the muscle and blood vessels, below the skin. By tightening the SMAS, HIFU has a skin lifting effect – rather like pulling the ground sheet taught, providing a basis for treatment of the more superficial layers. In practice I have found HIFU a great way to prepare the skin around the neck and jawline before using collagen stimulating treatments such as Radiesse or the hyaluronic acid based treatment of skin laxity (Profhilo). The field of Aesthetics is increasingly recognising the need for a multifaceted approach, incorporating the muscles – to achieve lift or reduce movement lines, as well as correcting volume loss to improve facial contours. This multilayered, small step by step approach to treatment plans enables the patient and practitioner to work together to achieve natural looking, refreshed results.
Timing and the sequence of treatments is important as the examples below demonstrate:-
Skin rejuvenation of the backs of the hands:- Step 1 skin resurfacing techniques to treat age spots, step 2 injectable treatments e.g. Profhilo or Radiesse to replace lost volume and improve tissue texture and elasticity.
Lifting of jowls and tightening of jawline:- Step 1 Nefertiti lift by relaxing downward pulling muscles, step 2 Hifu to tightening the SMAS, step 3 Profhilo or Teoysal Redensity 1 to treat skin laxity and improve texture in the neck, Radiesse to contour the jawline and lower face, stimulating long lasting collagen formation.
If you have an important occasion later in the year, we will help you plan ahead and design a treatment plan to meet your individual needs, and help you look your best. For more information contact your nearest Yorkshire Aesthetics Clinic and book in for a free consultation with one of our nurse practitioners.