There’s no denying we live in a time when there is enormous pressure to look good. Synonymous with the word “good” is the word “attractive” and “young”. Or young-er. To that end, from a young age, we feel pressure to look a certain way, dress a certain way and sometimes, to have attributes that nature hasn’t given us- luscious lips, cheekbones, for example. Some injectors have a niche market on this- the “doll makers” with their high end, boutique patients, some of whom want to look like a Kardashian, a Jenner or a Jolie. That’s not my goal, nor my aim. Have you seen me? The way I look and dress? So what do I stand for? How am I different? Not better, just different? When I see you, I want to look for natural assets and attribute I can enhance, or maximise. And if you are beginning to show signs of ageing, I want to help you minimise those but in a healthy “still you” way. And here, for many patients, lies the problem. How are we to know what that is, when we are bombarded by what it isn’t? I get patients coming to see me, wanting to be “completely frozen” by anti wrinkle treatments. They want frozen foreheads, frozen crows feet, frozen frowns. The result? A frozen face. Worse still, with age and continued freezing what happens is that the muscles that are frozen, are compensated for by other muscles that still move and create furrows- the bunny lines and other wrinkles. At best, it looks strange. At worst? Not such a good treatment. If it’s underdone, it can be topped up; if overdone, there’s nothing to do but wait till it wears off in 3-4 months. So let me ask you this: what ages you- Wrinkles? Lines? Volume? Who looks older? Why? To a degree, subtle use of anti wrinkle treatment for lines and wrinkles work well- they give the face a refreshed look, a brightness and an openness. So what ages us? I get patients asking for “filler” or “wrinkle treatment”. Sometimes they dislike an aspect of their face that bugs them that they want fixed. As with my other clinical work, I try and find out what is truly bothering them: What these patients are describing, is Volume loss by the time you reach this point, a significant volume of fillers is needed to replace the loss. To minimise or reverse the eye bags; the tired face; the wrinkles due to loss of Volume amd the sagging jowls. Not 1ml, or 2mls. But 4-8mls. It’s expensive, and it requires maintenance every 6-12 months. BUT the longer you leave it, the more you’ll need. So with my patients, a consultation is about assessing how realistic their expectations and costs are. How motivated they are to have ongoing maintenance. And if they are willing, we break it down- 2 mls in one go, 3-4 mls if they can afford it. Then we review in 6-8 weeks. Some of my patients deposit money into my account weekly as credit towards their treatment to avoid credit, interest etc. It has to begin with suitable knowledge, and a plan. So, when you look in the mirror? What ages you? When you’re younger, likely the lines. In your 30s and up, almost certainly volume loss +/- lines. My advice? Seek an opinion from a qualified injector, who understands anatomy, and the natural ageing process. Someone who isn’t afraid to tell you what you need, and scare you away with the cost, but who’ll explain to you what you’ll need to budget for, for good results and for maintenance. Understand that you are investing in your skin, the largest organ in your body, your lifelong companion and that it’s never too late to start, as long as you plan to keep going. Want to discuss it further with me? Book here for a consultation to discuss your expectations, budget and cost for you. Hope to see you in a clinic soon! Any questions? email us at contact@skinessentials.com.au

I often get people coming in and asking for filler, afraid it’ll change the way they look, or be too obvious. Most of the time, they underestimate how much they need; occasionally, I get caught out too. Most people don’t want to look like The Real Housewives of Sydney. They don’t want to look fake, fat or like they’ve had filler or botox. They simply want to look like the best possible version of themselves. To these people, I always say, that filler, if done well, is almost unnoticeable. The change is gradual and subtle. Likewise anti wrinkle treatment. YOU know something has happened, but the results are subtle, and usually, due to the cost involved for most people, gradual. Rather than going for what’s cheapest, possibly to regret it, I suggest budgeting for what’s better, if more expensive. There’s a reason why chain clinics are cheap. So, let’s look at some examples of cheek fillers, and how they work to help with many “problem” areas on the face- eyebags; nasolabial folds and marionette lines; jowls. Here, this lady had 1ml to each of her cheeks and cheekbone area in total as well as in her tear trough area, with significant improvement in her downturned mouth as well as nasolabial folds/lines. With age and further fat loss in the cheeks and around the jaw near the angle of the jaw, skin pools around the jaw, giving a jowled appearance. As may be apparent by now, many signs of ageing are related to loss of volume from the midface so correction necessarily begins with replacement of this volume with fillers in this area first. And filler is never wasted- the 1-2mls you spend money on, even if results aren’t striking, goes to form the base for further filler that will effect a change, and last anywhere from 9-12 months or more, depending on thickness and where it is used. So it’s money well spent, and an investment. Want to know more? Get in touch, make an appointment and let’s set up a treatment plan for you with Dr Joshi.