Are you considering facial fillers, also known as dermal fillers?
The results you get from filler aren’t determined simply by the product being injected. Good treatment starts with careful assessment, an understanding of your facial structure and a realistic idea of what filler can and can’t achieve.
The amount used matters too. More filler doesn’t necessarily mean a better result.
Here are seven things to consider to ensure your treatment looks natural and works well with your existing features.
1. Choose an experienced, appropriately qualified practitioner
Who performs your treatment should be central to your decision.
Dermal fillers can be used to restore volume, add definition, soften the appearance of certain lines or improve the balance between different facial features. Achieving a natural-looking result requires more than knowing where to inject.
Your practitioner needs a detailed understanding of facial anatomy, the properties of different filler products and how relatively small changes in one area can affect the appearance of the face as a whole.
Before choosing someone to perform your treatment, ask about their qualifications, training and experience, as well as how frequently they carry out the procedure you’re considering.
The NHS recommends checking a practitioner’s qualifications, training and experience, and asking about the product they use, potential complications and what happens if something goes wrong.
At Medikaur, injectable treatments are carried out by Jane Paterson, an Advanced Nurse Practitioner who has more than 20 years’ experience in aesthetics and is also a trainer and mentor to other practitioners.
Her approach to dermal filler is deliberately considered. Rather than trying to change the character of your face or treating every line, the aim is to use filler where it can make a worthwhile difference while keeping the result in proportion with your existing features.
2. Be clear about what you’d like to change
You don’t need to know which filler you need or how many syringes you want before your consultation.
In fact, it’s often more helpful to describe what you’ve noticed and how you’d like to look.
Perhaps your face looks more tired than you feel. Maybe your jawline doesn’t seem as defined as it once did, you’ve noticed a loss of volume through the mid-face, or there’s a particular feature you’ve always felt is slightly out of balance.
These observations give Jane a much better starting point than asking for a particular product or quantity of filler.
She can then assess your face as a whole and talk to you about what might realistically make a difference.
3. Be open to a different treatment plan
The area you’ve noticed isn’t necessarily the area that should be injected.
Facial ageing involves changes in the skin and in the structures beneath it. Loss of volume or support in one area can influence the appearance of another, which is why simply putting filler directly into a line isn’t always the most appropriate approach.
There will also be occasions when dermal filler isn’t the best treatment for what you want to achieve.
A good consultation should therefore be a conversation rather than an order for a particular procedure. Jane will explain what she thinks could make a worthwhile difference, what the limitations are and whether there are other options you might want to consider.
Sometimes, the right recommendation may be not to treat an area at all.
4. Don’t assume more filler means a better result
It’s easy to think that if one syringe produces an improvement, adding more will produce an even better one.
Faces don’t work like that.
The amount of filler that’s appropriate depends on your facial structure, the area being treated, the product being used and the result you want to achieve.
Adding too much volume can alter facial proportions and eventually work against the natural-looking result you were hoping for.
At Medikaur, Jane takes a conservative approach to dosing and placement. If you’re looking for a more significant change, it may sometimes be more appropriate to build towards it gradually rather than trying to achieve everything in one appointment.
This also gives you time to see how you feel about each stage of the result.
5. Follow the aftercare advice you’re given
Your treatment doesn’t finish when you leave the clinic.
You may experience some redness, swelling, tenderness or bruising around the injection sites afterwards. What you experience and how long it lasts can vary according to the area treated, the product used and your individual response.
Jane will give you specific aftercare advice based on your treatment. This may include temporarily avoiding certain activities, products or treatments.
Follow the instructions you’re given rather than relying on generic filler aftercare advice you’ve found online. Recommendations can vary depending on exactly what you’ve had done.
You’ll also be told what to look out for and how to contact the clinic if you’re concerned about anything following treatment.
6. Give the result time to settle
Try not to judge your final result immediately after treatment.
Swelling and bruising can temporarily change how an area looks, particularly after treatment in areas such as the lips.
It can be tempting to scrutinise your face straight away and decide that you need a little more filler somewhere. Give your face the appropriate time to settle first.
Jane will tell you what to expect from your particular treatment and when it is appropriate to assess the result.
If something concerns you in the meantime, contact the clinic rather than waiting for a review appointment or trying to manage the problem yourself.
7. Review the result before deciding you need more
Dermal fillers are temporary, but that doesn’t mean they need to be topped up according to a fixed timetable.
How long the result lasts varies according to factors including the product used, the area treated and the individual.
Rather than assuming you need another treatment after a set number of months, look at how your result has settled and whether you’re still happy with it.
A review also gives Jane the opportunity to assess the result and advise whether any further treatment is appropriate.
Sometimes maintaining a natural-looking result means knowing when not to add more.
Getting facial filler results that still look like you
For many people considering dermal fillers, the goal isn’t to look dramatically different. They simply want to feel that what they see in the mirror better reflects how they feel.
Achieving that kind of result is less about chasing individual lines and more about good assessment, appropriate product selection, careful placement and knowing how much is enough.
At Medikaur, your treatment begins with a consultation. Jane will listen to what you’d like to change, assess your facial structure and explain what she thinks could realistically be achieved.
You don’t have to arrive knowing what treatment you need.
