You Ask — We Answer
COMMON QUESTIONS
WHAT AESTHETIC TREATMENTS DO YOU PROVIDE?
I currently provide injectable dermal filler, plasma arc skin tightening, skin boosters, the Perfect Peel skin peel cosmetic treatments & consultations for fine lines & wrinkles treatment.
There are a number of different dermal filler brands available too, including:
Juvaderm®, Restylane®, Radiesse®, Teosyal® & Intraline®.
Most of these contain a local anaesthetic to numb any pain during injections, but some don't, for clients who may be allergic or sensitive to them.
Just click on the button below to have a look at the particular treatments I can provide for you:
ARE YOU TRAINED TO DO THIS?
Yes, I certainly am.
I have undergone training by the experts at Derma Medical, who are based at the Royal College of General Practitioners in London. I've been trained to provide my services safely, effectively & confidently by expert, medically-trained doctors specialising in aesthetic treatments.
I am a trained clinical independent prescriber pharmacist with over 28 years experience in NHS pharmacy practice.
Unlike untrained practitioners, my work is regulated, by the General Pharmaceutical Council.
CAN'T ANYONE CARRY OUT THIS WORK?
As with any injections like these, there are always risks of infection; damage to skin, nerves & tissue & the possibility of allergic reactions.
I am trained to minimise those risks in the first place & also to handle any problems safely, should they happen.
With the likes of beauticians, hairdressers & barbers, their lack of any effective complications training could mean you're putting your health & safety at risk. They are also not legally allowed to provide prescription-based wrinkle reduction injections (eg Botox) without a prescriber being involved, because these treatments involve the use of prescription-only medicines.
CAN YOU HELP ME WITH STARTING COSMETIC WORK MYSELF?
If you are a regulated healthcare professional, I do provide a shadowing & mentoring service to help you.
It can be difficult working as an aesthetics practitioner, particularly when you've just started after your initial training & also when you're working on your own, without the support of other practitioners around you.
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With the help of another aesthetics pharmacist prescriber, you can also sign up to a short online course designed by The Two Owls to help you with the basics of starting work in non-surgical facial aesthetics.
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Click on the links below for more information:
CAN I FIND OUT ABOUT RESEARCH WORK AFFECTING AESTHETIC TREATMENTS?
Yes- I maintain a database of aesthetics research carried out by specialists around the world & this automatically updates as new, relevant research is published.
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Click on the links below to access the research, watch chats with some of the researchers & to listen to them as podcasts:
ARE ALL AESTHETIC PRACTITIONERS THE SAME?
A few of my clients have had aesthetic work carried out previously by other practitioners.
A couple of times, I've been asked why I'm carrying out certain procedures, such as completing a medical questionnaire & consultation. This is done as a professional requirement to maintain client safety.
If other aesthetic treatment providers do not carry out/provide the following information to you, then you should be perhaps a little wary of them working on your face:
- Are they qualified & regulated as a prescribing doctor, dentist, nurse, pharmacist or paramedic to carry out your treatment?
- Can you check on their current professional registration using information they provide?
- Is a record of their professional training available for you to see?
- Do you have any way of knowing if they are insured against malpractice/public liability?
- Do they have a regularly-updated portfolio of work available, so you can see the treatments they've already carried out?
- Do they provide the service in a clean, safe clinical location with appropriate emergency treatment available, should it be needed?
- Do they provide clear, effective & reliable methods of communication, before, during & after treatment?
- Do they carry out a face-to-face clinical consultation with you before carrying out any work, for your own safety?
- Do they answer any questions you have, clearly & to your satisfaction, before the work is carried out?
- Is an aesthetic treatment report provided to you after treatment, so you have a record of what's been carried out?
- Do you know exactly which treatment product(s) are going to be injected, before the work is done?
- Can you rely on them to do what they say they're going to do?
- Are you happy with the treatment(s) they've already provided for you?
If you end up with a number of 'NOs', then you really are putting your appearance & your life in their unprofessional hands.
Ultimately, you get what you pay for, so please be careful & choose your aesthetic treatment provider carefully.
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Below is a video of a BBC X-ray investigation, with the help of the Save Face, who accredit practitioners providing non-surgical cosmetic treatments. Just be careful who you choose to work on your face.
ARE THE TREATMENTS SUITABLE FOR EVERYONE?
Treatments wouldn't be suitable if you were under the age of 18 years, or had a known allergy or sensitivity to particular products or their ingredients, including local anaesthetics.
They also wouldn't be recommended for pregnant or breast-feeding women, or for those with skin infections near the areas requiring injection.
If you're taking certain treatments which affect blood clotting, such as Aspirin, Warfarin, Clopidogrel or Omega-3 oils, you should contact me about the suitability of the treatments for you.
DO THE TREATMENTS HURT?
I use very fine needles to inject the treatments. I also use a local anaesthetic cream to numb the areas beforehand. The dermal fillers I use also contain a local anaesthetic which numbs the area as I inject.
This helps to make the treatments as comfortable as possible. Your lips are the most sensitive treated areas, so the very first injection can be a little uncomfortable. However, having spoken to our clients, they tell me that hair removal (threading) is actually more painful than having my lip shaping & volumising treatments.
WHAT ARE THE SIDE-EFFECTS OF THE TREATMENTS?
With fine lines/wrinkles treatment, there is a possibility of some slight bruising around the treated areas. This is temporary & tends to clear after a few days. There can also some slight temporary skin inflammation too.
With the dermal filler injections too, slight temporary bruising & inflammation can occur. Cold packs & Arnica cream can be used to help relieve this.
HOW LONG CAN I EXPECT THE TREATMENTS TO LAST?
Fine lines/wrinkles treatments tend to last around 3-4 months on average. The treated facial muscles will gradually start to contract again over this time.
With the dermal fillers, it depends on the type of filler, the viscosity (thickness) & the area treated. Lip treatments should last for around 5-6 months, naso-labial lines around 9-12 months & marionette lines should last around 6-9 months. As always, the treatment time can vary from one client to another.