With aesthetics treatments becoming more common in today’s culture, it opens up the conversation for more misconceptions and myths surrounding a treatment that is actually incredibly beneficial. I hear these misconceptions in my practice every day and I see a lot of incredibly false and misleading information surrounding fillers on social media. As a Board Certified Nurse Practitioner and Aesthetic Injector with my own training academy, The RA Way and being a national trainer for Allergan and Galderma it is my responsibility and passion to educate on all aspects of the industry. I strive to constantly provide resourceful education to my patients and other fellow providers in the industry, while also always pouring into my own personal education. I would never want a patient to be talked out of a treatment they were hoping to receive because of misinformation they were given by a friend or seen in the media.
So let’s dive into dermal fillers and debunk some of the common misconceptions I hear surrounding fillers like; filler lasts forever, filler will make me look fake, anyone can inject filler, if I don’t stay up with my filler I will look worse, etc!
What Are Dermal Fillers?
Dermal fillers are an injectable hyaluronic acid, injected into the face to help with volume restoration and to fill facial wrinkles. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring carbohydrate in the body not only is it very safe but it’s also completely reversible! When injectables are done tastefully you will not look “overdone” or “plastic” you will look like you! The goal is to look at the face as whole and make you look and feel beautiful!
Filler can be used to add contour in the cheeks, fill in hollow under-eyes, or add shape and definition to the lips. Dermal fillers can be placed in the lips, cheeks, under eyes, temples, jaw line, smile lines and even in the ear lobes.
The myth surrounding filler that once it is injected the substance will stay in your face forever is not true. Filler will gradually break down and dissipate and dissolve over time. Depending on the location of your dermal filler injection, your body’s metabolism, lifestyle, the longevity of your filler will vary. It is important to manage your filler wisely. Consistency is key. Stick with the same trusted provider who understands your goals and works with you to achieve natural, long-term results. Building a relationship with your provider ensures they have a comprehensive understanding of your facial structure, preferences, desired outcomes and long term goals. Trusting in your provider through this build relationship is so vital. Do you hop around to different cardiologists? Would you tell your cardiologist “I think I only want to take 25mg of my beta blocker and not take the recommended dose and trust their expertise? The same rules apply to aesthetic medicine!
Are All Fillers The Same?
All fillers are NOT created equal. When it comes to filler, there are a bunch of fancy scientific words like “rheology”,“g-prime” and “cross-linking” to describe filler. Rheology refers to the flow of matter and G-Prime refers to elasticity/firmness and how much does the filler stretch. Cross linking refers to how the Hyaluronic acid particles are “woven” together. The properties of every filler are different and designed to be used in different portions of your face. Some fillers are firm and designed to mimic bone, while others are softer and more flexible to “move with your face”. Some fillers have more “stretch” while others stick together more. This is a beautiful thing because it allows providers to deliver natural facial results. Thus, if you are trying to restore your cheek bone structure and lips, we wouldn’t use the same filler because the properties of each filler are so different. We want structure and firmness on the cheek bone and softness in the lips! And let me tell you this, just because your mom, sister, or friend got one type of filler, doesn’t mean that is what is best for your facial needs. As the expert provider, we have a variety of tools in our toolbox of filler, to provide you with the most natural looking results that are best for you! Your provider should take into deep consideration what product is best for your facial balancing needs.
Picking Your Aesthetic Provider
Not just any doctor, nurse practitioner, physician’s assistant, nurse or dentist can inject filler or Botox. My first and biggest advice to you is, do your research on the provider you are going to. A great provider will be able to assess you and tell you what you need and where. A great provider will select the perfect filler for you and your needs depending upon your anatomy and goals. A great provider will educate you but also find comfort in the fact that you do not need to know every detail. That is what we are here for. Align with an amazing provider who has excellent training and in them you can trust. All of the nurse injectors at Racquel Aesthetics are highly trained, skilled and incredible providers. They have poured their hearts and brains into always being the best provider possible and never stop learning and educating themselves.
Not only do we want the care at Racquel Aesthetics to be of the highest quality, we focus on results, evidence based practice, safety and take a very personalized and individualized approach with each of our patients. Treating patients with injectables is the furthest thing from “easy” when it comes to all of the knowledge, constant learning and development. Anatomy, safety, dosing, facial vasculature and patient goals are just a few of the BIG important components that go into a patient assessment and treatment. As our mission states, our approach is not “cookie cutter”. We take a “less is more” approach to aesthetics as we develop individualized integrated treatment plans focused on results. We also all focus on full facial balancing to make sure you have harmonization over volumization. Our advanced, innovative treatments are performed by highly certified nurse practitioners and registered nurses.
As our industry continues to grow, both providers and patients are becoming more selective. As a provider, I always give my best possible recommendations in relation to what is safe and effective. There are times when a patient wants me to do something I know is unrealistic, unsafe, or will result in a poor outcome. In those situations it is OK to say “I don’t think I can make you happy.” My ethical code is to do no harm. It is worth taking the time to find a provider who will align with your aesthetic. For me, that means natural results geared for full facial balancing and harmony!
Maintenance Of Filler
So many people think that if you get filler once it’s going to “stretch” your skin and after a while it is going to make you look older and more wrinkled! Let me tell you, that is NOT true. The truth is though, good filler and lasting results are best maintained over time. That doesn’t mean that once you get filler, you always have to get it, but to keep your filler looking good and fresh, it’s best to get yearly “maintenance”! Let’s compare managing and maintaining your filler to your hair or teeth. If you never colored your hair again, it will grow out and go back to baseline. If you stop whitening your teeth, they will go back to baseline. Once you get filler, your eye starts to remember how you look and feel with it and you forget about the volume and sagging that you may have had before. Your results with filler become your eye’s baseline. And let’s remember no one’s biological clocks are turning back in time, that is why maintenance is so essential to keep you looking radiant and youthful.
Will I Look Fake?
With the right injector and approach I promise you, you will not look fake! That is one thing we pride ourselves on at Racquel Aesthetics. We take the “less is more approach”. The industry doesn’t highlight enough on the importance of a more global approach to the face versus just one feature. I believe this is where people start to get the misconception of looking fake. Where features are unbalanced or over done. Hence, why we love “Full Facial Balancing” at Racquel Aesthetics. This method takes all of your facial features into account when making decisions on treatment plans or adjustments and allows your injector to maintain the integrity of the features that make you, YOU. The goal is to enhance symmetry and balance your facial features from top to bottom.
In my practice, this all begins with what I call a global assessment. I assess the face from top to bottom and give recommendations to address everything from temple hollowing, under eye hollowing, mid face volume loss, pre-auricular volume depletion, deepening of the pyriform, folds, shrinking lips, recessed or weak chin and chin shadows, undefined jawline, etc. Not everyone will need every area. It is 100% customized to each individual’s anatomy and facial features. Even though that may sound like a lot of areas or a lot of filler, it is not. When we are sprinkling little amounts in all of the areas that need attention versus just overpowering one small feature, the face overall looks much more balanced and your work looks extremely natural and undetectable.
The important thing to understand is that a great injector has the knowledge and experience to understand what you are wanting corrected and the correct way to treat that particular area. For example, you may think you have “hollow undereyes” and you may want filler there to correct it. After my assessment I may realize that yes you can use a little filler under your eyes, but you also need to support the C curve of the cheek, as well as support the tail of the brow in the temples in order to achieve the most beautiful result. Another example is someone wanting lip filler. If they have a very recessed or “weak” chin and deep folds or sunken pyriform, I know that in order to give them lips that look balanced on their face I need to address the entire perioral region to create that harmonized result. If you only do the lips you end up with ducky lips that do not suit your face.
Think of your face in three parts: the upper third, middle third, and lower third. If we only correct one of those areas you are left unbalanced. Now the lower face may look great, but what about your upper or middle face? Shouldn’t those areas look great too? We should aim to treat your face as a whole and correct any areas that need a little balancing. Little sprinkles all over to create one beautiful face from every angle. This is where we separate “good” from “great” injectors.
What If I Don’t Like My Results
In the event you are not satisfied with the results of your hyaluronic acid filler, or in the unlikely situation of a complication, we can always dissolve filler with a specific enzyme called Hyaluronidase. Hyaluronidase breaks down hyaluronic acid and can be used to reverse the effects of the dermal filler injection. One thing that sets Racquel Aesthetics apart is that we use advanced technology of Mindray Ultrasound for our dermal filler injections. Using this incredible technology, our team of injectors can precisely image our patients’ anatomy, as well as image old filler located under the face. With Mindray technology we can identify the exact location of the filler and precisely dissolve if necessary. This is a very important aspect of choosing an advanced aesthetic provider who has this device. Read more about Mindray Ultrasound Here
Ready To Get Your Treatment Scheduled?
I hope educating you has made you feel more educated and hopefully excited to book a treatment for yourself! At Racquel Aesthetics both myself and my injectors are ready to help you! The first step is to email my amazing patient coordinator Lea Voda. Lea will get you information and ask for photos. Once I review your photos, Lea will give you my full recommendations for full facial balancing as well as any other rejuvenation treatments like lasers or skincare that I think will benefit you. This does not mean you have to commit to everything on your first visit, but I like you to have a fundamental understanding of what can be done to help you achieve your goals. It is nice to have a reference list to work towards. I do this complimentary for patients who want to come see me in the office. My injectors and I take local patients and we also have patients fly in from all over the country to see us. If you do not plan to see my team or I for treatment, I cannot give you treatment recommendations because I am unsure of your injectors skill level or product selection. If you would like a facial assessment please email Lea at Lea@RacquelAesthetics.com
XO-
Racquel
