At the Cosmetic Facial Clinic every client has an initial consultation, which includes a full medical history, facial analysis and a discussion of which treatment(s) would be most suitable. The risks and side effects associated with the treatment will be fully explained. This consultation takes approximately 30 minutes.
Paul Kirkland will ensure that you fully understand what your treatment involves and discuss any concerns that you may have. He will discuss with you the nature of the treatment, the recovery period and give you realistic advice about the results that can be achieved.
In most cases, the non surgical treatment can be carried out at this initial visit.
Before and after photographs will be taken to demonstrate the outcome.
Please complete the medical history form a and bring this to your appointment, along with the consent form which you can sign at the end of the consultation if necessary.
Most non-surgical treatments are quick and relatively pain-free, allowing the client to continue with their daily routine immediately afterwards. Please refer to individual treatments for more details and pre/aftercare advice.
Non-surgical treatments are offered at all of the Cosmetic Facial Clinic locations.
The consultation fee is waived if treatment takes place at the first visit.
Introducing Botox
- What is Botox?
- Am I suitable for Botox?
- Is Botox safe?
- What areas of the face can be treated with Botox?
- How should I prepare for my Botox treatment?
- What can I expect at my Botox treatment?
- How quickly does it take effect and how long do the effects last?
- What are the risks and side effects?
- Aftercare
What is Botox?
Botox is derived from Botulinium toxin which is used to relax muscles
and reduce
lines and wrinkles. It works by preventing the release of a chemical
between the
nerve ending and muscle thereby reducing muscle contraction.
Am I suitable for Botox?
Not everyone is suitable for Botox. You should avoid Botox if you
are pregnant,
breastfeeding or have a history of neuromuscular disorders eg Myasthenia
gravis.
At your consultation Paul Kirkland will take a full medical history
and advise you
which treatment he feels would be best to address the concerns that
you have.
He will also discuss with you the risks and benefits associated with
any treatment.
It is important to note that Paul Kirkland will not perform cosmetic
procedure unless he feels the benefits greatly outweigh any risks and
that your expectations are realistic.
Is Botox safe?
Botox has been used extensively for both medical and cosmetic procedures
for
over 30 years.
What areas of the face can be treated with Botox?
The commonest areas which are treated with botox are the forehead and around the eyes. These include frown lines and crows feet.
Botox can also be used to reverse downturning of the corners of the
mouth and
webbing of the neck (platysmal glands).
How should I prepare for my Botox treatment?
It is advisable to avoid aspirin and anti inflammatory drugs eg ibuprofen for 1 week prior to the procedure.
You are advised to avoid alcohol for 24 hours before the procedure.
What can I expect at my Botox treatment?
You will be asked to make specific facial expressions, so that the
muscles to be
treated can be identified.
Your skin will be cleaned and using a small needle, Botox will be
injected directly
into the muscles.
The treatment usually takes 5-10 minutes, depending on the number of areas treated. This is not a painful procedure and is very similar to having acupuncture. Therefore, local anaesthetic is not usually required.
How quickly does it take effect and how long do the effects last?
The Botox can start to work after 2 days and the full effect can be seen after 14 days.
In most individuals, the effects typically last 3-4 months. After
several courses
of Botox the duration between treatments tends to increase.
What are the risks and side effects?
The risks are very uncommon with Botox and most clients can return to work immediately after the treatment.
Mild redness, swelling and bruising may occur, but usually only lasts a few days. If this occurs it can be concealed with make-up and treated with ice and/or arnica cream.
If you experience a headache or discomfort after the procedure, we would recommend that you take paracetamol (but avoid aspirin and anti-inflammatory drugs eg ibuprofen).
Aftercare
Please refer to the Post Treatment section for aftercare advice.
Introducing Dermal Fillers
- What are Dermal Fillers?
- What areas of the face can be treated with Dermal Fillers?
- How should I prepare for my Dermal Filler treatment?
- What can I expect at my Treatment?
- How quickly does it take effect and how long do the effects last?
- What are the risks and side effects?
- Aftercare
What are Dermal Fillers?
Dermal Fillers are used to smooth away lines and replace volume loss. At the Cosmetic Facial Clinic we use Restylane (produced by QMED) and Juviderm Ultra (produced by Allergan). Both are made of hyaluronic acid (HA) a natural substance found in the skin and body which diminishes as part of the natural ageing process, causing dry, loose skin and reduced fullness of the face.
What areas of the face can be treated?
The commonest area is the nose to mouth lines (nasolabial folds).
Fillers can also treat lines around the mouth including the upper lip.
They can also be used to enhance/augment the lips (lip enhancement) and also sculpt the cheeks (cheek sculpting) and reduce the bags under eyes (tear trough).
How should I prepare?
It is advisable to avoid aspirin and anti inflammatory drugs eg ibuprofen for 1 week prior to the procedure.
You are advised to avoid alcohol for 24 hours before the procedure.
What can I expect at my treatment?
Most dermal fillers contain a local anaesthetic, which is injected at the same time as the dermal filler. However, sometimes a separate local anaesthetic cream or injection is required.
Your skin will be cleaned and the dermal filler is injected into the
skin. The average
treatment time is 15 minutes but it does depend on the size and number
of areas you are having treated.
How quickly does it take effect and how long do the effects last?
The effects are immediate and usually last 6-12 months.
What are the risks and side effects?
The risks are very uncommon with dermal fillers and most clients can return to work immediately after the treatment.
Mild redness, swelling and bruising may occur, but usually only lasts
a few days.
If this occurs it can be concealed with make-up and treated with arnica
cream.
If you experience any discomfort we would recommend that you take
paracetamol
(but avoid aspirin and anti-inflammatory drugs eg ibuprofen).
Aftercare
Please refer to the Post Treatment section for aftercare advice.
As part of the natural ageing process we tend to lose volume in the lips, particularly the upper lip. Fullness of the upper lips is considered to be sensuous. Lip enhancement with dermal fillers is used to increase the volume and fullness of thin-looking lips and to reduce the fine lines.
An anaesthetic injection or cream is used to numb the lips prior to the procedure.
If you are prone to cold sores around the mouth, please ask your GP
to prescribe
zovirax tablets to be taken just before and for a few days after this
procedure.
Due to the anatomy of the lip, swelling following lip treatment can
sometimes be
significant and take up to 14 days to settle. During this time the
lips may appear to
be slightly uneven. The result directly following the treatment should
not be seen
as the final result and two weeks should be left to judge this.
After the treatment a cool pack can be applied to soothe the lips and help reduce swelling.
For more information on lip treatment please refer to the Dermal Fillers section.
Cheek sculpting is used to create high cheek bones in patients who
may have lost
volume as part of the ageing process or who wish to have better defined
and fuller cheeks.
At the Cosmetic Facial Clinic cheek sculpting involves the injection of the dermal filler Sub Q into the cheek region.
Local anaesthesia can be achieved with either an injection or cream.
For more information on Cheek Sculpting please refer to the Dermal Fillers section.
One tell-tale sign of ageing is dark hollows under the eyes. Called
‘tear troughs’,
they result in a tired appearance which can make you look older than
you feel.
By injecting a dermal filler using a local anaesthetic cream, these depressions can be significantly reduced.
For more information on Tear Trough please refer to the Dermal Fillers section.
