Advice from Skin Renewal: Questions to ask your injector

What are your qualifications?

It's imperative that you only ever seek a licensed professional to perform any type of injectable procedure. Further to that, you want someone with years of experience who sees many patients a day, such as the highly skilled doctors you’ll find at Skin Renewal. Injectable aesthetic treatments aren’t just about pointing and shooting by the numbers. You want someone who understands the anatomy of the face and how treating one area will have a knock-on effect on what’s around it. This is why, at Skin Renewal, all our doctors are trained in the MD Codes method, one that takes every patient’s entire face into account.

MD Codes is changing the face of aesthetic injectables

Dr Lilliana Gilla Lulli, Skin Renewal  7 Aug 2019

What are you going to use and where?

Many people confuse Botox and fillers. For example, they’ll say: “I really want to get some Botox to plump up my lips”, not realising that that’s not what Botox® does. To put it simply, Botox® is used to relax muscles in a way that can soften the look of wrinkles. For this reason, it’s usually used in the upper part of the face to diminish forehead wrinkles and crow’s feet around the eyes. Filler, however, does exactly that. It can be used to fill static wrinkles (the kind that isn’t caused by repeated expressions) that tend to occur in the lower part of your face. It’s also your go-to if you’re wanting to restore volume or sculpt, so it’s used to plump up lips and enhance cheekbones.

The biggest trend in aesthetics is to look refreshed, not re-worked

Dr Lestonn Lawn, Skin Renewal  5 Jun 2020

What can I expect from my results?

There are lots of things that Botox® and filler can do but there are also things it can’t. It’s very important to ask your injector to explain the results that you can expect as well as how long they’re going to last. In the case of Botox®, the effects aren’t immediately visible and can take up to 10 days to fully actualise before lasting for around three to four months. So, making a Botox® appointment the day before a big event and expecting it to last a year isn’t realistic. The results of dermal fillers, however, are instant. However, some types of filler will last longer than others, depending on the type as well as the placement, so again it’s important to discuss this with your injector.

What aftercare is needed after my procedure?

Once you’ve had an injectable treatment, nothing is stopping you from going back to your daily routine but there are a few do’s and don’ts. For several hours afterwards, be prepared to avoid exercising, lying down and touching or rubbing your face. If you’ve had Botox®, you don’t want to spread the toxin around. The same goes for dermal filler. Going home to nap face downwards after you’ve just enhanced your lips might mean waking up with a look you’re not going to love. But never fear, if you’re visiting a highly-skilled injector such as those you’ll find at Skin Renewal, you’re never going to leave an appointment feeling unprepared in regards to any kind of post-procedure care.

To find out more about how injectable treatments can help you look and feel your best, visit Skin Renewal at www.skinrenewal.co.za.

Dr Lilliana Gilla Lulli obtained a BSc in human physiology and psychology from the University of Johannesburg, and an MBChB from the University of Pretoria. She has a passion for anti-ageing from the inside out and enjoys sharing knowledge and innovations with her patients. She is currently consulting from Skin Renewal’s Bedfordview, Morningside, Fourways and Illovo branches.