During an initial consultation, your practitioner will allocate anywhere between 30-60 minutes to thoroughly go through your concerns and aesthetic wishes. They will also assess the layers of your face (from the skin all the way down to the bone) and suggest recommendations specific to your anatomy. They may use devices such as a skin scanner or 3D camera to get further objective details of skin quality and areas of volume loss. These images can then be referred back to after you have had treatments to see how much improvement has happened. After the analysis, the next steps are to agree on ‘priority’ areas of treatment and allocate a time scale to how many sessions are required over how long to ensure your goals are met. It is important that your expectations are addressed to avoid disappointment on both sides. The final thing that needs to be agreed on is a budget.

What to Expect During Your Initial Consultation

Surveys suggest patients worry about three main areas when considering treatment: pain, price, and looking ‘fake’ or ‘overdone’. When addressing how painful treatments will be, it is important to ensure that the patient is aware that the Teoxane portfolio has anesthetic in it to make the procedure as comfortable as possible. There are also a number of additional methods to make the procedure easier involving topical anesthetic cream, injectable anesthetic, vibration devices, ice, and relaxing sound frequencies. We are very good at ensuring patient comfort – however, there is significant variation in pain thresholds for different people – so please let your practitioner know if you are particularly worried (e.g., scared of needles!).

Addressing Common Concerns and Misconceptions

The fear of looking fake and over-treated literally has very little to do with the product used – it is almost solely down to the practitioner. They should have an adequate knowledge of product rheology (the science that looks into the structure of the filler and how it responds to movements in the face), anatomy (to ensure products are placed in the layers best suited for them) and how much filler to use. They should also employ a less-is-more approach if they want to maintain a natural appearance – especially on movement of the face.

When discussing price, it is best to be honest about what your maximum allocated budget is with your practitioner. This way they can recommend treatments or packages that will get you the most out of your budget and spread out treatments if needed according to your requirements.

Other commonly reported concerns are the downtime required following treatment and whether any time off work will be required. For the vast majority of patients, they will have little-to-no downtime – however, this depends on the technique used and often the experience of the practitioner. The patient should be aware that there is always a risk of bleeding, bruising, and swelling when a needle enters the skin and should be prepared to accommodate this in their schedule.

How Long Results Last and Maintenance Treatments

Results usually last anywhere between 6-18 months depending on what product you have had placed in which area. For example, a skin booster treatment will usually last approximately 6 months, however deep volume replacement in the cheeks or chin can last up to 18 months. Also, the breakdown of the product is gradual over that time period – you will not just wake up one day with all the filler having just disappeared. Another common question is ‘will I look worse afterward compared to if I had no filler?’, the answer is no. What happens is that you will return to your baseline as it was prior to treatment – taking into account that time will have passed and you will have aged a little more since that treatment !

Overcoming Men's Concerns with Aesthetic Treatments

In addition to the above, common concerns men have when starting aesthetic treatments are that they will look ‘done’ and/or look feminized. They want treatments that make them look more youthful but are completely natural and ‘under the radar’. They want to look fresh and well-rested but do not necessarily want their work colleagues and social circle to be aware they are having treatments. They want an enhancement of their masculine features with no feminization. This usually involves the creation of a crisp, defined jawline with a strong chin and cheekbones. Some support under the eyes may also be necessary to help with the appearance of fatigue. It is important to address their concerns and reassure them with your knowledge of anatomy and prior experience treating men.

Dr. Kam Lally

Aesthetic Doctor

UK

Dr. Kam Lally is an experienced Aesthetic Doctor and the National Aesthetic Medicine Lead for the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), known for his attention to detail and effective communication.