An Easy Guide to Aftercare Dos and Don’ts of Injectable Treatments (And How Worried You Should Be!)
I’m always fascinated when I speak to patients from different clinicians. We seem give different aftercare advice, to be worried about different things, and it always seems to be so inconsistent!
There are some things we warn about, but that are actually quite low risk. There are other things we warn about, that should very much be paid attention to!
So here is your handy aftercare guide to the dos and don’ts after injectables.
There have been a number of articles and social media posts linking fillers and cancer in the headlines, which I find both misleading and incredibly irresponsible.
Not only is it potentially scaring and upsetting people for clicks and likes, it also contributes to this overall trend we see of science misinformation and a lack of interest in critical appraisal or nuance, because that’s what gets people riled up on social media.
The first thing I always explain to my patients at a Botox appointment is that while its effects are temporary, it is not reversibile, which is why careful placement and an experienced medical clinician is very important to minimise the risk of complications. Historically, we’ve never been able to reverse the effects of Botox, unlike filler - which can be dissolved.
However, a new drug ReViVox, may soon change all that, and make Botox reversible in the future!
Another brand new toxin has hit the market in the UK! You’re going to be hearing a lot about Nuceiva in the coming months, the “Newtox” in town.
First of all, it is not an entirely new entity. Nuceiva [probotulinumotxinA] has been used since 2019 in the United States, where it is marketed by Evolus under the name Jeuveau.
So what should you know about Nuceiva?
Another brand new toxin is about to hit the market! We have covered Alluzience and Letybo in two recent articles, and now US company Revance has announced FDA approval of its brand new daxibotulinumtoxinA, known as Daxxify.
So what should you know about Daxxify?
2022 seems to be the year of new botulinum toxin innovations! You might have been hearing some buzz in the UK about a new toxin approved for the market, Letybo (also known as Letibotulinumtoxin A), from Croma-Pharma.
So what should you know about Letybo?
There are a few very basic things you should expect from your injectables appointment.
This is why I am often surprised and even baffled when I hear that patients who have seen other practitioners have not been consented properly, have not been offered reviews, or have had their faces dissected and told they “need” XYZ treatment at quite a cost.
Don’t get me wrong. A clinician needs to be honest about what is achievable within your budget for a result that you have said you have wanted to achieve. That’s different from unsolicited critiques of any small asymmetry.
To that end, there is the Aesthetics Guide to the basics of what you should expect from your medical aesthetics injectable appointment.
It’s not every day you see a potential innovation in the world of botulinum toxin!
So what is Alluzience?
Alluzience is a brand new botulinum toxin type A first announced in summer 2021 - soon to be launched by Galderma (the company behind Azzalure) in the EU. It represents an exciting innovation with a quicker onset and longer duration than other toxin brands out there.
Let’s find out more.
While the idea of a liquid or “lunchtime” boob-job may sound appealing on the surface, getting filler in your breasts is not recommended by most ethical clinicians.
Why?
Well, not only is it a procedure that was rapidly withdrawn from the market over a decade ago, it was never supported with much safety data, there were various complications and risks that went with it, and it makes breast cancer screening almost impossible!
It comes as no surprise to hear that cosmetic medicine and psychology are interconnected, and that medical aesthetic treatments have the ability to have a dramatic effect - both positive and negative - on our mental health.
While a lot of the focus in this area is around serious issues like body dysmorphia, which highlights the importance of always going to an ethical medical professional who has the competence of diagnose and manage complex health issues - it is also worthwhile looking at the positive mental health effects this treatment can have.
One of the areas that I find the most fascinating is the role that Botox treatments have in depression. Early research is strongly indicating that Botox improves the symptoms of depression! So what do the studies show, and how does this work?
For the longest time Botox has dominated the aesthetics market when it comes to botulinum toxin - so much so that its name is ubiquitous and basically synonymous with the treatment. But there are other brands out there, and for the longest time there have been three main ones competing.
However, the past year has seen a plethora of new brands. The different brand names and characteristics become confusing to both patients and clinicians, so we are going to set things straight. Most importantly, for safety reasons it is vital to know which products are licensed for use here in the UK, and how to recognise you are getting illegal or counterfeit products injected.