6 Facts to Know About Injectables
Everyone wants to look younger, healthier, and more vibrant. But no one wants to look like they have had work done.
Sometimes you will see someone out a restaurant and you can’t but help pointing out to your significant other that there is a lady with cheeks exactly like maleficent. Here at Millefiori I believe in the less is more approach to injectables.
Luckily as technology has improved over the years there have also been huge advances in the cosmetic industry. From Botox to the new fat dissolver Kybella and extra smooth long-lasting filler like Vollure.
I personally feel like an artist while being able to achieve natural looking results by taking things slow and adding small increments over time. Here are my tips and tricks to make the most out of your injectable experience.
Who Makes Your Injectables
Injectables is a $10 billion industry. With that much money on the line, you can bet there will be fake makers and sellers . Allergan, Merz, and Galderma at the top 3 manufactures for fillers. To make sure the office you are at is providing legit products look them up on the manufactures website.
For example, Allergan has a provider locator where you search by zip code and it will only show accounts that they sell products to.
Bargains?
Watch out for bargains. Everyone loves to get a deal, that’s human nature. But watch out for deal that sound like they are too good to be true.
If the price is questionably low you may be getting a diluted product. Or the product may be from a foreign supply that go through the FDA. This is also illegal practice to purchase products outside of the US to use here in the states.
Counterfeit products may compromise on things like safety standards, for example the temperature of shipments.
Avoid Pre-Treatment
Know what medications should be avoided prior to treatment. The first one that people tend to think of is blood thinners, since they hinder the blood clotting they can lead to more bruising post injectable.
At our office, we also recommend stopping other medication such as aspirin, NSAIDS, fish oil, multi-vitamins, green tea, ginger, Vitamin E, St Johns wart, Cinnamon, and alcohol. Make sure you check in with your provider 2 weeks prior to your appointment and find out if there are any special instructions.
I also recommend start taking the supplement Arnica, for patients who are particularly worried about bruising.
Consultation… Hear me, CONSULTATION
Consultation!! This is the most important step for all injectable treatments. The provider should talk to you and find out all your concerns with the skin.
Sometimes it is a mix of treatments that include both skincare and injectables. You want to form a comprehensive plan before you get started.
Experienced injectors should take a look at your face at rest as well as with movement. The goal is to make you look refreshed without being overdone. Also, this is great time for the provider to fully review your medical history and make sure there are no contraindications to your treatments.
How Much Downtime?
Make sure you are aware of the downtime prior to a treatment. Most injectables are minimal but you don’t want to do lip injections the day before your wedding and have swelling for the big kiss.
A good rule of thumb is to make sure that you have 1-2 weeks prior to any big event. Also Botox can sometimes take a week to have the full effect so if you do it the day before your 30th b-day party you will not have the results.
Injectables are Not Created Equal
Not all fillers are created equal. Most fillers are Hyaluronic Acid based and are approved by the FDA. They vary in thickness and how that break down.
This play in role in where they are used in the face. Radiesse for example is a heavy filler with calcium particles that provides an amazing lift in the cheeks but would be disastrous in the lips.
Make sure your injector is well versed in all different types of fillers. Also stay away from anything silicone based this fillers are rarely sold in the US and have a very high rate of complications.
