Surgeons are coming up with new ways to make us look younger and fresher all the time, and it’s possible to rejuvenate the way you look without having invasive surgery. There are risks involved even with popular cosmetic treatments, but with a little care you can make sure the treatment you want is right for you.
Botox
The substance we know as Botox is actually made from the most poisonous naturally occurring substance in the world, but now we’re quite comfortable with using the Botulinum toxin as a beauty treatment. Most people have Botox to get rid of frown lines although it can also be used to treat excessive underarm sweating. Botox stops the muscles in the area where it’s injected from contracting, so existing frown lines are ironed out.
What Could Go Wrong?
Having a Botox treatment is a medical procedure, so there is always a possibility of side effects or unwanted reactions.
Possible side effects include:
- soreness and bruising around the injection site
- bleeding
- some pain
- frequent headaches or nausea for around a week after the procedure
- flu-like symptoms.
There can occasionally be complications which lead to muscle drooping and weakness. This can happen if you’ve been given too much Botox. In some cases, problems blinking (if injected around the eye area) and uncontrollable drooling (if injected close to the lips) can result, but thankfully these are rare.
You should never have Botox if you’re pregnant or breast feeding, if you have an infection close to the area you want to be treated, or if you suffer from very sensitive skin/allergies. People with some neuromuscular disorders have an increased risk of serious side effects, so consult a GP beforehand.
Get the Best from your Botox
Botox isn’t just a beauty treatment, it’s a medical procedure. To avoid your little pick me up turning into a disaster:
Always have your Botox injection administered by a trained professional – Don’t ever be tempted to take part in a ‘Botox party’ where inexperienced beauty therapists dispense the jabs on the spur of the moment. It’s not worth the risk.Only a trained cosmetic surgeon, doctor, dentist or nurse is legally allowed to inject Botox. There are loopholes in the law that mean a beauty therapist could inject you ‘under the guidance’ of a medical professional, so in practice, doctors can get the Botox and pass it on to a salon, or spa. Check the credentials of anyone you’re allowing to get close to your face with a syringe full of toxin – ideally they should be registered with the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS.)Don’t have Botox too often Certainly no more than once every three months.
Restylane, Perlane and Dermal Fillers
Restylane and Perlane are gels which are commonly injected into the skin to plump out wrinkles or fill out lips. Perlane is the same product as Restylane, but in a larger dose – and there are also other dermal fillers on the market. They are generally thought to be a low-risk cosmetic procedure but there are still things you need to look out for if you’re considering having a treatment.
Are There any Risks?
There is a possibility of allergic reaction to dermal fillers – you need to be aware of this if you’re prone to reactions.
Other, more common side effects include:
- redness
- swelling
- itching
- lumps or hard areas in the skin.
As with Botox, injectable fillers should only be administered by a medical professional. You only have to look at celebrity ‘trout pouts’ to know that these treatments do come with a risk of not quite going as planned. Follow the same advice as you would for Botox (get the best from your Botox) and you should be able to keep the risk of a beauty disaster to a minimum.
Chemical Peels
A chemical peel involves a trained therapist painting an acid solution onto your face, leaving it on for as long as you can bear it, and then having it washed off, or in the case of an extra strong trichloric acid peel, removed with a neutralising gel.
What are the Side Effects?
It can be like severe sunburn, so you’ll probably want to stay indoors for a while. To avoid unnecessary problems chemical peels should always be performed by an experienced professional. Common side effects are:
- irritation
- stinging
- redness
- crusting
- uneven pigmentation
- scarring (more common in darker skin tones.
Who Should Avoid a Chemical Peel?
Chemical peels aren’t recommended for people who have skin scarring, abnormal pigmentation, or facial warts. People with certain skin types – Afro-Caribbean or Asian skin, red hair and freckled skin, or who have recently been treated for acne are also not advised to have this type of treatment.
Whether you’ve decided to go for a peel or an injection to liven up your looks, if you make sure that it’s carried out by a trained medical professional, and you ask a few questions beforehand, you should be able to go ahead and treat yourself to a new look without any problems.