The Fountain of Youth: Injectables 101
As injectables gain popularity and the market is flooded with different options, it’s become more important than ever to know the facts before making a decision on what’s right for you. If you’ve been contemplating the use of injectables, we checked in with five Scouted medical aesthetics experts to get the dish on Botox, facial fillers, and more. Looking for a Scouted medical aesthetics expert in your area? Find one in The Scout Guide Directory.
The right time to start. Everyone’s aesthetic needs and preferences vary, so there’s no right or wrong age to start using injectables. Rachel Duke, a certified aesthetic nurse specialist and owner of Rachel Duke in Henrico, Virginia, does recommend starting treatments like Botox at an early age because it could help prevent fine lines from ever getting to the point of becoming deep wrinkles. “Patients tend to want to start Botox treatments when they begin to see fine lines remaining even when their face is at rest, or when they notice makeup starting to set into the creases,” she says. “If you’re more mature, you may want to consider treatments before a special event, or when lines and wrinkles become bothersome.” As for dermal fillers, Duke advises beginning these types of injections when you start to notice a loss of volume in the face, usually presenting as lines around your mouth, a shrinking of the lips or a more sunken cheek.
The benefits of Botox. One of the most versatile and well-known injectables on the market is Botox. Kathy Keeney, a registered nurse and owner of Boss Gal Beauty Bar, in Clintonville, Grandview Heights, Columbus, and Powell, Ohio, shares that this very effective treatment serves to relax the muscle, in turn making the skin appear smoother. Popular treatment areas include frown lines, forehead lines, and nose lines. “Botox is also a wonderful treatment for hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating,” Keeny reports. “By injecting Botox into the offending areas, it blocks the nerve signals responsible for sweating.” And while Botox has remained one of the most well-known brand names of botulinum neurotoxin, Dysport, Xeomin, and Jeveau are quickly becoming just as recognized.
Fight the waddle. English Black, a physician assistant and owner of The Curated Aesthetic in Greensboro, North Carolina, touts the virtues of Kybella, an injectable that is known to dissolve fat cells and has become a sought-after treatment for those with double chin concerns. “Kybella is a wonderful alternative to surgery as it works by using synthetic deoxycholic acid, a molecule that occurs naturally and breaks down fat absorption,” she says. “When injected, it works against the fat cells so they no longer accumulate and store fat.” This non-invasive and minimally painful treatment prevents your body from making new fat cells in the targeted area, rendering the results permanent.
Focus on fillers. Used to target volume loss, improve structural support and banish fine lines and wrinkles, facial fillers are workhorse injectables. “Fillers have come a long way,” Black points out. “Depending on the product, injectors now use them nearly all over the face for natural, balanced results. We also see some of these products used in hands, necks, and the now infamous Brazilian butt lift.” There are two different types of fillers, hyaluronic acid (which include name brands like Juvederm, Restylane, Belotero, and RHA), and biostimulators like poly-L-lactic acid (Sculptra) and calcium hydroxylapatite (Radiesse). While all of these fillers stimulate collagen production, each do so in different ways. Those with hyaluronic acid tend to look their best around a month post procedure, whereas biostimulators help people generate their own collagen and begin working nearly immediately depending on the product. Amanda Booker, medical aesthetician and owner of Agapé Medical Spa in Chattanooga, Tennessee, further explains that dermal fillers come in different molecular sizes—larger molecule fillers are thicker, making them better suited for deeper lines. Fillers with smaller molecule sizes spread more easily and better suited to treat large areas.
Post-treatment care. Interested in trying out injectables but wary of post-treatment effects? Laura Zimmerman, a nurse practitioner, certified aesthetic nurse specialist and owner of ZL MedAesthetics in Tucson, Arizona, seeks assuage client concerns. “Thanks to our utilization of microcannulas, an advancement in products, and post care solutions to minimize excess swelling and bruising—most injectables have very little downtime now,” she says. Neurotoxin injections, such as Botox, are so minimally invasive that they often can be scheduled on a patient’s lunch break, Zimmerman adds. Filler injections on the other hand can vary in post-injection reactions. She advises building in at least a two week buffer period for fillers to allow time for them to settle and integrate into the tissue, and for possible bruising and swelling to diminish. She recommends aiming for a timeline of closer to four weeks before a photoshoot or important event so your injector has time to see you for a follow up to provide any necessary fine tuning to achieve your ideal look.
Experience matters. Duke recommends looking at an injector’s credentials and bio to see how long they’ve been in practice and if they participate in professional skill development. “The medical aesthetics industry is ever-changing and requires constant education to hone your craft and stay abreast of techniques and products,” Duke says. Booker, similarly advises interviewing multiple medical aesthetic providers and finding one you not only have a comfortable rapport with, but whose “before and after” results align with the kind of look you’re hoping to achieve. “Your skin will represent you for the rest of your life, so it’s important to make this investment in yourself wisely,” she shares.
The future of injectables. Our experts are noticing a shift in the world of injectables over the last few years that moves steadily away from the overdone look to a more natural one. “Injectable treatments are more holistic now,” Zimmerman explains. “Rather than just filling one area, the adjacent areas may be treated to soften transition zones and ensure all facial features are balanced and in harmony with each other.” Other exciting advancements she notes include filler options that are more flexible and last longer, more applications of growth factors derived from patients’ own plasma (microneedling), exosome therapy (a form of regenerative medicine), and the recent FDA approval of a neuromodulator that has a longer duration, allowing for just twice a year injections.
TSG Tip 453 from Rachel Duke, a certified aesthetic nurse specialist and owner of Rachel Duke in Henrico, Virginia; Kathy Keeney, a registered nurse and owner of Boss Gal Beauty Bar, in Clintonville, Grandview Heights, Columbus, and Powell, Ohio; English Black, a physician assistant and owner of The Curated Aesthetic in Greensboro, North Carolina; Amanda Booker, medical aesthetician and owner of Agapé Medical Spa in Chattanooga, Tennessee; Laura Zimmerman, a nurse practitioner, certified aesthetic nurse specialist and owner of ZL MedAesthetics in Tucson, Arizona. Rachel Duke appears in The Scout Guide Richmond. Boss Gal Beauty Bar appears in The Scout Guide Columbus. The Curated Aesthetic appears in The Scout Guide Triad. Agapé Medical Spa appears in The Scout Guide Chattanooga. ZL MedAesthetics appears in The Scout Guide Tucson & Southern Arizona.
