Even the best beauty creams can’t do it all. A more effective way to reduce wrinkles or plump sagging skin might be injectable beauty treatments. Many people don’t realize how commonplace injectable treatments have become and sometimes fear injections will have them looking frozen or artificial. So, we set out to clear up any confusion by chatting with Angie Donna, owner of The Dermatory in White Bear Lake. Donna is an injection specialist, CLT, LSO and advanced practice esthetician who's been professionally licensed for 31 years.
The most common beauty injectables are known as neurotoxins and there are multiple brands on the market. You’re most likely familiar with the brand name Botox. Neurotoxin injectables relax muscles that create the lines in your face. The creases between your brows when you frown or furrow are the most common place Donna’s clients request this type of treatment. Results can range from a softened appearance to the disappearance of certain lines for up to three months.
But when clients want to smooth the line that goes from the corner of their nose down to the corner of their lip, that is done using a hyaluronic dermal filler like Juvederm (although there are also several other brands). Fillers add volume for a more youthful look and can last up to 18 months. “As we age, we lose tone in the cheek area,” says Donna. “It’s the first place we see volume loss and that’s where we want to build [with an injectable filler] before injecting those marionette lines, because if you add volume without support, the results won’t be as good within the proper dimensions of your face.”
Donna points out the value of having a good injector with lots of experience and who has access to more than one brand of injectable. It’s important to remember that these are prescription medications, and thus, each person can experience different results. “Metabolism can have a lot to do with [results],” says Donna. “I have one patient whose body doesn’t respond at all to a particular brand,” so she uses an alternative. Dosing and the corresponding expense depend on whether you’re seeking prevention, maintenance or reversal.
We’ll take this moment to remind you that this is your face, the thing you put forward to the world, and so we discourage the temptation to shop for injections based solely on price. Talk to friends. Trust us, some of your friends are injecting. Find out how long a provider has been injecting. Get a complimentary consultation and ask to see before and after photos. Make sure you get your questions answered and that your injector has lots of training.
It’s also helpful to give your injector time to get familiar with your facial anatomy so you can achieve your desired results. Try not to bounce around to a bunch of different providers. Your injector needs to learn your face and how it responds to treatment. This is part of what’s great about these non-permanent but very effective beauty treatments; follow up tweaks or adjustments can get you closer to your desired look.
