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Back to school – Back to you!

Getting your skin back on track after the school holidays

 
Let’s face it, we all love our children dearly, but the summer holidays can be stressful. From finding time to take off work or arrange child care, to figuring out how to keep our kids entertained and happy, for most of us, the school holidays are a hectic time. A time, perhaps when we lose focus on ourselves and how we might be looking or feeling. When the children return to school and life restores its normality, we might look in the mirror and see reflect back at us, a tired, dull or dishevelled look! So, as life finally gets back on track, we might feel that it’s time to get our appearance ‘on point’, too. From her clinic in South Woodford, Dr Anita Dhunna offers non-surgical, skin saving treatments to not only give our complexions a boost, but to offer anti-ageing without invasive, painful or time consuming surgery.

Injectable cosmetic treatments are world-renowned for smoothing wrinkles, lifting sagging skin and reshaping facial contours, where age, stress or a busy lifestyle has taken its toll. Dermal fillers, wrinkle-smoothing injections (Botox®) and more recently, injectable skin re-modellers such as Profhilo® all have their unique and vital place, when it comes to facial rejuvenation. Used individually or in conjunction with one another, these face-saving wonders from a needle can help melt years away, without looking over-done, and offer very little-to-no downtime whatsoever; very different from surgical procedures where the recovery can be both painful and laborious.

Most of us will have heard of, or know someone who has had ‘Botox®’ (wrinkle-smoothing injections). This neurotoxin is one of the planet’s most powerful substances and when used in cosmetic medicine, Botox® can smooth away lines and wrinkles which are caused when we create expression. Forehead lines, crow’s feet, Glabellar lines (those annoying lines that appear between our eyebrows) and even mouth lines, a ‘cobbly’ chin, neck lines and sagging skin under the chin can be temporarily improved with Botox®. The substance itself blocks the nerve signals which cause the facial muscles to create expression lines. In-turn, the facial muscles are relaxed and the formation of these lines is temporarily halted and the line itself, smoothed. The treatment is very quick to administer (but should only be given by a fully-qualified, trained and highly-experienced medical professional, such as Dr Anita Dhunna) with very few side effects, results within 24 hours to 2 weeks and effects that can last up to 6 months at a time. Interestingly, Botox® can also help those who grind their teeth, who suffer with chronic and lasting migraines, who experience excessive sweating and it can even help facial and body spasms, as well as bladder issues! Botox® will not treat deeper lines, furrows or static wrinkles, but is superb for those lines which you can see when you squint, raise your eyebrows, frown or concentrate.

Dermal fillers – treatments with these products could be described as ‘injectable plastic surgery’ in so many ways, it’s difficult to list them all! Dermal fillers are gel-like substances which contain a component called hyaluronic acid (HA). HA is a naturally-occurring ‘sugar’ which is found within the body. It helps to lubricate, cushion and hydrate areas such as the eyes, joints, connective tissues and of course, the skin. When we age, or if we experience a high amount of stress, environmental pollution or UV exposure or if we smoke, our HA can deplete quite alarmingly. When this happens, the face can undergo many changes, such as deeper lines and crevices, hollows, furrows, sagging skin and facial asymmetry. Dermal fillers help to re-structure, re-build and shape the facial contours, as well as fill lines and wrinkles that one can see when the face is at ‘rest’. Dermal fillers can even be used to augment aspects of the facial anatomy, such as the cheeks, lips, the nose and the jawline. Not to be confused with Botox®, dermal fillers sit innately within the dermal tissues and physically support them. Not only do they perform facial reconstruction, but the HA within the product helps to restore and lubricate the skin cells. The trauma experienced by the use of dermal fillers within the skin tissues will also encourage a healing response, where the body will produce more collagen and elastin, two more vital substances when it comes to healthy, glowing and youthful skin. There can be some downtime following a dermal filler treatment, depending on the indication and the product/s used. You might expect some bruising, swelling, tenderness, itching and even tightness after a dermal filler treatment, but these are all normal and will subside from 24 hours to a week after your treatment. Any expected cosmetic downtime will be discussed in a no obligation consultation with Dr Anita Dhunna. Something she requests before any injectable treatment can be undertaken.

Profhilo® – if you’re feeling frazzled after the summer holidays and your skin has taken on a dry, dehydrated or tired appearance, a course of Profhilo® could be just what you need to get your skin glowing, tighter and more tones. Profhilo® is a revolutionary injectable skin treatment which is made un-cross linked low and high molecular weight HA. When Profhilo® is injected in to the skin, it helps to stimulate new elastin and collagen production, deep within the dermal tissues. This results in a smoother, tighter and more youthful complexion and what’s fantastic about this treatment, as it is a full face procedure. Profhilo® is not a dermal filler, so it will not augment your facial features, but as it slowly releases HA in to the tissues, it will significantly improve the resilience and performance of your skin. Profhilo® isn’t just for the face; it can be used on the hands, neck, decolletage, arms and legs. Profhilo® is usually delivered in a course of 2 to 3 treatments, a month apart and results can last up to 12 months, before a top up treatment may be required. Downtime is minimal, with some potential ‘bee sting’ bumps around the treatment area, which will subside overnight, some possible swelling and tenderness, which can be treated with a cold compress. However, any downtime will not require you to take any time off work or rest at home, as with any of the injectable treatments mentioned. Results can usually be seen one month after your second treatment, but some patients comment that they start to see some changes, at around 4 weeks after their initial Profhilo® session.

If you feel that you’re lacking in that vitality you had before the summer holidays and that your skin has gone through the mill what with sun exposure and after a busy few weeks with the kids, that you want to revitalise your looks as well as feel better in yourself. Why not arrange an initial meeting with Dr Anita Dhunna?, to discuss your skin concerns, your desires for results and for help and advice on which treatments may work best for your individual requirements.

After all, you deserve it!