When you look in the mirror and the eye bags just keep getting heavier, do you wonder if you’re destined to carry that luggage forever? More to the point, will you walk around in the world looking tired, sad, or angry—even when you’re not? Let’s talk injectables. Fillers. Juvéderm®. Well? Would we? Could we?
In our books, taking care of the way we look isn’t vain or frivolous, but actually, an overall confidence booster, and one we need. In fact, since we launched Brazen Woman, we’ve been saying the same thing: It’s time we gave ourselves permission to put us first—with no guilt attached. So how do you put your best face forward? Are the Juvéderm family of facial fillers our friends? We trust our hairdressers to deliver the results we want, so can we feel equally comfortable discussing our physical (and emotional) goals with our dermatologist?
We sat down with a facial aesthetics expert and asked all the questions about fillers that filled our brains because we just may test it out very soon (stay tuned!) This doctor really informed us and made us think differently about facial rejuvenation. Dr. Mauricio de Maio has pioneered an innovative way of treating lines and wrinkles, one that zeroes in not on the wrinkles themselves, but on our feelings about them. With this new approach, doctors can now treat signs of aging by understanding their patient’s emotional position rather than focusing on spots you may be obsessing about changing. Here’s how it works.
Everything You Need to Know About Juvéderm® Fillers
1. How have injectable treatments changed over the years?
According to Dr. de Maio, these days, we can deliver surgical results with fillers—without resorting to surgery. In the past, if you wanted to remove eye bags or improve sagginess on your neck, you had to get a face lift. Today, there are many minimally invasive procedures available. Today, we take care of our faces in the same way we take care of the rest of our bodies.
2. Why have injectable treatments become more mainstream?
In the last century, people retired at 50; now we work into our 80s. So once you stretch out your life, the social game is longer, and you feel younger for longer. Today, grandmothers look and dress and act incredibly modern. It’s not about being insecure and needing to look younger. It’s about wanting to look your best at your current age. That’s what’s mainstream.
3. What are some common barriers your clients face?
The three biggest fears are the possibility of unnatural results, the cost and the pain. Great technique creates natural results—without over-injecting. The pain is not an issue anymore because today’s products have lidocaine to numb the area, and as for cost, when you compare the treatment to the price of surgery, it’s cheap!
4. What makes your approach to treatment unique?
What has changed the most is the way in which we use Juvéderm® fillers. Instead of pointing out the distractions on your face that you want to eliminate, we ask you to think about the effects you’re after. Do you want to look less sad or less angry? Younger? More attractive? Less tired? We help you focus on why you want to get treatment, what you want to feel like after.
5. How do you help your clients achieve their desired look?
The process starts with helping you to change your perspective. Depending on what emotional result you want to achieve, we use fillers to reshape your face, whether that’s lifting your eyes, reshaping your jawline, projecting your chin, or making lips more full. The focus is on the positive, not the negative. It’s about what you want to see and feel.
6. What questions should I ask my doctor during my first consultation?
The conversation has to change. Don’t look at your face with a magnifying glass but think in terms of the negative emotional messages your face is showing the world. Let your doctor know if you want to look more approachable, happier, more awake. Ask how these messages can be achieved using fillers.
Looking at your face in a positive way, you want to point out the areas you like, whether that’s your wide set eyes or your smooth neck or anything else. Ask your doctor: What can I do today to preserve what nature has given me?
7. How do facial fillers work?
Treatment with facial fillers is a non-surgical and can be performed in as little as 15 to 60 minutes with minimal recovery or downtime and instant visible results. It is an injectable gel filler that refreshes the appearance of the face by combining with the water in your skin to gently restore lost fullness, smooth lines and wrinkles and subtly enhance lips for results that look and feel natural. The key ingredient is hyaluronic acid (HA), which is derived from a naturally-occurring sugar in the body that helps maintain volume and elasticity.
8. What are the main areas that fillers work for?
Different products treat different areas and issues. Some are better suited to treat superficial facial lines while others work best on deeper wrinkles. Some products are designed to smooth and enhance the face for an overall refreshed look while others restore lost fullness and shape to specific parts of the face.
There are several varieties of Juvéderm® facial fillers available to help you achieve results that look and feel natural.
9. How do I make sure I don’t get carried away and over-inject?
Some people are overdone because they can’t seem to stop. The worst combination is an ambitious injector who wants to make money and a patient who keeps asking for more. This is where the doctor needs to be giving an honest opinion about having achieved the desired result.
10. How long do the results last?
Juvéderm® has been clinically proven to last up to one to two years, depending on which product your doctor recommends. The treatment is also reversible. Speak to your doctor if you would like to return to your pre-filler appearance.
Ready to learn more? Check out JUVÉDERM.ca for more info on facial fillers and to find a qualified dermatologist near you—and don’t forget to relax and take the time to chat candidly about how you feel and which injectable treatments make the most sense.
This post was generously sponsored by Allergan but all thoughts and opinions are fully Brazen Woman.
