Lip fillers. Take a look around the beauty scene today and you can barely move for mention of them. Between celebrities like Kylie Jenner enhancing their pout and articles about how they’re the treatment of the moment, it’s not surprising that everyone’s asking about them.

But so few people seem to know what they actually are!

They obsess over failed procedures from the past that were done using methods that no one in their right minds would use today. Pointing at Lesley Ash like some kind of cautionary tale and saying ‘but it could all go wrong!’

As usual, that’s all clickbait nonsense. Modern fillers don’t use the same permanent ingredients, let alone the same procedure (done by a ‘mother of a friend’, probably not the best way to choose your cosmetic treatments!)

Permanent fillers like the ones you’ll see in horror stories are a thing of the past in the UK. The only lip fillers available from qualified cosmetic nurses such as myself are temporary ones, using naturally occurring substances, not silicone.

The science behind them

Modern fillers are made of a substance which is found naturally in the body, and essentially just replaces what we lose as we age. Youthful skin is full of it, which is why it’s plump and lovely. It’s called Hyaluronic Acid (or HA) and is nowhere near as scary as it sounds. It’s an incredibly useful skincare substance, which is why you’ll find it in most of your products and creams if you check the ingredients on the back. On top of this, because our bodies naturally produce it, it gets happily accepted once injected into the skin and is easily broken down naturally over a couple of months. Which is why it is safe and non-permanent.

Unfortunately, there’s only so much it can do above the skin, as it can’t get through to have an instant and noticeable effect. Some brands even go so far as using low molecular weight HA, to try and force it deeper into the skin. But changes like that are expensive, and still are nowhere near as effective as a little needle.

Is it safe?

Because the treatment involves a needle it’s incredibly important to only allow someone trained in their use like a cosmetic nurse such as myself to perform the procedure. Many beauty salons now offer the treatment at cut prices due to the lack of UK regulation of the industry, but without training these cheap versions can lead to at best a waste of money, and at worst damage to your skin.

If you’re unhappy with the results, I’m able to dissolve the HA instantly with another injection. Again, this is something a beautician can’t do. If you’re tempted by an offer at a salon, just don’t risk it. It’s shocking that botox and fillers are even available in salons.

Is it painful?

Believe it or not most people say the treatment isn’t painful. Again, the clickbait horror stories likely arise from poor information or just the experiences of those who make the mistake of going to salons for a medical procedure.

Of course you might feel a little discomfort, but that’s a very different thing to actual pain!

The numbing cream is also pretty great (don’t lick it, you won’t be able to feel your tongue for a couple of hours), and there’s even a dose of the painkiller lidocaine mixed in with the HA in the syringe which gets to work as soon as it’s in your skin.

How to get it done?

If you’re curious, the easiest way is to send me a quick Facebook message. I can then book you in for a treatment, or answer any other questions you have. I’m active all the time, so if you want to chat just ask!

If you keep an eye on celebrity or cosmetic news, you might have heard of a new treatment that allows health professionals to change the shape of your face, without resorting to surgery.

That’s a key distinction for a lot of people. Lots of people will look in a mirror and feel slightly disappointed about aspects of their face, but not many would let a scalpel near it to solve the problem!

But from cheek enhancements to nose jobs, non-surgical options are now not only possible, but in many cases preferable. Take cheek enhancements for example.

Previously, if you didn’t like the shape of your cheeks, or longed for the defined high cheekbones of your style idol, you had to have a surgeon place an implant under your skin.

If you just shuddered, you aren’t the only one. While there were plenty of people willing to undergo this sort of procedure, there were also plenty more who would rather keep the scalpels away from their faces thank-you-very-much.

The non-surgical option takes that shudder inducing procedure out of the picture, and replaces it with simple injections. Getting the face you always wanted is now as simple as getting a quick jab against scary diseases before you go abroad. You even get an anaesthetic cream.

Not only that, but the recovery time is far faster. No need to tell your friends and co-workers you’re going on ‘holiday.’

Just a few simple injections instead of one big, scary, scalpel filled procedure. Which, as a bonus, means the effect is customisable to each face, as I’m not working with pre-made inserts.

Next time you look in the mirror and find something you don’t quite like, whether it’s your cheeks, nose or lips, just think:

You could be smiling at that reflection for less effort than a pedicure.

Isn’t modern science wonderful?

 

 

Essentially skin needling is a localised, alternative form of derma-rolling (which sounds a lot less scary, doesn’t it?) Though both methods use tiny needles to prick the skin lightly (which encourages collagen renewal), derma-rolling uses hundreds of needles packed onto a roller that is moved gently across the skin. A little clumsy, but effective. Digital skin needling however is far more precise, as it only uses a single needle, much like a tattoo.

This allows me to get the effects of this clever little treatment into areas unreachable by derma-rolling, or more accurately target problem areas. Imagine you have wrinkled skin under your eyes, but not on your cheeks. Derma-rolling may hit both, but as your cheeks look smoother than before too, the improvement to your eye wrinkles becomes less noticeable.

If I am able to target those wrinkles individually however, then the effect should blend well with the rest of your face, making the improvement seem even more impressive than it actually is.

Compared to other treatments such as chemical peels and some laser treatments that work on the entire skin, skin needling leaves parts of the skin and dermal layer perfectly intact. This means skin is able to heal much faster.

What is involved in the skin needling treatment?

The process is fairly simple. An ultra-fine needle is attached to a small device the size of an electric toothbrush. I then move this device across the problem areas, the fine needle rapidly pricking your skin.

The depth and width of the needle used determines the effectiveness of the treatments. For medical skin needling which produces the anti-ageing benefits needles of between two and three millimetres are necessary. This might sound like a lot, but go and grab a ruler or tape measure and have a look at what three millimetres (not centimetres!) actually looks like. It’s honestly a lot less scary than it sounds.

That said, you will need to factor in recovery time. For a 3mm treatment, I’d advise setting aside a week for recovery. For a 2mm treatment, 48 hours would suffice.

Cosmetic skin needling with a 1mm needle is possible, but is more used to absorb other topical treatments, has no real anti-ageing effect of its own and heals rapidly.

Skin needling can be employed safely on skin of all types and colours, and carries no risk of pigment change or post inflammatory hyper pigmentation. This is because the epidermis, and in particular the melanocytes (melanin-producing cells) within it are left intact.

Does skin needling work?

Skin needling is mostly used to treat scar tissue such as stretch marks, as it stimulates collagen regeneration. This means stretch marks not only reduce in size, but regain the natural colour of the skin, effectively camouflaging what little remains.

The enhancements are usually visually noticeable within four to eight weeks, and will continue over the following months, gradually providing further improvements.

The treatment can also be used to reduce enlarged pores and expression lines such as those around the eyes, mouth and on the forehead. It’s worth bearing in mind that deeper lines will require more regular treatments, but can still be reduced.

When used to treat scarring, the results can last up to seven years. When used to reduce the signs of ageing, effects will last on average about twelve months.

A single treatment can produce noticeable results. That said, if you aim to achieve the best results, a programme of two to five treatments spaced two to three months apart would be substantially more effective.

 

Jessica Alba. Natalie Portman. Scarlett Johannson. There are many beauty flaws these women need not worry about, but their noses are certainly one of them. Small, straight, smooth, and not a bump or bend in sight. But what about the rest of us, those who haven’t won the genetic lottery? Are we just stuck with our flawed noses, for better or worse, unless we undergo risky surgery and have a…nose job?

If you still live in the 90’s, sure. But twenty-five years later? We’ve moved on.

So how does it work?

Reshaping a nose can now be done using safe, simple Dermal Fillers, smoothing bumps and bends in much the same way that a plasterer smooths away the textured ceiling mistakes of past decades. A skilled, qualified cosmetic nurse can use the fillers to raise less pronounced parts of your nose, but leave any bumps alone. Not only this, but smoothing the shape of your nose alters people’s perceptions of it, making it seem smaller. This skilful use of modern cosmetics allows us to create a smooth slope from top to bottom. No surgery. No scalpels. No unfortunate looking bandages trapping you indoors.

Dermal Fillers are a safe and effective alternative to surgery. Abby Stacey only uses the highest quality fillers which are mainly composed of a gel-like substance naturally occurring in our bodies, known as Hyaluronic Acid. This substance is also used as a component in many medical treatments, it is safe and reversible.

Aha…So what do I have to do to get this?

The procedure is similar to other Dermal Filler based treatments, and is similarly quick, easy and safe.

Firstly you would need to come in to a clinic, so a trained cosmetic nurse could examine your nose and make note of the size and shape of any bumps or other imperfections, before planning the optimum treatment for you.

The effects of Non-Surgical Nose Reshaping are immediate and safe, performed correctly by a qualified cosmetic nurse, they will resolve themselves without any bruising or complications. Once complete, the treatment will last for 9-12 months, after which time a repeat treatment is recommended.

The treatment itself is relatively straightforward and will only take 15-20 minutes. A local anaesthetic is used to ensure the procedure is as painless as possible, and from there your nurse will inject Dermal Filler in the required areas. From there, your treatment is complete, and it’s simply a matter of aftercare.

Yeah, but I bet it has some side effects! What do I need to watch out for?

After treatment, you may be advised to stop wearing makeup for up to 12 hours. You should also avoid the sun, and hot places such as saunas and steam rooms, for 2 weeks. Some people experience a little temporary tenderness, swelling or bruising around the injection sites. It’s best of course, to avoid additional treatments in the same area for at least a week. Other than those little annoyances, you should have no side effects, and can begin enjoying your new, perfectly smooth nose!

 

Semi-Permanent make-up has been a celebrity favourite for some time now – A-listers including Madonna, Angelina Jolie and Gwen Stefani are known to be fans. And recently, it is even beginning to come down in price for us mere mortals too.

Unfortunately, where there are new procedures and new markets, inexperienced con-men (or more often than not, con-women in this case) insinuate themselves as the truly cheap alternative. After all, the prices are falling right? Maybe this offer of Semi-Permanent make-up for only £100 is just the latest price drop?

Not so much.

Applying semi-permanent make-up requires a great deal of skill. If the wrong pigment is used, eyebrows or lips can come out the wrong colour — sometimes even red or blue. Lines can also be put in totally the wrong place, or be drawn on uneven, like a child’s dot-to-dot book. Reversing these mistakes can be a long, painful and costly process.

Thankfully, there is an easy way to avoid all this. There are several tell-tale signs of a professional, and equally, several signs of an amateur.

Most well respected practitioners will charge upwards of £200. Anyone charging less than £150 should be treated with extreme suspicion. They may advertise it as a voucher, or deal, in order to make it seem as though their regular prices are far higher. This is, most commonly, a trick.

Any practitioner with enough skill doesn’t offer huge discounts, because that skill and training was hard won. Huge discounts can often be a sign of a young entrepreneur with questionable ethics, looking for unfortunate victims to practice on.

Another thing to watch out for, and make sure you ask for, are qualifications. Legally, these are not required, but any practitioner who is skilled and capable will have taken the time to train properly. Always ask to see qualifications. Anyone can wear a nurse’s uniform, anyone can wear scrubs. Qualifications are a sign of expertise that cannot be faked easily.

The news is full of horror stories of cosmetic treatments gone wrong. Do a Google search if you like.

Every single one is yet another reason to choose a professional at a reasonable price, over an amateur at a price that proves too good to be true.