Ironing out the Creases – alternatives to injectables

Shaadi Manouchehri discusses alternatives to injectable facial aesthetics treatments

This month, Shaadi Manouchehri discusses some alternatives to injectables and the importance of providing multiple potential treatment pathways.

As part of the process of obtaining valid informed consent, it is prudent to discuss alternatives to the proposed treatment. Injectable facial aesthetics treatments are possibly the most popular treatment modality amongst dentists starting in the field of aesthetics. However, it’s prudent to be aware of alternatives and to be able to discuss these with clients.

In this article we are going to discuss some of these alternatives.

Do nothing

It may seem obvious that those who attend a consultation to discuss options are interested in treatment. However, this can be a daunting experience for some and they may be apprehensive to begin with. It may be that they’re not quite ready for treatment at least at this point in time.

It is up to the clinician to be able to assess the client and determine suitability. All treatments come with risks and benefits. Some clients may not be ready to take on the risks so not opting for treatment is always an option.

Chemical peel

Chemical peels involve applying a solution to the skin to remove dead skin cells and encourage new growth to improve skin texture and tone. These can be categorised into superficial, medium or deep peels.

Superficial and medium peels are relatively straight forward with little to no down time. They usually need to be repeated to see an improvement. Deep peels will involve more risk and downtime but the results are more long lasting.

Dermabrasion

Dermabrasion is a skin resurfacing procedure where a rapidly rotating device removes the outer surface of the skin encouraging new growth, which is generally smoother. This procedure can address a number of concerns, particularly acne scars, fine lines and age spots.

Multiple treatment sessions may be required to see an improvement. Expect there to be some downtime after this treatment, the skin will be red and sensitive for a few days to weeks and may take up to three months to recover.

Laser resurfacing

This treatment is becoming more and more popular with advancements in the technology of the devices available. Laser resurfacing is the process of emitting thermal energy with a device to encourage the natural healing process of the body.

Lasers can address fine lines and wrinkles, age spots, scarring and to encourage general improvement in the skin texture and tone. The laser beams will target damaged skin and encourage the natural healing processes of the body to stimulate new collagen production and cell regeneration revealing smoother, glowing skin. Different types of lasers are available which penetrate through more or fewer layers of the skin.

Surgery

Some concerns can be addressed with a combination of injectables and non-injectables and clients can expect significant improvements in the appearance and quality of the skin. However, some concerns can only be addressed with surgery to see a significant improvement. These include long term skin damage, loss of volume and elasticity as well as loose skin and general signs of ageing.

This is a brief overview of some alternatives to injectables. Of course, you may not be able to offer all of these services yourself or at your clinic but it is important to be aware of them and be able to refer your patients appropriately if they are interested in or suitable for these.

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