What issues do patients come to clinic complaining of?

Why does it happen?

The “sad mouth” used to describe the downward turn of the corners of the mouth that can occur with aging. Patients often feel is misrepresents how they are feeling inside and so like this correcting. It occurs from a variety of factors such as loss of volume from the aging process - typically muscle, fat and collagen which creates excess skin, that isn’t supported by its underlying structures. Skin elasticity is lost due to the decrease in collagen meaning it sags. Gravity affects this area significantly and therefore can exacerbate the factors above. 

What treatments can we offer to help combat the “sad mouth”?

The right treatment depends on the patient factors and preferences. Common treatment modalities are: dermal fillers, botulinum toxin (known as botox), thread lift, radiofrequnecy and NeoGen treatments

Why doesn't everyone get this?

Under-eye darkness and hollowing are common as we age and is due to a number to factors: Fat pads in the cheek area shrink and slip down the face pulling on the undereye area instead of supporting it. The skin around the eye skin is already very thin but it gets even more fragile as we age and has a tendency to develop pigmentation as well as discolouration from the blood vessels appearing beneath. The muscle around the eyes is responsible for draining fluid away from the eye and this can become less effective over time causing puffiness. Many lifestyle factors also play a role, such as sun exposure, smoking, poor sleep, stress and dehydration. 

What can we do to improve the under eye area?

I personally feel this area can be very difficult to treat due the skin being so fragile. It is important to understand the cause of the tiredness to the eyes as the treatment option we pick is heavily dependent on that. If you naturally are puffy under the eyes, then we would steer clear of certain treatments such as filler under the eye, and instead place filler in the cheek to restore the support. Other great treatments are, polynucleotides, NeoGen, medical skincare and microneedling. 

What has caused my sagging skin?

Sagging skin is very common as we get older. From the age of around 25-30 we start losing about 1% of our collagen. Collagen and elastin are responsible for the skins firmness and elasticity. At peri-menopause we lose a huge 30% collagen over 5 years and then post-menopause 2% each year. This decrease in collagen is the main reason our skin gets looser as we age. We also start losing some of the supportive scaffolding that sits under the skin, such as the fat pads as well as some of the bone. With gravity acting on the face alongside these changes it can cause excess skin which is loose and often termed “saggy”. One big reason that our skin ages is UV/sun damage. Wearing an SPF every single day will be the cheapest anti-aging treatment you will ever have!

Treatments for lax skin

Prevention is better than cure in my opinion, so wear SPF every single day. Other at home treatments include drinking plenty of water, and using a medical grade retinol to promote healthy cell turnover (if you need help with this, we can help you in clinic.) In clinic we use a combination of fillers to add volume, botox to smooth the lines and wrinkles, polynucleotides to improve the quality of the skin, NeoGen, radio frequency and microneedling to encourage the skin to produce more collagen. 

Each case is very different and we personalise the treatment plan based on outcome expectations, budget and preference. 

This is my favourite thing that patients ask for, because this is such a personal journey. You may have an idea of what will make you look fresher, but you best friend may have a different opinion, and I may have a different opinion again. The "I want to look fresher" journey requires us to take on board all aspects and come together to form a treatment plan that we think will give you the results you're looking for. I often ask patients to be open minded whilst they are on this journey as there may be treatments they have not heard of or considered before that would make a huge difference to their outcomes.

As we age, we start losing volume from the pink portion of the lips and instead the area around the pink bit, known as the white lip becomes more dominant. This can give the pink bit of the lip and even smaller appearance because the proportions of the lip have changed.

Everyone is scared of a lip treatment, because the worry is it will change how they look. A lot of people are worried about others opinions regarding lip treatments, far more so than any other area I treat. I feel confident in saying that I understand what it takes to deliver a natural lip result. A lip that enhances the rest of your appearance, that improves proportions and symmetry, but that does not look like you've been injected. My patients that come on the lip journey with me, are often disappointed that they did not do it earlier. Lip treatment do not have to look awful and fake, they can be soft, hydrating, subtle and beautiful too.

If you aren't sure what your complaint is, but you just want to find out more about your options and what is available to you. You can book a consultation, where we will go through everything you could possible want to know on in clinic and at home treatments.