From Fragments to Perfection

Posted on August 3, 2012 by News @ Medics Direct

by Guest Blogger Dr. Vincent Wong, La Maison de l’Esthetique (www.lesthetique.co.uk)

Dracula Therapy, also known as Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy or PRP for short, adds a breath of fresh air into a medical aesthetics practitioner’s armamentarium, as it is the first aesthetics treatment in the world that is 100% autologous. PRP has been used in Medicine and Surgery since 1975. It has been proven to be very effective in repairing tendons, improving skin graft take and in helping chronic wounds to heal. However, its use in aesthetics is very new and it has become the latest in anti-ageing at the moment.

So, what is Platelet-Rich Plasma? Our blood can be divided into two parts – firstly, the cellular part with red blood cells and white blood cells, and secondly, the fluid part which is known as plasma. Apart from acting as a medium for the cells to float in, plasma contains a lot of nutrients and breakdown products. Platelets, on the other hand, are cells in their own right but originate as fragments of white blood cells and have a life span of 5-9 days in the body. Hence, platelet-rich plasma is, as the name suggests, plasma that has a high concentration of platelets.

In aesthetics, we utilize the power of platelets to improve the appearance of the face. By releasing growth factors, platelets have the ability to stimulate DNA repair, stem cell proliferation and differentiation. We aim to achieve skin rejuvenation by injecting activated platelet under normal skin, a place where activated platelets would never have been found otherwise. When injected under normal or aged skin, the platelets will kick start a repair process that is tailor-made to that specific area. In aged skin for example, the growth factors will stimulate more collagen and elastin production, resulting in firmer, thicker and younger-looking skin with a subtle lift.

Scars are the end result of an injury or trauma. The body generally heals these areas so that the integrity and function of the skin is maintained and preserved. However, physiological healing and aesthetical healing are different. Scars are the product of physiological healing. The wounds are healed to a point where the body believes that sufficient healing has taken place and the skin is intact once again. However, these areas are not aesthetically pleasing and generally lack collagen. With PRP treatment, the platelets will stimulate the ‘extended phase’ of healing that has been missed by the body. The lack of collagen will be detected and rectified.

During the procedure, a small sample of blood is collected. This is then placed in a centrifuge in order to separate the blood cells from the plasma. The plasma is then carefully extracted and mixed with a calcium solution (activator) before being injected back to the face. The total time for the procedure (including numbing) is about one hour.

Platelet-rich plasma therapy is not a one-off quick fix treatment. The aim is to achieve gradual improvement in the quality of the skin. Although the frequency of treatment varies incredibly from individual to individual, 2-3 treatments are generally required with treatments spaced at least 3 months apart. You will start seeing the effects around 8 weeks after the first treatment, and the effects will continue to improve for a few months. The effectiveness of PRP depends heavily on client’s general health, age, the extent of skin damage and lifestyle factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption. Heavy smokers and those who drink beyond the recommended limits are less likely to benefit from the treatment. In severe cases of ageing or scarring, it is a common practice to combine PRP with an existing treatment (e.g. Derma Roller, dermal filler or laser techniques) to achieve an enhanced effect.

Posted in Featured Aesthetic Netwok Bloggers | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Talk to the hand (it knows your age)

Posted on July 11, 2012 by News @ Medics Direct

by Guest Blogger Dr. Vincent Wong, La Maison de l’Esthetique (www.lesthetique.co.uk)

The medical aesthetics field is a major step forward from traditional surgical anti-aging solutions. However, we have been focusing heavily on facial treatments since the birth of this breakthrough. From injectable toxins and fillers to non-injectable treatments like lasers and skin peels, the options available to take a few years off one’s visage are endless. We could, therefore, quite confidently say that we are now able to achieve excellent results in snatching a few years back from the hands of time when it comes to facial ageing.

With ageing paused on the face, other parts will start to give away the secret. One part in particular is the hand. As with the face, the hand suffers from the same ageing process, namely structural/volume loss and skin ageing. With ageing hands come deep grooves, prominent tendons and veins, and loose wrinkly skin over them. So, how do we approach hand ageing? Fortunately, the symptoms of aged hands can be reversed with dermal filler injections.

Hand rejuvenation and revolumisation is an advanced technique. As with all other aesthetics procedures, a thorough examination and assessment is crucial in deciding which treatment would be most beneficial to the client. If there are areas of volume loss (deep grooves and visible tendons), these need to be addressed first. The lost volume has to be replaced first so that a proper assessment of the skin can be made. By replacing lost volume, the appearance of saggy and wrinkly skin (made worse by the volume deficit) would be softened and this would give a good indication as to how “aged” the skin actually is. The skin can then be treated accordingly with the correct choice of rehydration therapy. This will help restore its tightness, firmness and elasticity.

When done properly, hand rejuvenation and revolumisation can produce a dramatic improvement immediately and the satisfaction rate is very high. From a practitioner’s point of view, it really gives a big sense of achievement! Let’s turn back the clock, one hand at a time.

hand image before aesthetic surgery

Before

hand image after aesthetic surgery

After

Posted in Aesthetic Network Opinion Pieces | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The First Treatment

Posted on June 25, 2012 by News @ Medics Direct

by Guest Blogger Graeme Fullerton BDS of Arduthie Dental Practice.

As a total newcomer to facial aesthetics and having completed my training for botox and dermal fillers, I was anxious to get started and see clients

My background is in dentistry, a job I have been doing for nearly seventeen years. A lot of my patients are becoming increasingly aware of the treatments and techniques that are now available to them to improve their smile. It is therefore paramount that I keep my skills up to date and attend courses so that I can provide these treatments for clients locally.

It therefore did not seem too large a leap to provide facial aesthetic treatment for patients. I have given tens of thousands of local anaesthetic injections over my career and have honed a technique which makes administration relatively painless. Transferring these skills to facial injections would be a very useful ally in selling these treatments to patients.

We have a very enthusiastic nurse who has taken a real interest in us performing these treatments. She told her wide circle of friends about our new treatments and one of them decided she would like her lips enhanced.

I attended the training course with my colleague, Kenny Jones, who is also a dentist. We decided that our initial treatments would be done as a pair so that we could observe each others technique and keep each other right.

Our client discussed with us what she did not like about her lips and we asked what she expected from treatment. She felt that her upper lip especially thinned dramatically when she broadly smiled and she thought her lower lip needed enhancement. Photographs were taken at rest and broadly smiling and these were uploaded to an iPad and the proposed treatment discussed.

We agreed that in actual fact her lower lip had good proportion on its own and that upper lip enhancement alone would be sufficient.

She was very anxious about having the injections in her lip. Although at the training we were discouraged from using local we felt in this case a small amount of local anaesthetic would benefit her experience and make her much more relaxed. As dentists we were in the lucky position to be able to administer these two small injections intra-orally above the apices of the upper canines. I used an adrenaline free, short acting anaesthetic and facial tone remained which was very helpful when it came to the actual dermal filler injections.

Like I said, although I have given many local anaesthetic injections I was pretty nervous about giving dermal filler injections. However, the good training came to the fore and I was able to give her four injections within the upper lip vermillion border and two into the body of her upper lip with full client comfort.

We felt as a group that this had given a very good result and decided not to do any more. She was given the opportunity to come back for a further enhancement if she wanted and we agreed to do it for her.

As a first treatment, I felt it went really well, the client had a painless experience and she was delighted with the result. I must say the feeling afterwards for me was one of elation and a huge rush that I had done something really worthwhile for that client and had made her happy!

 

Graeme Fullerton BDS
Arduthie Dental Practice
Kirkton Road
Stonehaven
AB39 2NQ.

Posted in Aesthetic Network Opinion Pieces | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Masseter Reduction Botox

Posted on June 19, 2012 by News @ Medics Direct

Botox Jaw Reduction: A New Technique For Facial Reshaping by Guest Blogger Tejal Sangani

While a strong, square jawline can be distinctly masculine and desirable in male patients, many female patients are seeking softer more feminized shape to their face. Particularly in Asian females, changing the shape of the face from square to a more attractive oval shape can add a more gentle graceful appearance.

Jaw reduction surgery used to be the only option for many patients. However, patients had long recovery times, inconsistent and unnatural results. Now Botox has revolutionized facial reshaping. Botox allows for changing the shape of the face without a scalpel, pain, swelling and zero downtime.

Botox jaw reduction is a specialized technique to reduce the width of the jawline changing an overly square jawline to a more attractive oval or heart shaped face. In some patients, the the masseter muscle, a chewing muscle, is enlarged creating extra facial width. Botox selectively weakens this muscle over time leading to an overall reduction in the size of this muscle.

Tejal’s special technique of injection makes this a pain free and bruise free experience. Many patients come on lunch breaks to have this procedure done and are able to return to the office immediately after. Patients typically notice softening of the masseter muscle at one week and softening of the jawline at 6 weeks. Some researchers have noticed “permanent changes” to the jawline after 2-3 treatments. However, it is reasonable for patients to expect long term benefit but not permanent changes.

Finally, some personal habits can be directly attributed to your enlarged jaw muscles (the masseter). Excessive gum chewing,

Tejal Sangani!!

Posted in Aesthetic Network Opinion Pieces | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Jill Best Aesthetic Practitioner

Posted on June 19, 2012 by News @ Medics Direct

by Guest Blogger Jill Best of Jill Best Aesthetics

Venturing into aesthetics is both exciting and intimidating. Getting qualified is one thing but searching for potential clients and gaining their confidence and competence is quite another! I believe there are three types of people out there. Two of the categories are easy to identify, the first category is by far the simplest – “there isn’t a month of Sunday’s” that will get these people to even contemplate facial aesthetics, there is absolutely no point wasting their time and yours discussing the subject. The third group is also relatively easy to identify; these are the clients that have always wanted Botox or Dermal Fillers and they will often seek you out. The problem here might be where do they look but that is for another blog. The second group is the most challenging! These are the clients that are sitting on the fence. Will they? Wont they? How do you get these potential clients to be confident enough in your abilities as an aesthetic practitioner, to put their face in your hands and part with their hard earned money?

 

Posted in Aesthetic Network Opinion Pieces | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Using discount websites to grow your aesthetic business

Posted on June 18, 2012 by News @ Medics Direct

by Guest Blogger Dr. Vincent Wong, La Maison de l’Esthetique (www.lesthetique.co.uk)

Starting up an aesthetic business can be challenging. After spending a huge amount of hard-earned money on courses, hiring a clinic room, ordering injectables, needles and other supplies, you’re still missing the most important ingredient for a successful business – the clients. From my experience, getting clients was the most difficult part of the entire process, especially when you’re new and often tagged ‘inexperienced’. In recent years, many discount sites have sprung up like mushrooms after the rain. From groupon to wowcher, the options are endless. However, the key question is: can these discount sites help you grow your business?

Choosing a good discount site that will work for you is the key step. Although all of them work in a similar way, some are better than others. Featuring an aesthetics discount isn’t like other features you see on these websites. They have to package your deal in a way that would help you attract customers. Remember, people are coming to you for treatments to their faces without meeting you or knowing anything about you – it’s all based on the advert and packaging. A website (if you have one) will be very helpful in giving your potential clients some information about yourself and your services.

The good:
It gives you a good client base to start your business with – Client database is very important for future promotions. Given the current economic climate, a discount will appear very attractive to many. Even if you’re not making a big profit, this will be good for experience. After all, we are all learning as we go along.

Some discount sites will give you important statistics and feedback information, for example, rating and reviews from those who have bought your deal (good for future advertising!) and demographics of your clients (area, sex, age, average income etc)

The bad:
You will be pressurised to give a big discount for your service (some sites ask for at least 50% off). So, make sure you calculate properly to come up with a margin that you are comfortable with.

Of the price you ‘sell’ your service for, the website takes a big cut (usually 30% to 50%). Beware, some may even add VAT on top of their cut!

The necessary preparations:
Before I started, many people have advised me against it. I’ve been told that I would only attract people who are constantly searching for the cheapest treatments. However, if you do the necessary preparations, this might not be the case. The following are crucial:

  1. Communication skills – both verbal and body language are equally important
  2. Appear confident – know your facts
  3. Tell them about yourself and other services you offer – have a website, leaflet or namecard. Offer a discount for other treatments to keep them coming back.
  4. Be professional – make sure you greet them from the waiting room, dress appropriately and turn up on time.

Once a good rapport has been built and your clients have gained some confidence in you, you will start building a group of very loyal clients. Not only will they come back to you for further treatments, they will also recommend you to their friends and family.

Conclusion:
If you plan it properly and think about what you can achieve long-term, discount sites can be a useful tool in helping you build your client base.

My experience? Here you go:


Posted in Featured Aesthetic Netwok Bloggers | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The pitfalls of assessing patients for cosmetic procedures

Posted on May 17, 2012 by News @ Medics Direct

Assessing Clients: Our new guest blogger, Clara Russell, discusses how she assess clients that come in to her clinic .…

The Aesthetic Industry is under the microscope more than ever and faces an increasing call for tougher regulation. Therefore, even more so than before, one must be thorough, safe and circumspect in history taking and accompanying assessment of patients before they become clients.

Initial presentation of the patient as they arrive in the clinic is useful. Observe the patient for possible signs of high anxiety such as restlessness and agitated behavior. Checking the patients details are correct and opening up the discussion about what their concerns are, what they are thinking about in terms of treatments and what they already know about the possible treatment is a good starting point. What they imagine the physical outcome might be from any proposed treatment as well as ensuring they understand timescales for results, side effects and appropriate follow up is essential. It can be revealing to enquire about any previous experiences of aesthetic treatments. If they have had any previous aesthetic treatments-it might be important to understand why the patient is not returning to a previous clinician.

Ask what has prompted their attendance now as a way of trying to understand if the patient has external pressure or is internally motivated to proceed with the treatment.

Medical history is important-don’t forget to check for history of depression, significant mental health history and all current medications.

On examination of the area of concern-can you see what the patient is concerned about and does this appearance seem roughly in parallel with the patient’s level of concern? Before concluding on treatment decision, it is helpful to ask the patient how concerns around their appearance currently affect them. If they give any signs of severe distress, social avoidance or use extreme measures to cope with any cosmetic irregularities your internal red flag may indeed be raised for evidence of body dysmorphia. If there are any concerns about this it may be advisable to refer the patient back to their own GP for further psychological assessment.

The dangers of treating a patient with significant psychological illness or distress are plentiful and must be avoided at all costs. Ultimately the patient is unlikely to be unhappy with the result and may look to complain, look for financial refund or attend yourself or another clinician seeking further treatment to ‘correct’ the result they are unhappy with.

In summary, the following steps are helpful as a reminder to conducting a safe, thorough interview prior to commencing any treatment.

“COSMETIC”

C – Client – the most important person in your practice. Their interests are paramount and any concern that doing the treatment may not be in their best interest must be further explored before continuing the treatment and ultimately causing further distress for the patient and you.

O – Observational- both of patient’s manner and of the problem they are presenting with. Are you satisfied that the problem is visible and can you see how the patient has been bothered by it?

S – pSychiatric history and Social setting- including medications and occupation.

M – Motivations- what has brought them to you now? Internally or externally motivated

E – Expectations- procedure, costs, follow up, need for further treatment, risks, benefits, is the patient being realistic?

T – Treatment- what is actually involved, downtime, when could be done

I – Impulsive/instincts- has the patient presented impulsively or have they thought this through? Trust your instincts if there are any concerns about how the patient is behaving.

C – Consent, clear documentation of all of the above and clinical evidence in the taking of photographs is vital.

Clara Russell – Aesthetic Practitioner

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Medics Direct News

Posted on December 13, 2011 by News @ Medics Direct

Dr. Goldie at IMCAS, Paris 2012

Dr. Kate Goldie, founder of Medics Direct (Europe) Ltd has been invited to be a speaker at IMCAS Paris, Europe’s number one Medical Aesthetics Conference in January 2012. We hope we’ll see as many of you there as possible. More details to follow….

New course!

We have launched a new Dental Block and Lip Augmentation Course. The first course is on the 4th of February 2012. Whilst our Foundation Dermal Fillers course provides delegates with the knowledge to carry out a treatment to the vermillion boarder of the lip, many practitioners feel that they would like to take this a step further and fulfill their client’s desire for a full lip enhancement. We understand that the discomfort experienced by the client during a lip treatment is the primary concern of many practitioners, and can make them hesitant to administer these treatments. This course is therefore designed to give practitioners the confidence and knowledge to administer a full lip augmentation, along with specific training in administering nerve blocks.

Nurse Prescribing Course

More and more Aesthetic Nurses are going for their own completely independent practice by undertaking a V300 Nurse Prescribing Course in the UK. From the beginning of January some kind bloggers will be keeping you up to date on their progress through this course. We’ll be following them on their journey to becoming one of the many nurse prescribers in the aesthetics industry.

Posted in Anti-Ageing Aesthetic Procedures, Dr Kate Goldie, Medics Direct Training, Nurse Prescribing | Leave a comment

Using Microdermabrasion to Grow Your Aesthetics Clinic

Posted on November 23, 2011 by News @ Medics Direct

Microdermabrasion: Have you been thinking about new avenues to grow your aesthetics clinic? Our new guest blogger, Victoria Ellender, discusses her decision to build her clinic with the addition of MDA treatments. Victoria has been an aesthetic practitioner since March 2008. She started with Botox and dermal fillers then skin peels and quickly progressed to the advanced aesthetic practitioner course with Medics Direct. Victoria has also been a trainer for Medics Direct and has her own local aesthetics clinic…

You’re providing dermal fillers and wrinkle relaxing injections and you may have considered offering new treatments that compliment your aesthetic business but are not sure which ones to offer. Your clients trust you and your results are being noticed. Where do you go now?

Offering less invasive treatments that are affordable such as skin peels and microdermabrasion (MDA) deliver fast and proven results and may help to attract new clients who may be considering injectable treatments. It could also help to keep clients attending for treatments between injectable treatments and still give a high quality medical result.

Skin peels are relatively easy to set up once you have the appropriate training and support but microdermabrasion can be a little more confusing. Once you are offering skin peels and have built up your confidence in delivering them it would be worthwhile offering MDA treatments that are affordable to you and your business, your clients and that are attractive and acceptable. It would also be useful to look at current positive media stories and what the celebrities are using.

When offering any new treatments consider:
- How much time you have to offer in delivering it.
- Is there a market in the places that you are delivering your aesthetic treatments?
- What is the competition offering in beauty salons, at what cost and how could you be different as an aesthetic practitioner?

I started to think about Microdermabrasion many months before setting it up. I looked at local beauty salons and what their aesthetic practitioners are offering. The majority of local salons in my area seem to offer only injectable treatments from their practitioners and not MDA. Instead it seems that some of the salons are offering MDA as a salon cosmetic treatment and thus delivered by their beauty therapists. I had to think about how I would be different and what would attract a client to an aesthetic practitioner rather than a beauty salon. The difference I believe is that as an aesthetic practitioner you can potentially offer a more aggressive treatment and the medical grade products provided by Agera Rx which when combined with MDA are considered to be more effective.

MDA is becoming more and more popular. Lots of celebrities are talking about it and the media has published articles on its benefits, which celebrities are using it and even the Men’s Health Magazine has promoted it.
When you type Microdermabrasion machine, benefits or equipment into Google you will notice that there are a lot of different websites and options for the machine, different financial options for purchase or lease, crystal or diamond tips and a whole range of companies and practitioners offering treatments, training and discounts and even MDA at home kits.

I started to make some general enquiries and research about MDA to a few companies who offer the machines and service, I thought about what the best option may be for me, what would be most attractive to my clients, what training I would need, and whether I believed the local client population would be interested in MDA.

I checked the price of the machines as a basic unit on eBay to see what the minimal cost may be. This is when it started to become more confusing. On eBay machines start at under £200 for a diamond tip machine and can cost over £3500 for crystal. The diamond tip machines have reusable tips which are passed over the surface of the skin. My concerns with the diamond tips with reusable heads were of hygiene and cross infection. I started to question what the difference between diamond and crystal may be, and ask myself would the clients visiting an aesthetic practitioner, with high expectations of treatment success and safety really be happy with diamond reusable tips – or would they expect a disposable tip and would they prefer crystal or diamond? Would the more expensive crystal machines have a more dramatic and stronger result?

My particular concerns are that I treat a lot of people with acne, in particular teenagers. Clearly with some of these I could not guarantee that the risk of cross infection did not exist, I felt I needed to use a machine with disposable tips. I started looking at other aesthetic businesses on the internet to see what they were offering and it seemed that most aestheticians and salons are using Crystal machines. I found a few articles on the internet comparing diamond to crystal tips and the consensus seemed to be that diamond tips were considered possibly too hard (diamond being the hardest mineral) and may result in erythema and surface skin damage, and although I could find no research to back this up I felt it important to bear this in mind.

I decided the best option was to book myself on a course. I investigated these and decided to attend one with Medics Direct. The course started with a presentation in what MDA is, how it works, the benefits, contraindications and then a demonstration of MDA. The results were visible immediately – but the machine used was a diamond tip and I wasn’t sure that this would be suitable for my clients or acceptable to me. I researched some more and wanted to attend a demonstration of a machine I found on Google which was offering ‘medical’ microdermabrasion and signed up for a training day with Eden aesthetics.

The day was very informative and presented very well. The machine used for the demonstration was the M1. The crystals used were medical grade, the tip of the probe is made to a 45° angle for ease of use and the vacuum and crystal amount was controlled by the practitioner in order to obtain the desired delivery of crystal and vacuum on the skin surface. The tip is disposable which met my cross infection risk fear. The training was excellent and I was feeling happy and confident with the machine, its applicability and its use. I was feeling confident it would be a great treatment for many of my clients. However the machine worked out too expensive to buy as a one off for me, so I enquired about leasing. After several phone calls and emails I realised that for my level of use the machine was not financially viable and that I would need to find a cheaper option. The training was second to none but I could not muster the funds and still felt I needed to be sure of the market before investing in this particular MDA machine.

I had almost given up when I performed another internet search and saw Skinbase offering a lease machine on a pay as you go basis. I emailed the company, the next day I received a telephone call and was given information on a two week trial that was available to trial the machine. I was given an appointment for training and sent an information pack. I received a marketing pack, training booklet and test paper which I completed and after meeting the necessary criteria I have received the machine and am currently using it on a two week trial.

I have performed a number of treatments and though the first was a little nerve racking subsequent treatments were easy to perform taking around 30min in total treatment time. The results have all been good and the client satisfaction so far is high. For acne sufferers the results have been most dramatic showing a reduction in inflammation and size of the spots, reduction in the size of pores and comedones and the clients have been highly satisfied with cost, comfort of treatment and results.

Trying to pitch a cost for the treatments has been difficult. One local salon is offering crystal MDA at only £23 for 20 minutes. I am using Agera products, giving a full skin consultation and aftercare with follow up advice on products to use and I also discuss diet, exercise, sun and skin protection and general health factors. The clinic is exclusive and private and all treatments are of course confidential. Other aestheticians in East Anglia are charging up to £60 per treatment for MDA and £80 for combined MDA and peels. So to put a price on it is what I am finding most difficult and have chosen to keep cost lower than other aestheticians initially.

Now is the test to find out how much interest is out there for the treatment as a stand-alone option or in conjunction with skin peels. This will help me to make a decision about whether to invest in the machine as a purchase or to keep it on a pay as you go basis. Since I have this machine on a two week trial I organized a local pamper day and interest in peels and MDA was highest when compared to injectable treatments, most likely because of the affordability.

The next two weeks will show whether or not there is interest out there and how successful a treatment it is in the short term. I am offering a discount for the first month on MDA to see how happy or dissatisfied clients are with the cost and this is further supported by Skinbase in their promotional literature which has been very helpful in promoting the new treatment.

I am hopeful that MDA and peels will bring in more clients, as it is more affordable and less invasive than injectable treatments, while still delivering dramatic results which improves the confidence and feel good factor my clients expect. It is a short but effective treatment with minimal down time and with regular use should give lasting results. With the right promotion and marketing I believe it could be successful and available for most clients.

The main benefits for my business would appear to be client retention, that it may attract new clients, and that they should have great results with an affordable treatment that delivers a fresher, more youthful look and a feeling of confidence with their appearance without using more invasive techniques.

When deciding on your MDA machine Beautytech’s comparison between diamond and crystal machines may be helpful in choosing your machine, you can access the site here.

You can also access the following excellent resources for training, service and support for MDA:

SkinBase PAYG machine, training, service, marketing and support

Medics Direct For advice, training and ongoing support for your whole aesthetic business

Victoria Ellender RN(A)
Advanced Aesthetic Practitioner

Posted in Anti-Ageing Aesthetic Procedures, Micro Dermabrasion | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Artistry of Facial Aesthetics

Posted on October 28, 2011 by News @ Medics Direct

We are happy to publish our first guest blog by Aileen Murray, Clinic Manager and Aesthetic Practitioner at the Advanced Rejuvenation Clinic in Glasgow.  Aileen discusses her love and personal journey into facial artistry… 

When I first trained in aesthetics in early 2010 I was generally ignorant of most of the fundamentals of the business and certainly had no inkling of how it would satisfy my creative leanings. I am now beginning to realise just how much I enjoy certain aspects of my job.

I must admit that I trained in aesthetics as a means of supplementing my income. I wanted something pleasant which didn’t involve working unsocial hours in a nursing home. The principal thing I was going to learn was how to inject BotulinumToxin and I thought I might as well go the whole way and learn about fillers too.

I thoroughly enjoyed the foundation course at Medics Direct Training and, after witnessing the instantaneous and fabulous results achieved with the dermal fillers, I was hooked.

I realised that, for me, there was a definite satisfaction to be had from delivering these treatments and it was a feeling I had not felt throughout my years as a theatre nurse. I am probably someone who took the wrong career direction many years ago but here was a job which actually satisfied me.

Since my beginnings on the foundation Botox and Dermal Fillers course at Medics Direct Training, I have had the privilege to work extensively with Dr Kate Goldie, founder of Medics Direct.

I find Kate’s passion for facial artistry and her innovative approach to injection inspiring. Kate has instilled in me a desire to deliver the most natural looking treatments possible and has trained me in how to achieve this.

Her advice is simple:

1. Try to see the client as they were in their younger days
2. Aim to recreate volume where it has been lost and do not overfill
3. Strive to achieve smooth and even contours from all angles and constantly assess, as you are delivering the treatment, that you are achieving this
4. You must stand back and look at the face as a whole and try to judge where any adjustments are needed… try hard not to just fill the lines

Kate taught me that by removing depressions and restoring volume to where it has been lost we can massively improve the impression of youthfulness and in doing so restore confidence and improve self-esteem in our clients.

We want our client’s friends to notice how well they look but not to be able to pinpoint what is different! That is what facial artistry is to me and I love having the knowledge and skill to be able to provide this service to my clients.

I hope you share my love of fillers and would love your input on how you work towards excellent facial artistry on your clients! I’m also looking forward to seeing some contributions from others on this site regarding this and other aesthetic topics.

Posted in Aesthetic Network Opinion Pieces, Anti-Ageing Aesthetic Procedures, Botox, Dermal Fillers, Medics Direct Training | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments