Do you ever wonder how others see you? The older I get, the more I look in the mirror and ask myself if it is just me who notices the ever-deepening wrinkles, broken capillaries and crepey skin.
But while you are examining every blemish and fault line have you ever asked yourself what you like about your face?
Go on, try it. It’s a difficult question to answer. And its one I was asked at a recent consultation with the very lovely Dr Ben Taylor-Davies.
Dr Ben opened The Stockbridge Clinic earlier this year and specialises in using cutting-edge technology with advanced medical expertise to deliver transformative treatments, from anti-wrinkle injections to innovative skin rejuvenation. Using diagnostic tools and evidence-based approaches, they’re setting a new standard in aesthetic medicine.
I’m here to talk about my main skin concerns (which is much easier than talking about what I like about my face) and formulate a plan to address them. While my rosacea is troublesome and Dr Ben has a Laser Genesis treatment specifically designed to target the pesky redness, I’m more concerned by the fact that I always look tired. Under my eyes and my paunchy chin are particular areas of concern for me. While I’m not completely new to aesthetic treatments, I have a real fear of having my facial expressions erased. As anyone who knows me will tell you, my face very often speaks a thousand words!
But Dr Ben reassures me that I have good cheek bones and a strong chin, so even with age kicking in he will be able to give me a fresher, more rested look using hyaluronic acid fillers in three key areas – at the sides of my eyes, my cheeks and chin. I will look like me, but ‘after eight hours of good sleep’, Dr Ben explains. ‘Tweakments’ are a speciality here.
On the day of my appointment I’m a little nervous and a lot excited. Dr Ben talks me through the process before we begin, pointing out possible side effects and explaining exactly where the Belotero dermal fillers will be placed. We start with the reassuring application of numbing cream to the areas that will be treated. While this takes effect we chat about our shared concerns around the lack of regulation in the aesthetics industry and Dr Ben’s medical background. He previously worked in A&E, and still somehow manages to find the time to do this one day a week, as well as running his own business and training other professionals in aesthetic medicine.
An ultrasound scan of my face identifies the positioning of the blood vessels that lie under my skin in order that Dr Ben can avoid these when he injects the fillers. The procedure takes around 20 minutes and involves quite a few injections, all of which are administered slowly and none of which are painful. Dr Ben had prepared me for a little redness and swelling post-treatment but also that the results would be immediately obvious.
He hands me a mirror and my first words are, ‘oh, wow.’ The area under my eyes is the first thing I notice, the skin looks fresher and less wrinkled. My chin looks less paunchy, my jaw more defined and my naso-labial folds and marionette lines (the lines running from nose to mouth and mouth to chin for the uninitiated) are reduced.
Before and after
The results are exactly as I had hoped and expected based on chatting with Dr Ben. There’s some redness, mainly caused by my rosacea, and a little tenderness as the numbing cream wears off. While this treatment doesn’t come with any downtime I need to avoid touching my face, make up and exercise (woo-hoo) for 24 hours.
Dermal fillers haven’t stopped me wondering what other people see when they look at me, but this treatment has undoubtedly made it easier for me to see the things I like about my face.
The Stockbridge Clinic
47 Dean Street
Stockbridge
Edinburgh
EH4 1LL
Tel: 0131 605 6701 / 07399 321188
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