FACIAL AESTHETICS

Rejuvenate your face to look younger without resorting to surgery.

Anti-wrinkle injections can be used to reduce lines on your forehead and around your eyes. Dermal fillers can reduce lines on the lower part of your face as well as enhance lips and cheeks by makimg them more plump. These treatments are safe and can be carried out in as little as ten minutes. The effects can be seen shortly after treatment and last for up to six months.

Anti-wrinkle Injections

The constant use of facial muscles as we frown, laugh and express our moods results in wrinkles and facial lines which will tend to become more visible as we age.  Anti-wrinkle injections are an effective and safe way to erase these lines without resorting to surgery.   The most common areas that are treated by anti-wrinkle injections are frowns, forehead lines and crows feet.

Your initial consultation will involve discussing your concerns and the areas that you want to have treated.   Your medical history is reviewed before a physical examination is conducted.  You will be asked to exercise certain muscles and the dentist will mark the areas to be treated with a special pen.  The treatment involves using a purified protein toxin to temporarily immobilise certain facial muscles which results in the facial lines created by these muscles to soften or disappear.  The neurotoxin is injected into the belly of the facial muscle using very fine needles.  The discomfort involved is minimal but we offer you the option of having anaesthetic cream or ice placed on the area before treatment to minimise any discomfort.

The effects of the treatment may take up to one week to appear but you may see the muscles gradually relax within 72 hours.  Typically the greatest effect is seen between one and two weeks after treatment.  The effects of the initial anti-wrinkle injections usually last three to six months and re-treatment is then required to continue the effect.  The effect of the injections will tend to last longer with repeat treatments and the period between re-treatments can be extended.  This will vary with the individual and the areas being treated but after three or four treatments, repeat injections may required just once or twice a year.

The cost of the treatments will vary from €199 to €550, depend on the area being treated and the extent of the treatment.  Anti-wrinkle injections are used to rejuvenate the upper part of the face and can be used in conjunction with Dermal Fillers which address the lower part.

The procedure has been used for more than 20 years in medicine with no serious side effects.  The nuerotoxin used in the treatment is administered locally in small volume to the facial muscle and does spread further.  Side effects are rare but do occur.  The most common complication is a temporary drooping of the eyelid which will normally resolve within a few weeks.  Eyedrops can be given to reduce this side effect.  There may be transient redness, swelling or bruising local to the site of the injection but these normally resolve themselves quickly.  In a small number of patients the injections may have limited or no effect.

Dermal Fillers

Dermal fillers are used to create volume under the skin to smooth out wrinkles, folds and scars on the face.  They are used to treat static wrinkles, facial lines and folds that appear at rest rather than those that occur during facial expression.  The dynamic lines that appear during facial expressions are best treated by anti-wrinkle injections.

The ageing process causes several changes to the skin causing it to gradually thin, reduce volume and become less firm.  As a result sagging and wrinkles will tend to become more noticeable. The dermal filler is injected into the skin to plump out an area with a noticeable and immediate rejuvenation of that area. 

We use dermal fillers to provide the following effects:

• Enhance lips and cheeks.
• Diminish laughter lines.
• Smooth lines around the lips, cheeks and chin.
• Smooth the appearance of lines between the nose and lips (nasolabial folds).

During your consultation, the dentist will discuss your concerns and the areas that you want treated.   We will discuss with you what options are available, including the type of filler and areas to treat, the price of the treatment, the potential side-effects and the recommended aftercare.

We use Hydrafill, a hyaluronic acid, for facial lines and lip enhancement cosmetic treatments.  The duration of the effect depends upon the degree of correction required, your age and lifestyle, but on average effects last for 6 - 9 months.  We also use Evolence, made of collagen, for the correction of moderate-to-deep nasolabial wrinkles and folds ("smile lines"), and for the correction of contour deficiencies or defects of soft tissue (for example, cheeks, chin, nose, and outer ear areas).  The duration of the effect will depend on the factors mentioned earlier but it may last up to 12 months.

A local anaesthetic or a dental block is normally administered before injection to avoid discomfort.  Alternatively we can offer you nitrous oxide (laughing gas) to help calm you and reduce any discomfort.  The dermal filler is then injected into the skin using a very fine needle.  The procedure normally takes about half an hour and there may be some swelling after the treatment.  The area will show immediate aesthetic effect after the swelling subsides which will normally occur within 48 hours.  Ice can be applied immediately to reduce any discomfort.

Dermal fillers have been used safely for over 20 years for cosmetic reasons.  There may be some transient redness, pain or oedema but this will normally resolve very quickly.  Bruising may occur and this may take up to one week to disappear.  Please inform the dentist if you have a history of cold sores and the treatment is in the vicinity of the mouth as dermal filler treatment may cause the core sore flare up.