At their best, injectable treatments as volumizers and skin conditioning agents, provide shape, definition, volume, and hydration to the skin. The suite of ‘injectables’ now available allow for very bespoke results with a natural outcomes.
These treatments should be the discrete reserve of the clinic room, and not evident in everyday life or on Harley Street! Effective, safe, natural and balanced – comfortable, and affordable. These are the principles of injectable treatments at the Jonathan Britto clinic.
Facial fillers and Facial contouring are terms used to describe a range of aesthetic treatments, techniques and injectable products designed to define, lift, contour, and volumise facial tissues.
Structural changes seen in facial ageing can be managed with skilful non-surgical clinic-based procedures that restore the form of youthful facial architecture. This results in a natural rejuvenation that integrates with facial movement and balances light and shadow to reflect the youthful curves of the face.
Facial fillers and Facial contouring treatments are sought by men and women of all ages. These procedures are not a substitute for surgery – they do not achieve the same thing – but are a complementary and valuable suite of non-surgical procedures. There are many different types of fillers, of different gel consistency and ‘rheology’, which are used for different purpose in different layers of the face. With this understanding, safe, effective, and natural results can be delivered in the clinic.
Facial contouring procedures are a common request at the Jonathan Britto Clinic and subtle, natural results are our trademark.
Jonathan’s background in craniofacial surgery and craniofacial proportion bring his authority to the fore – his innate understanding of contour, facial proportion, light and shadow are as valuable to his nonsurgical sculpting practise as to his practise in surgery.
– Jonathan Britto –
Whatever your initial reasons to consider nonsurgical facial contouring, we, at the Jonathan Britto Clinic, will offer you a wide multidisciplinary opinion of the alternatives available.
We have no bias. The key of the consultation is to learn from you what your aims are, what your fears might be, and what the practical restrictions are that you feel limit your choices. In the treatment planning of an aesthetic or restorative programme for the face, we now have so many choices that we can be comprehensive, and responsive to your practicalities.
Fillers and facial contouring techniques can be combined with wrinkle modulators for relaxing dynamic muscle movement, and with topical treatments related to the bio stimulation of the skin health. All of this without considering a scalpel blade!
Temple hollowing
The temples are often overlooked as an area that contributes to the appearance of an ageing face. Hollowness in the temples ‘skeletonises’ the face and decreases the width of the mid and upper face. This changes the ratios of the youthful ‘beauty triangle’ and results in an ageing appearance. In women this can often be hidden with a good hairstyle but once the hair is taken away from the face the sunken areas are exposed. as they are In men, the skeletal definition can be considered masculine, whereas for women is less flattering. Restoration of temporal volume is an important aspect of both facial aesthetics surgery and aesthetic medicine.
Forehead lines and heavy brow
Horizontal lines in the forehead are a result of repeated movement of the muscles that raise the eyebrows along with a loss of muscle, fat, bone and skin firmness. Habitual facial movement leads to permanent crease lines in the skin, which together with loss of fat volume and soft tissue laxity, becomes ageing. This leads to permanent lines in the forehead and lowering of the brow height. Patients will often change their hairstyle to compensate.
Dynamic Wrinkle modulator injections are considered a good solution to treat horizontal lines in the forehead. Deep creases in the skin, volume loss from fat attrition, or poor skin quality can all be treated without surgery. Whilst surgical brow lifts can achieve excellent results to reposition and lift the brows- facial contouring options may be the preferred solution.
Tear trough and dark circles
There are three main causes of dark circles; dark brown pigmentation due to increased melanin production; tiny blood vessels that are visible through the thin skin of the eye area and are seen as ‘purplish’ shadow; and a ‘dip’ volume loss, or sunken ‘trough’ caused by a volume imbalance in the skin, muscle, or fat under the eye. This collects shadow and appears as a ‘dark circle’.
There may be a single cause or a combination of two or all three factors and this will direct the planning of the treatment. A well planned combination of treatments can achieve a significant long-term reduction.
Dark circles caused by pigmentation variations can be successfully treated with prescription topical creams, Lasers and other skin health strategies including chemical peels and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP).
Dark circles caused by vascular show are perhaps the most difficult to treat to treat, and a combination approach using specialised Lasers and injection treatments work very successfully.
Tear trough deformities caused by volume loss, from for example, uneven fat distribution, laxity in the muscle around the eye and bone structure can result in a deep groove under the eye and make the eyes appear sunken and drawn.
Tear trough malformation surgery can transform the complete eye oculoplastic aesthetics, however, for those that want an alternative non-surgical option – facial contouring can be a great start. A soft gel hyaluronic acid filler will ‘lift’ to a flat smooth contour, eliminating the shadow and banishing the dark circles.
Cheek contouring
The mid face is an important reference point for the beauty of the face. As ageing progresses these the ratios of the facial ‘beauty triangle’ change, and invert. Sagging muscles, fat and skin in the cheeks descend giving a tired, drawn appearance from the lower eyelids to the jawline.
Non-surgical facial contouring has an important role to enhance youthful face shape. A range of techniques and products is employed to contour the mid face for natural, long lasting, results.
Nose imperfections (non-surgical rhinoplasty)
Rhinoplasty (nose surgery) is most often the gold standard to treat imperfections of the nose. However, non-surgical rhinoplasty treatments have a role to play in facial contouring. The anatomy of the nose is complex and an in depth understanding of its structure is key to achieving safe results that are aesthetically satisfying. There are several products that sculpt and perfect the shape, and smooth the contours of the nose.
Jawline definition and sharpening
The jaw (gonial) angle has become a fashionable focus for contouring in recent years with both men and women craving a sharp chiselled jaw. Psychologically and culturally the jaw shape has power with men seeking a strong jawline to indicate model good looks and strength. Whilst a woman’s jawline is naturally softer than that of a male, women too want sharper definition to give the face a youthful contoured appearance.
Non-surgical chin enhancement
Chin augmentation with fillers can make a meaningful difference to those that have imbalance in the lower face. The role of the teeth and underlying bone structure as a support to the facial tissues is an important consideration when planning a non-surgical contouring procedure. Lack of dental or skeletal support can result in sunken hollows in the cheeks, a recessed chin angle and textural changes in the skin. In the lower third of the face, surgical options might be considered particularly “invasive”, and a clinic-based, non-surgical treatment is a valuable parallel option too which surgery might be later added if required.
Lines and wrinkles
There are many ways to treat lines and wrinkles and non-surgical contouring is a popular option for men and women. Lines and folds can be targeted with a range of filling and bio stimulating products to soften lines and rejuvenate. With ongoing maintenance these procedures can hold back the signs of ageing as well as conditioning and optimising skin health. Fine lines around the eyes, across the forehead and around the mouth can be treated as well as deeper lines and folds at the side of the mouth and in the lower face. Whatever the concern, facial contouring using dermal fillers and bio-stimulating products can treat a range of indications
Dermal Fillers– Dermal Fillers are commonly used for facial contouring procedures due to their versatility and safety profile. However, there are many different dermal fillers on the market, and not all meet the exacting safety standards. At Jonathan Britto Clinic we use top of the range dermal fillers of patented technology which deliver superior results – safely and naturally.
Most dermal fillers are composed of a soft gel hyaluronic acid that can be moulded and manipulated to naturally contour, restore and enhancing volume. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring molecule found in the body and is essential for skin hydration.
Using the highest-grade hyaluronic acid ensures the safety and sterility of the products which have limited risks when used by skilled surgeons.
Hyaluronic acids dermal fillers come in a variety of gel thicknesses to suit different clinical indications. giving results that last between 6 to 18 months.
Sculptra– Often referred to as the ‘liquid face lift’ Sculptra is a unique bio-stimulator that works with your skin’s natural ability to generate collagen. Collagen is the skin’s natural ‘scaffolding’ giving it form, shape and suppleness.
Ageing brings about many unwanted changes in appearance and the causes of ageing are from both internal and external factors. Natural collagen biosynthesis slows down with every passing year with the loss of skin plumpness and vibrance.
Sculptra initiates the production of collagen to improve upon natural volume and support to ageing or volume depleted skin, with improvement to skin quality and texture.
The results of Sculptra are seen over a period of 6 to 8 weeks of improving skin quality, firmness and subtle volumisation.
Results last between 12 to 24 months.
The recovery period will be dependent on the area treated and with most of the procedures there is no recovery period. Some patients leave with minimal swelling and can comfortably return to work and home life immediately.
Others can have more noticeable signs of swelling and sometimes bruising. While this is rare it would be best to plan this procedure in a time when a short period of recovery could be taken if required.
This will be dependent on a number of factors; the products used, the area of the face treated and the patient’s own metabolism of the product. At the Jonathan Britto clinic we maintain good quality follow-up with our patients and will respond with further treatment as the request arises.
Once a good correction has been achieved, facial contouring procedures can last between 6 to 24 months with maintenance treatments giving longer lasting results.
Safety with facial fillers, and injectable skin conditioning treatments is determined by a function of the quality of the product, and the clinical skills of the team
At the Jonathan Britto clinic, we use the highest-grade hyaluronic acid fillers, and injectable bio-stimulators from certified suppliers and we complete regular audits, generating statistical data on safety and quality of treatments. This gives our patients the reassurance they are being looked after safely.
Filler and bio-stimulator treatments require skills and precision in the same manner as surgery, and Jonathan conducts them with the same professionalism, skills, and commitment as he does his surgical practice.
Filler treatments change the internal physiology of the skin, the pressure within the skin, and the blood supply to the skin. The majority of the risks from this treatment therefore arise from poor injecting techniques that may cause permanent damage. It is crucial to seek treatment by experienced medical professionals to avoid complications.
Yes.
In a more youthful version! Our patients don’t want to look different they just want to look the best they can be.
By skilfully working with the natural architecture of your face, beautifully natural contoured results can be achieved.
In the hands of a skilled injector injectable treatments in any part of the face or body should be a tolerable treatment with minimal discomfort. Patients pain thresholds vary and for those who are less tolerant we can numb the skin with topical cream before the treatment to make the treatment even more comfortable.
As with all injectables, injection technique plays a big part in the comfort of this treatment along with using the highest quality needles. Many of the products we use contain a local anaesthetic so as the treatment progresses it becomes even more tolerable. It is extremely rare for any of our patients to comment that they have felt ‘pain’. Of course, we all appreciate a hand to hold!
Whether it be a single treatment or in combination with other medical aesthetic treatments or surgical procedures, we take the time to achieve a result that brings out the best version of you.
– Jonathan Britto –
