Facial volume & shaping
By law in Australia, we aren't allowed to advertise the brand names of any medicines - including the brands of any products used by cosmetic injectors.
Depending on your age, sex, ethnicity and features, every face is different and this is why there are no set prices or generic treatments advertised.
In your consultation Nurse Sarah will aim to get an understanding of your 'wants' (what you think you might like) vs your anatomical 'needs' (what he recommends based on your clinical photos and facial examination). Sometimes these marry up nicely and sometimes they don't, so each consultation aims to help you understand your face, your anatomy and what the treatment possibilities are that will leave you looking natural.
Every face is special and therefore a treatment plan is often mapped out over a period of time to help you achieve holistic results whilst also managing your budget.
Why can't I get a quote before I book?
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New patients often want to know a ballpark price of what their treatment will be before they book in. And that's totally understandable as you'll want to know if your budget covers what's needed.
But each and every face is completely different. Until you've had an in depth consultation, it's really impossible to know how much a treatments might be required or what technique might be required. Nurse Sarah recommends that new patients come with an open mind to try and understand facial aesthetics properly instead of only focusing on the price or over-simplified outcomes. This is why 60 minutes is dedicated to all new patients and I don't advertise specific treatments.
Facial aesthetics and injectables are more complicated still and it would be completely wrong to quote you a price before you've been consulted and had an in depth examination of your anatomy.
Facial volume & shaping
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In your consultation various options will be discussed depending on your needs. Some common themes often include how to help:
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- reduce signs of looking angry
- wanting to look more feminine or masculine
- wanting to look more contoured
Facial aesthetics and the signs of facial aging are complex. Nurse Sarah rarely focuses on individual facial areas alone because this quite simplistic approach can risk looking disjointed, jarring or 'obvious' - for example treating the lips in isolation when the rest of the face doesn't match.
It's been said that a beautiful result from a skilled injector should be appreciated but not necessarily 'seen' - meaning that you should appear to look rested, youthful and vibrant but what was done remains a secret. This is why you can't tell if someone with a good result has had or not, but oppositely those with more obvious treatments tend to be viewed more negatively.
Consultations
New patient filler consultations +/- treatments = 60 mins.
​Existing patient consultations + treatments = 45 mins.
Outstanding satisfaction
In Nurse Sarah's hands the results of fillers are immediate & long-lasting with minimal downtime.
Full face indications
Common areas of concern include the cheeks, under eyes, lips, chin & jawline.
Excellent longevity
Nurse Sarah will suggest the right amount of product for each facial region. Products tend to last far longer than patients often realise and Nurse Sarah will guide you each time to avoid looking over-done or unnatural.
Downtime & aftercare
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Downtime
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Every patient who has facial volume replacement will experience a degree of swelling, tenderness +/- bruising. One to two weeks of mild down time will always occur after these treatments and this is a normal soft tissue response to the needles used and product added.​
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This downtime period should be factored into your diary, work arrangements and social life before you commit to a treatment. The vast majority of Nurse Sarah's patients will happily go to work the next day with no problems but new patients are reminded that these treatments are medical procedures and not simple beauty treatments. ​
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For firmer products (often placed in the chin or jawline) you will be able to feel the filler under the skin for four or so weeks before becoming softer.
Aftercare
You can go back to your normal daily activities after a treatment except for a few important instructions:​
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Do not place any makeup, bronzer, fake tan, skin products, serums, sunscreen or similar for at least 12 hours after a treatment. Fillers are injectable implants and it's vital to avoid any risk of infection.​
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Do not massage or rub the areas injected until any tenderness has subsided. This also includes not doing treatments like having a facial, lying down on a table massage or similar. You should let any swelling subside before these. It's also best to avoid any significant heat including laser/radio-frequency treatments, saunas, hot yoga, etc.​
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It's best to avoid doing any sports, exercise or vigorous activity for 24-48 hours afterwards. This will allow the initial swelling after fillers to start improving and reduce your chances of any delayed bruising (as raising your blood pressure and core temperature significantly increase blood flow to the skin).​
What if I think I have a problem or need to be seen after my filler treatment?
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Nurse Sarah offers complimentary 30 minute filler reviews for her patients and this can be booked online yourself. If you're experiencing anything outside of what's listed above or you're simply not sure, please just contact Sarah directly.
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can contact the clinic.
Facial volume FAQ's
What are these?
Ageing, exposure to UV light and our genes will eventually cause the skin to lose its elasticity and volume. This leads to lines, hollows and sagging of the skin. This can leave areas of the face looking tired or sunken.
We can help restore volume and shape to the face with specific injectable treatments - improving specific features like hollowing, sagging and a drawn look. We can also highlight features of the face such as emphasising the shape of the cheekbones, projecting and defining the chin or even improving the shape of the nose.
These treatments are incredibly versatile and in your consultation, your options will be explored.
What are fillers for?
A filler is an injectable gel that we can use to provide structure, contour or shape to an area of the tissues. Modern fillers are made from a natural sugar molecule that we already have in our skin - so we're simply replacing what's been lost or augmenting what you already have.
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Most fillers come in a 1 millilitre (ml), pre-filled syringe - this is a standard amount of filler. How many ml's of filler you need is completely variable and you'll be guided in your consultation as to what volume of filler and budget you might require.
Why are facial volume or facial shaping treatments done?
Facial ageing is characterised by predictable changes and as we age, our faces 'deflate'. These areas of the face tend to become flatter, hollower or saggier as a result and this is what injectors call 'volume loss'. Some areas of the face tend to age faster than others, leading to predictable changes and hollows.
By targeting these areas with fillers and specialised techniques, we can:
- restore a more youthful facial shape
- revolumise areas that have become flatter or deflated
- soften hollows
- provide definition to specific areas like the lips
- lift certain areas of the face
- blend or camouflage particularly problematic issues like the jowls or eye bags ​
Sometimes it's hard for patients to understand what's happened to their face over time. They see it every day and the changes are very slow and progressive. But if we imagine a baby's face, it's obviously very plump with large firm cheeks and no signs of sagging or wrinkles at all. In contrast, an 100 year old patient will obviously have signs of hollowing, sagging and volume loss to the entire face. So by definition we're all somewhere in the middle of these extremes and subtle changes that get more obvious over time will always occur.
What happens to our faces as we age?
Facial aging isn't random - there are predictable changes that happen sequentially to all of us including:
1) a decrease in the amount of fat that supports the face. This leads to a loss of contour, hollows and less definition of the face. Our cheeks deflate slowly, our lips become thinner and the lower face in particular becomes saggier ​
2) the bony skeleton also changes, leading to deeper eye sockets, flatter cheeks, a less defined jaw and a chin that slowly receeds ​
3) the overlying skin looses its firmness and thickness, leading to fine lines and increased sagging. ​ With these basic facts in mind, fillers can help improve these features by restoring the anatomy of the face back to a more youth configuration. By restoring support to the fat compartments and bony structure of the face, we can lift and shape the facial areas to look naturally improved.
How long do facial volumising and facial shaping treatments last?
The results of these treatments often last much longer than patients think. Typical outcomes can be seen 12-24 months or longer and these can be tracked using clinical photos. The longevity of a result depends on the area treated, the initial degree of volume loss initially and your own metabolism.
Patients very often forget their starting point (pre-treatment) and then ask for more and more in the future. Nurse Sarah will guide her patient on what best suits them to avoid the consequences of too much filler or looking 'done'. Every face has different needs and this is why a consultation is needed prior to deciding what should be recommended.
Studies using MRI have shown that fillers can last in the tissue for far longer than 24 months (maybe even 5-10 years), but the important take away is that the visible results do not last as long as this. This is why repeated, periodic treatments (over several years) are typically required for the best outcomes.
What are the aftercare instructions after fillers?
You can go back to your normal daily activities after a treatment except for a few important instructions:
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1) Do not place any makeup, bronzer, fake tan, skin. products, serums, sunscreen or similar for at least 12 hours after a treatment. Fillers are injectable implants and it's vital to avoid any risk of infection.
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2) Do not massage or rub the areas injected until any tenderness has subsided. This also includes not doing treatments like having a facial, lying down on a table massage or similar. You should let any swelling subside before these. It's also best to avoid any significant heat including laser/radio-frequency treatments, saunas, hot yoga, etc.
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3) It's best to avoid doing any sports, exercise or vigorous activity for 24-48 hours afterwards. This will allow the initial swelling after fillers to start improving and reduce your chances of any delayed bruising (as raising your blood pressure and core temperature significantly increase blood flow to the skin).
What if I need to be seen after a filler treatment?
Nurse Sarah offers complimentary 30 minute filler reviews for her patients and this can be booked online yourself. This is best utilised 2-3 weeks after your treatment unless it is an emergency.
