Hello and welcome to my first beauty treatment related post since lockdown, feels weird even saying that to be honest. I like many, have been nervous to get out and about and frequent my favourite places in light of recent events but if I was going to do it, it was going to be with someone I trust!
With businesses re-opening and restrictions lifting I started to get excited about getting back to my regular beauty treatments and emerging from lockdown a little more polished, so The Laser and Skin clinic was first up on the agenda.
You’ve heard me speak about Anna and the team plenty on here and on Instagram, and how incredible and knowledgeable she is, and I had been in her Dublin clinic just before all the madness.
Precautionary and Hygiene Measures
More important than my need for beauty treatments was my need to feel safe. Knowing Anna and the team for years and how hygienic her clinic has been prior to this, I knew she would have only the best measures in place.
These include:
- COVID-19 Pre-Screening Checklist completed before arriving
- Temperature check in clinic
- Hand sanitising station upon arrival
- Designated areas in reception to allow for social distancing
- Minimal number of clients in the clinic at one time
- Masks and gloves provided upon arrival
- Markings and HSE guidelines and information around the clinic
With all of the above I felt super safe, and I never saw one other client while I was there, they take on less clients to allow for this and time between appointments for extra cleaning. So I was more than comfortable about having my treatments and this level of safety and hygiene continued throughout my appointment.
My Skin Concerns
So, for me I had a couple of skin concerns which I chatted through with Anna. In addition to getting a small top up on my lip filler (It had been well over a year since my last top up) I also have a deep set wrinkle between my eyebrows that to be honest, I was sick of looking at on Zoom meetings. It’ doesn’t just appear when I make expressions, it’s now always there and has become quite prominent. My makeup sits into it too particularly as it is also one of the only areas of my face that I apply powder to so not ideal and there’s no hiding it. I am guilty of hiding it with filters though, thank you Instagram.
In addition to that bad boy, I also have some small expression lines in a few places and I’m missing a bit of volume in my cheeks as I get older. I also have some scarring on my upper lip and it has left what looks like a wrinkle on either side of my mouth which I hate.
My Treatments
So here I am with this list of things in my head and as I start to tell Anna my concerns she knew straight away what I was going to say. She just gets you, and understands that certain things can be pain points and affect your confidence. She has so much knowledge on skin and the natural ageing process and how that can of course have an impact. So she talked me through my options and put together a plan of action, I genuinely don’t know how her brain retains so much information, she’s like an encyclopaedia, no joke. But what I love is the plain english analogies she gives so that I have a full understanding and can make an informed decision.
Cheek Area – Belotero Volume – sometimes we lose the fat padding or it moved downwards so we look flat or tired, replacing what’s missing gives volume and support to the mid face structures.
Lips – Belotero Shape – used this on the border to give support and shape, I’ve used this for years and it lasts so well compared to others I’ve used int the past elsewhere.
Glabella Area (fine lines between eyebrows) – Belotero Contour – this can be treated with Botox but fillers can also be used to soften frown lines, Anna used this to soften the superficial lines
Side of Mouth – Belotero Contour – used this to soften the lines from expression and movement
Eye Area – Sunekos 200 – used to treat the eye area for crepy skin, fine lines and dehydration. This stimulates fibroblasts to produce your own collagen and elastin in areas where movement causes lines and wrinkles. It also rehydrates the skin by attracting water to plump and hydrate. It builds support and resistance within your skin to prevent ageing and it can be used in areas dermal filler can’t, especially around eyes.
Did my Treatments Hurt
Anna placed numbing cream on the areas where she was going to be injecting the treatments so without this I imagine of course there would be some pain. For the Belotero treatments this didn’t hurt me personally, slight pinch when the needle enters the skin but that’s about it, everyone has a different pain threshold though so this will absolutely depend on that. For the Sunekos 100, as you can see from the photos it looked like mini bee stings and they felt like exactly that, quick small sting jabs but it felt quite nice – maybe I’m weird but I kind of enjoyed it.
Aftermath
So afterwards those bee skin bumps pretty much disappeared shortly after I left so I didn’t look like an extra from Avatar for the day, however my face where I got the Belotero treatments were a little swollen and a little tender as the numbing cream wore off, so it was probably for the best I didn’t have to go on Zoom camera later that day, I stuck to voice only for my meetings! This will of course depend on the treatments you get done, for lips I have always went straight back to the office in the past. The next morning I was back on Zoom video meetings and no-one noticed a thing.
The Result
I think what my other half said when he saw me is how I would sum it up. You look exactly the same but without that wrinkle between your eyebrows. And that’s exactly the result I wanted! I want to look ‘the same’ to others, I want to always look like me, no matter the treatment, and it is why I love Anna’s work on my lips because they always look natural, no-one ever thinks I have had fillers. But it goes to show though that the deep set wrinkle between my eyebrows was not in my imagination, and I wouldn’t mind if it was there only at times when I made an expression, but it was permanently there, and now it’s gone! (Bye Bye!) The next morning the swelling was almost gone, and I had full movement in my face too, and I look fresh! Pandemic? What pandemic! I look like time stood still and I’ve not aged at all, with little to no stress these past few months. Fab!
Cost
Cost wise this will of course depend on the treatments you go with, and the ml used etc, but for me, the Boletero Volume on my cheeks cost €350, the Boletero Intense on my Lips €350, the Boletero Balance 0.6 on Glabella lines €250 and the Sunekos on eye area cost €300.
How long does it last and how often do you need to get it done?
Filler lasts on average 6 – 9months, depending where it is placed it can dissolve quicker or slower. Areas such as the mouth will be likely to dissolve faster as this area of the face has a lot more movement compared to the chin or jaw.
All Filler can be topped up during the 6 – 9months, this would be to achieve a greater result with more product. This is completely dependent on the person and how their body reacts and dissolves dermal filler. The Laser and Skin Clinic will treat dependent on your first results, being sure to never over treat.
For the Sunekos on the eye area, initial course of 4 treatments every 2 – 4 weeks and then it is advised to have a maintenance of 1 session every 4 – 9 months to continue collagen stimulation.
The Difference between Dermal Filler and Botox
I am absolutely delighted with myself now and my fresher look, especially having addressed concerns that were particularly impacting my confidence. Of course there are still some other bits that need seeing to over time, I have scarring on my upper lip (I’ll get into what that’s about another day) and my neck that I neglected when it came to skin care has now started to age, but those bits are a work in progress and I do need to accept that as I get older I will start noticing more and more things but under Anna’s guidance and care I know I’m in good hands.
In regards safety, my nerves were gone as soon as I stepped into Anna’s clinic given the safety and precautionary measures she has in place. I have been so super careful and I have also been working from home since March and ordering everything online, so I’ve been in my own bubble so starting to get treatments again was a big step for me. I’m sure many of you are in the same boat but rest assured, if you book with The Laser and Skin Clinic (Dublin, Mullingar, Athlone) you are in really great (very washed and sanitised!) hands.
The Laser and Skin Clinic has a fab competition at the moment over on their Instagram and keep an eye out over the month of October as they may or may not have a sale on injectables that I’ve mentioned here…stay tuned!
AJ x