Sometimes I get a question to which I want to answer "no."
Do I do the same or take a little more time to work with the client to see what she or he wants to achieve?
A few examples: what I see as a beautiful young woman of 25 who wants her (beautifully tight) jawline changed to one she found in a Social Media photo. A woman of 35 with lips that have visibly already had quite a few milliliters of filler placed and asks for more volume but still "natural"....
And also less extreme examples: a 40-year-old woman asking for treatment of frown lines, forehead lines and crow's feet with the comment added "that it should be completely tight." More on the latter example in the next blog.
Nothing is easier than doing what is asked but for me also nothing more unsatisfactory than doing my job that way.
With the young woman of 25 I started the conversation: why did she want this, what had she had done before and what would she want to achieve with it? It is important to take the time for this, to find the question behind the question and to look together at the photos she brought along and the photos we took of her. Together we consulted, discussed what is technically possible and what it might mean for her look. We also had a nice conversation about being unique. Do you think she ended up getting herself treated...?
Also asking about natural lip fillers in an already unnaturally filled lip, I entered the conversation. In this I explained to her that research has shown that we quickly come to regard the "new" look as "normal. In one study, subjects were shown 5 lips, increasing in volume. They were asked which they liked best and then the subjects were asked to look at a picture with extremely full lips for some time. Then they were asked again which lips they rated as most beautiful. After seeing the extremely plumped lips, the subjects immediately shifted to a slightly plumper lip. In other words, when you see your own filled lips every day, there is a good chance that afterwards you will want even more filled lips that we know by now hardly anyone likes.
All of these factors weigh into your client's education and are thus "customized."
Treatment with injectables is not a standard "you ask, we turn" treatment. Important aspects are attention to the client, discussion of the goals the client wants to achieve and honest education about feasibility in which all aspects of treatment and results are discussed.
That is why I am so happy to work in a clinic where attention and time for the client are paramount.
And.... answer the question in the title of this blog: No, tighter is certainly not always prettier!
Nicolette Vermeulen
Aesthetic physician
