If you’re like me your skin care routine has come a long way over the years. There seems to be a natural progression that most girls and woman experience – from using toners and blackhead strips in our teen years, to shopping at the Myer Cosmetic Counter in our 20’s and 30’s where all the products are ‘clinically proven’ (they must work!). I don’t think any of us expect miracles but it would be nice if these expensive products actually delivered the results they promise. Disappointingly this usually is not the case. Sure the products look and smell beautiful but the truth is most of these creams, serums and masks rarely deliver anything more than this.
So what else is there?
There are probably many people (perhaps not those reading this blog) who are thinking ‘who cares!?’ ‘move on’ ‘be happy in your own skin’ ‘beauty is on the inside’ (blah blah blah). The truth is, preserving, rejuvenating and restoring our beauty gives us self confidence. It has an immeasurable effect on self esteem which encourages our best work in our careers, in our personal relationships, not to mention the day to day inner peace that feeling your best affords you. Surely there was more out there… Enter the world of cosmetic medicine – specifically cosmetic injectables and laser medicine, the Holy Grails of the cosmetic industry that absolutely deliver what they promise. To manage your expectations, I should tell you that you really need to understand your areas of skin concern before entering this world but once you do the possibilities are endless.
Is cosmetic medicine the way forward?
Many of us associate cosmetic medicine with hyper-inflated lips, the dreaded Kardashians, and foreheads where expression is a thing of the past, but it can’t be all bad right? How is it that celebrities like Reese Witherspoon at aged 40 and Charlise Theron and age 41 look like carefully preserved versions of their former selves at 28. There is a reason, namely, advances in cosmetic medicine that once were taboo but are now very much a part of the average woman’s (and man’s) beauty routine. We’re all familiar with work colleagues, friends, next door neighbours who say ‘I don’t want to look 20 I just want to look good for my age’ And there’s those who say ‘I swore I’d never be one of those people who gets this done!’. These are the people who at age 25 resigned themselves to a life of only ever needing supermarket moisturiser because they don’t want to become one of ‘those people’. People can be scathing when it comes to vanity but the truth is Australians attitudes towards non surgical cosmetic procedures are changing. According to a recent survey by Cosmetic Physicians of Australia, 1 in 4 people had undergone a procedure in the last month and another 3rd of people were considering one (source: http://spaandclinic.com.au/2016/09/changing-face-a…) and why wouldn’t we love it, with advances in laser treatments and cosmetic injectables (products and techniques), the possibilities for improving your look are infinite. Non-invasive cosmetic procedures are now main stream, everyone’s doing it so you may as well jump on the band wagon.
Top tips for cosmetic medicine starters
Get an assessment
Come in and talk to the experts! Some cosmetic clinics are owned and run by Doctors. Yes! Cosmetic medicine is an actual science with good scientific evidence supporting many of the treatments on offer. If you don’t believe me, ask them for it. Reputable cosmetic clinics will be happy to share summaries of the evidence behind their treatments if their clients request it. Yes, like most things in life, the effects of cosmetic treatments vary but the last thing reputable clinics want is a room full of angry clients who did not get what they paid for. They’ll work with you to understand what it is that concerns you about your skin and go their hardest to pair you with the right treatment.