3 popular misconceptions examined.
Myth: Lip injections result in puffy “fish lips”
FACT: An overdone pucker is easy to spot, but lip injections done well are less conspicuous and they aren’t always about pumping up the volume. Collagen-based fillers such as Restylane can restore upper lips that have thinned due to aging, but they can also create shape, such as defining the cupid’s bow and turning the outer corners of the lip up, according to Dr. Wendy Tink of Vive Rejuvenation. Results depend on the angle of the injection needle, as well as where and how much. “It’s like makeup,” explains Tink. “If there is too much it looks silly and contrived and is not good.”
Myth: All lasers are created equal
FACT: There are two main types of resurfacing lasers, CO2 and Erbium: YSGG (Yttrium-Scandium-Gallium Garnet). Both achieve similar results, including reducing fine lines, pigment and surface scarring, but the latter uses newer technology and a wavelength that can target deeper layers of the skin, with less damage to the outer lay-er of skin and surrounding tissue.
According to Penny Grieg, a laser technician at Heritage Pointe Medical Aesthetics, YSGG lasers such as the Cutera Pearl Fractional cause less oozing, bleeding and pain. The deeper penetration also means fewer treatments and quicker healing with three to four days of social downtime, compared to the two weeks needed for the older CO2 lasers.
Myth: Botox eliminates facial expression
FACT: It is possible to raise your eyebrows, smile and frown after Botox
treatments if it is done by injecting the right amount of the purified protein
into the correct muscle. Dr. Kristina Zakhary, who runs a private practice in both Calgary and Toronto, says, “When Botox is put into the muscle, its job is to relax the muscle by 50 percent or more so that the skin on top of the muscle doesn’t get wrinkles.” This leaves opportunity for facial expression and movement. The results should be a refreshed but not frozen look. Of course, all treatments are tailored according to the patient’s wishes — if they don’t want their face to move, Zakhary says, doctors can increase the dosages. So if you want the Nicole Kidman look, it’s yours for the asking.
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