Here we will take a closer look into why your results with injectables may not always be perfect and why it’s so important to follow up with your provider.
Imagine this; you book an appointment with the best rated medical spa in town for your first time getting Botox. When you get there you decide to also go ahead and get that lip filler you always wanted.
After the visit, you feel great, your lips look amazing and you are so excited for the results to set in. In about two weeks all of your lines are gone, your forehead is perfect, brows are evenly lifted, smile is refreshed. And those lips! No more swelling or bumps, perfect, even, shape and size. You didn’t even get a single bruise! This is what everyone has been raging about, why did you even wait so long?! …Problem is, you are probably dreaming. Not every client, not even most, get a perfect result with their first treatment.
The majority of the time, this has nothing to do with the injector either. The thing is, everyone is different! This means different anatomy, different muscle strength, different healing times, and of course different preferences.
As a provider, I always do my best to educate my clients and explain clearly what to expect. Even in doing so, things can come up that were not discussed or forgotten. A client may be concerned about an area of swelling. He or she might feel the product did not work as intended or not at all. These are things that can all be address by a follow up visit. We ask for our clients to inform us if there are any concerns at all. In these instances we are able to reassess, correct if needed, reassure, and continue to monitor.
Unfortunately, this does not always occur. For whatever reason, the client just stays quiet, unhappy with their treatment, waiting for effects to wear off. Or they go to get a second opinion, where they will end up spending more money and possibly still end up unhappy with the results. Aside from wanting our clients to be satisfied with their result, this is also a very important safety measure.
Injectables are very effective in addressing signs of aging and enhancing beauty. However, despite using an evidenced based approach, there is still some trial and error. I feel that this is not discussed often enough. Below is a more realistic example of what some new clients may experience.
I had a young gentleman come in for first time toxin treatment. He had no static lines with moderate muscle strength. Since this was his first treatment I discussed standard or more conservative dosing with follow up to monitor response. The client did have a great result in some areas with persistent lines higher up on the forehead, where we added more product. He did end up coming back for one more touch up prior to getting the result desired. This client was kind, and understanding.
After these visits I was able to learn his anatomy and dose more accurately, and due to the response I saw, suggested an alternate product. Upon return for full re-treatment with the alternate product and dosing, the client had exactly the response he was looking for. Since then he has had excellent, predictable results with each visit. I am so thankful that he returned for follow up and allowed the time to find the right regimen.
Another simpler, shorter example would be a client coming in wanting a lift in her brows. After treatment she notices that the left brow has a sharp peak and crease above with raise while the right has a nice, natural curve. The client is discovered to have a stronger muscle pull on the one side. She is treated with a small dose (at no charge) to correct the imbalance.
My hope is that this information helps to further educate our clients and shed some light on why they may not get that perfect result every time. This also helps to explain why we often tell clients to stay with the same office/injector if possible.
Most importantly, do not be afraid to follow up after a visit if you do have any questions or concerns.
