Having personally injected patients for over 17 years, I have had the opportunity to experience and participate in a field that is rapidly growing and ever changing. As the years have gone by, I have not only contributed to the launch of a number of exciting new injectables, but I have also seen a trend towards a more thoughtful and deliberate shaping of the face using these new fillers and toxins.
When I began in early 2000, we were really just filling lines and wrinkles. At that time, collagen was the staple filler. Our products were good (but not great) and our technique and injectable plans were anything but organized. We were simply reacting to the face and filling and plumping where we saw fit.
Flash forward to 2017, and the rules have completely changed. While the vast majority of injectors across the world are still performing one-off treatments (e.g.: lips alone, cheeks alone, etc.), there are a growing number of highly-skilled injectors thoughtfully mapping out treatment plans for their clients and constructing a more comprehensive approach to facial rejuvenation, which extends far beyond simple lines and wrinkles. In response to this exciting new direction, we are proud to announce our new campaign, aptly named “Visualize the V.”
The youthful face is characterized by a V-shaped appearance. The base of the V begins at the chin point and extends upward and outward (laterally) to the light-reflecting points of the cheeks. The V-shaped face has a narrowed jawline. This is critical, as a squared-off jawline lends itself to a more masculine appearance. Finally, within the lower portion of the V, there is an appropriate amount of volume around the mouth. This includes not only the red lips themselves, but also the surrounding tissue.
To effectively create this V-shaped appearance and achieve optimal facial rejuvenation, we incorporate the following steps:
- Volume replacement to the cheeks: this is the first and most critical step. Without appropriate volume to the cheeks, the face becomes bottom-weighted along the jawline, which then flips the V upside down. By adding appropriate volume to the mid-face, more focus is placed on the cheeks and the eyes, reconstructing the beautiful S-shaped curve along the upper cheek to the lower cheek to the jawline below.
- Narrowing of the jawline: using a product such as Botox® Cosmetic, we can predictably reduce the size of the masseter muscle, which ultimately contributes a majority of the volume to the angle and body of the mandible to create a more prominent jawline. Since many of us grind our teeth on a regular basis, we are seeing jawline prominence more than ever before. By narrowing the jawline, we create a more feminized and balanced facial appearance.
- Volume to the lips and surrounding areas: for many patients, adding lip volume is one of the scariest procedures, because it has so often been associated with an overdone, over-projected look. But, in the hands of an experienced injector, subtle results can be achieved to gently plump out the lips and fill in surrounding lip lines. We are seeing a growing number of patients looking for a subtle enhancement and have been very pleased with newer fillers such as Volbella XC and Vollure XC, which are incredibly smooth, last longer, and provide a result that actually looks natural.
- Volume to the chin point: one of the easiest ways to lengthen your jawline and create a more refined look to the bottom-center of your face is to add a small amount of volume to your chin point. Although this is the least commonly performed part of the V-campaign, it is often one of the most effective endpoints for patients who present with a small or recessed chin.
What does Visualize the V look like?
We are currently compiling before/after results from patients who have completed the “Visualize the V” procedure and will be posting these very soon. In the meantime, we’d like to show you some very subtle and natural results we have obtained for some of our other filler patients.
Enhancing youthful features at age 24
Our first patient is a 24-year-old female who presented for facial rejuvenation. She wasn’t really sure what she wanted, but felt that she needed something to help reverse early age-related changes. To help create a more balanced look for her face, we did the following:
- Cheek Refinement (Voluma XC x 1 cc)
- Lip Refinement (Vollure XC x 1 cc)
Rejuvenating the lips & mouth at age 57
Our next patient is a 57-year-old female who was bothered by loss of volume to her lips as well as lines around her mouth. She wanted treatment, but desired a result that looked natural. To meet her goals, we performed the following:
- Lip Refinement (Volbella XC x 0.55 cc)
- Treatment of lip lines and wrinkles (Volbella XC x 1.1 cc)
Boosting lip volume at age 36
Our next patient is a 36-year-old female who wanted lip enhancement, but who was nervous about looking overdone. As such, she asked for very subtle improvement in volume and that is what we gave her:
- Lip Refinement (Volbella XC x 0.55 cc)
Comprehensive lower face rejuvenation at age 49
Our final patient is a wonderful 49-year-old female who was bothered by volume loss, lines and wrinkles to the middle of her brow as well as around her mouth. To help fill in these superficial lines, we did the following:
- Procerus crease/marionette lines/superficial nasolabial folds (Belotero Balance x 4 cc)
Ready to see what fillers can do for you? Now’s a great time to get started.
Thanks again for your continued support. We would love to introduce you to our new facial rejuvenation approach and are looking for potential models. If you are interested, we have a small number of spots available on a first-come basis at a greatly reduced rate. To learn more or reserve your place, please call us at 303-951-5829 or email us directly at shazia@beautybybuford.com
See you soon!