By Victoria Stube
In the age of the internet, it’s no secret that misinformation quickly grows legs and runs rampant – especially within the beauty industry. That’s the sentiment behind Ask a NP: To clear up any misinformation about cosmetic procedures using facts, debunk common myths, and help anyone reading make an informed decision prior to going under the needle.
In this edition, we’ll be speaking with Fiona Vierneza – a master injector and Nurse Practitioner here at Plastic Surgery of Short Hills – about everything injectable. I’ll be using my own questions and utilizing myths I’ve gathered from social media, friends, and family – But if you have questions of your own, please email them to [email protected] to be submitted for the next!
So, Fiona. True or false: Your face ages, but filler does not, causing the skin to droop around it as you grow older.
“False. Because filler metabolizes similarly to natural hyaluronic acids that exist in the body, it dissipates over time just as our own does – This natural process wouldn’t allow for it to be permanent or last long enough to see the effects described. However, while fillers provide undeniable results on their own, you will see far more improvement and less risk of inconsistency when paired with a skin treatment.”
Interesting! I think there’s a lot of confusion surrounding the permanence of fillers due to the unnecessary stigma of having “work done”, causing people to hide their procedures from the public.
True or False: ‘Tox makes your face expressionless and “frozen”.
“False. Depending on your goals, consult, and assessment – Your ‘tox treatments will be completely customized and certainly won’t result in a ‘freeze’.”
True or False: There’s a ‘tox injection for migraine headaches.
“True. There’s actually a lot of non-aesthetic purposes for ‘tox many people are unaware of. Migraine headaches, neck pain, and teeth clenching/grinding are some of the most common issues that can be treated with ‘tox.”
True or false: Injectables like ‘tox and fillers cause scarring to the face.
“False. Similar to a shot or even drawing blood, the needle used does not cause any damage to the skin that could result in scarring.”
True or false: You can fix under eye bags with filler.
“True and False. While under-eye wrinkles and hollowness can be treated with injectables in the eye trough to camouflage the appearance of eye bags, the eye bag itself would require a surgical procedure to remove.”
True or false: Lip fillers cause a permanent “duck lip” or stiffness that is unnatural.
“False. Lip fillers are highly customizable based on both your desired result, and an assessment of what is possible while still looking and feeling your best. Here, we use a specific type of filler for the lips with a much higher viscosity than what we’d inject into the rest of your face for a much more flexible feel and softer appearance.”
Based on what I’ve gathered so far, it seems the main concern about injectables is an unnatural aesthetic – But what I’ve learned is every ‘tox and filler done by the right person will be done with careful precision to meet your specific goals. So, while it’s possible to have a “fake” appearance post-procedure, the only instance that would happen with a master injector is if you specifically requested it.
Plastic Surgery of Short Hills, for example, specializes in natural-looking results from the neck up. Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all method, the PSSH team takes pride in creating a realistic plan for your desired results and custom-tailoring every poke and prod to the natural shape of your face. Our master injectors, like Fiona, value honesty and solid client relationships above all – Especially a quick sale.