Chronic sun exposure causes the skin to become damaged through various mechanisms. The oxidative stress caused by the sun breaks down collagen-a protein that gives skin it’s strength. This causes wrinkles and causes the skin to become more lax.

Chronic sun exposure can also cause solar lentigines, or small light brown spots, to appear. In addition it increases the DNA damage to your skin cells and eventually can lead to skin cancer.

A good sunscreen and skincare routine using medical grade skincare such as ZO will help protect your skin from sun damage and subsequently signs of ageing.

There is no age limit for having treatments, but it should not be used for cosmetic reasons on people under the age of 18.

Adapting a suitable skin regime, wearing daily sun protection (SPF 30 or more) from a young age, limiting alcohol consumption, and avoiding smoking cigarettes should be more of a priority for a younger person before they even consider dermal fillers or facial injections.

Whilst anti-wrinkle injections are a great option for smoothing fine lines and wrinkles as we age, there are many ways in which the signs of ageing can be reduced if we are diligent and smart with our skincare and maintain a healthy lifestyle from the get-go.

There is no upper age limit for having these treatments—they are equally functional however old you are. However, as you age, wrinkles become more set in and this lessens the effect that the treatment has on your appearance.

As we age we lose volume in the face which can contribute to marionette lines and nasolabial folds forming, our cheeks flatten and we lose volume under the eyes.

Crows feet, frown lines and forehead lines on the face become deeper and more noticeable.

Lost volume can be restored with small amounts of injectable hyaluronic acid filler to gently ‘plump’ out the hollow areas and anti-wrinkle injections can soften the lines on the face whilst keeping the results natural.

Anti-wrinkle treatments can offer an ideal way to improve what you already have, rather than completely transform your looks. However, you’ll need to manage your expectations. ‘Tweakments’ are not going to make a 60 year old look 30, but it will make a difference and help to slow down the formation of wrinkles and make you appear more refreshed and rested.

As we age, our skin deteriorates, our faces lose volume and fullness, and with that lack of volume, our faces tend to descend.

The eye region specifically is affected by the descent and volume loss that occurs with ageing. Our upper eyelids and eyebrows can become heavy and droop.

By restoring lost volume in the face, it is possible to reverse these effects.

Wrinkle reduction injections can be given for the treatment of wrinkles that appear when moving the face and Hyaluronic acid dermal fillers can be used either to replace lost volume due to ageing, fill out deep lines or wrinkles, or to improve individual facial features (e.g. lip enhancement).

Tailored ZO skincare programmes, which can include peels help to restore the skin.

For our anti – wrinkle injections we use very small needles with very little pressure to ensure the least discomfort.

Topical anaesthetic is applied before dermal filler treatments either in the form of a cream or dental infiltration injections. This really helps with any discomfort associated with dermal fillers.

Advances in dermal filler products means that some products now contain a numbing agent to help numb the treated area simultaneously during treatment proven to aid client comfort.

The filler treatments can also be performed using a micro-cannula which is more comfortable for our patients.

The doses used in cosmetic treatments are small and safe.

They were first used as a drug in the 1970s to treat strabismus, deviant eye muscles that cause double vision. It is also now used to treat a number of conditions such as excessive sweating, migraine headaches and overactive bladder problems.

When injected, it blocks signals from your nerves to your muscles. This prevents the targeted muscles from contracting, which can ease certain muscular conditions and improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

With anti-wrinkle injections, everyone has a unique experience and results may vary.

There will certainly be patients in which it lasts longer, in that 4-6 month range, or shorter, in that 2-month range. It is also common for first-timers to notice that it may not last as long initially but may last longer after the second treatment.

On average, it lasts for 3-4 months.

The important thing is to go to an experienced injector and talk to them about your goals before the procedure.

This is a common concern. Clients don’t want to look frozen after the treatment. They want “movement without lines.”

Anti-wrinkle treatment has a reputation of “freezing” areas of the face but its optimal and best outcome is to prevent strong movement in areas, not freezing and to stop fine lines from forming.

We see all our anti-wrinkle clients 2 weeks later for a review to assess the outcome of their treatment and ensure they achieve their desired results.

This will depend on a number of factors, not least the type of filler used. Hyaluronic acid fillers can last up to a year or more but it varies from person to person and from one area of the face to another. It can also be affected by genetics, age, skin type, lifestyle, muscle activity and the injection technique used.

Some dermal fillers for lip augmentation have thinner gels (to provide best results possible), which can last for six to eight months, while dermal fillers for cheek augmentation are naturally thicker and designed to last longer.

If your body has a high metabolic rate, the injections won’t last as long as with a person with a slower metabolic rate. Re-absorption of the formula will obviously occur faster in a person with a higher metabolic rate.

It’s important to follow the advice of your Facial Aesthetic Provider  in order to maximize the effects of your treatment.

Profhilo is one of the latest developments in Hyaluronic acid (HA) treatments. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance in the skin which helps keep our skin plump and hydrated.

As we age we produce less HA. Profhilo as a product contains one of the highest concentrations of HA on the market currently.

By stimulating the production of our own collagen it results in improved skin quality and skin hydration both in the dermis and epidermis. This gives the skin a more youthful look.

Anyone who presents with signs of skin ageing and is suitable for dermal filler treatment is also suitable for treatment with Profhilo.

Profhilo is injected across 10 points on the face, neck or decollete and spreads underneath the skin to improve skin tone, texture, hydration and radiance.

One of the biggest challenges when it comes to ageing is the elasticity of skin. As we age our skin naturally loses its tension and it can be one of the biggest areas women and men notice as they age. Often described as skin laxity, sagging of the skin is most noticeable on the face. Profhilo is such an exciting treatment as it has been designed with this particular problem in mind.

This new anti-ageing treatment has one of the highest concentrations of hyaluronic acid (HA) available (with 64mg per 2ml) which means while treating skin laxity it is also designed to boost and hydrate the skin at the same time.

Rather than just plumping and filling wrinkles, the slow release of HA by Profhilo stimulates the production of collagen and elastin, in turn improving skin tone, hydration and the appearance of fine lines. The result is improved skin quality lasting for up to 6 months.

Profhilo is most commonly used for facial areas, but can also be used to rejuvenate the neck, decollete, arms, knees and hands.

A single course of Profhilo involves 2 injectable treatments 4 weeks apart. Results show 4 weeks after the second treatment. Courses of two treatments can be repeated every six months to maintain the results.

Sunekos is an injectable treatment that contains a patented formula of amino acids and hyaluronic acid essential to skin laxity. It regenerates the skin from the inside-out by prompting the production of fibroblasts, which then instigates collagen and elastin production, for improved skin quality.

It is an extremely versatile product and can be used on the face, neck, décolleté, hands, arms, inner thighs, knees and the under-eye area. Sunekos can treat various indications, including, loss of tone, skin ageing and premature ageing, skin dryness, solar elastosis, acne scarring, sun damage, dark circles under the eye and fine lines and wrinkles.

The treatment consists of 4 sessions each one week apart followed by a repeated course every 6 months.