, , , , , ,

Cosmetic Courses & Competency Certification

As the medical aesthetic industry comes under scrutiny, Cosmetic Courses supports calls for higher competency levels.

Botox and Dermal Filler Providers Under Fire

Not only the Surgical sector of the cosmetic treatment industry has come under scrutiny recently following the PIP breast implants fiasco. The Non-Surgical cosmetic injectables market is now also being heavily criticized for lack of regulation and the ease with which products / procedures can launch or professionals can become qualified.

The UK has been described as “an open goal when it comes to cosmetic injections”, with companies starting up and disappearing at the first sign of trouble and a “terrible…lack of training” (Dr. Mike Comins, president of the British Association of Cosmetic Doctors).

Dr. Comins has particularly stressed the importance of competence and for “only medical doctors, their assistants or supervised nurses [to] be allowed to carry out injections of Botox and fillers”.

Cosmetic Courses support Competency & Training for Medical Professionals

These are views which leading UK medical aesthetic training provider, Cosmetic Courses, has long upheld. Even before the PIP scandal hit the media, we were championing rigorous standards within cosmetic injectables training and had a strict policy of only accepting currently qualified medical professionals onto our courses.

Test the Water: then Commit to Competency

We understand that branching into a career in medical aesthetics can be a big commitment, so we do believe that delegates should be given opportunity for ‘taster’ training sessions where they do not have to invest so much money or long-term career aspirations up-front: some people do literally start aesthetic injecting and decide then and there it’s not for them.

Bespoke 1-1 for Competency Certification
But, if a delegate does then decide that they want to pursue a career in cosmetic injectables, we strongly encourage all training with Cosmetic Courses to continue to Bespoke 1-1 level which is the stage where you can be certified in competency. This is in line with the recommendation by the BACD and Mike Comins.

Training DOESN’T end with Competency
Furthermore, Cosmetic Courses always say that your training is a journey. Even having received Competency Certification, many delegates do decide to continue to Advanced Level and we positively encourage this. As Dr. Comins continues: BACD members ‘also have to attend a certain number of conferences and training sessions to maintain their membership’. Our own Cosmetic Courses trainers frequently do this, attending regular events, training sessions and conferences to keep up-to-date with all the latest products and techniques.

Keeping up-to-date is vital in this fast paced industry. This is why Cosmetic Courses believe that Competency Certification and Refresher Training go hand-in-hand. Although many delegates may have already been competency certified, this may have been years ago any they might not have done anything with it ever since. In that time, techniques and products will have moved on. The best practitioners keep up to date with regular training and activity: and Cosmetic Courses encourage all our delegates to be the best.

Our Commitment to You
As Cosmetic Courses’ manager recognized, we do not only expect our delegates to be the best they can be but we also expect the same from ourselves. As part of this ‘we are offering more courses and expanding our packages on an ongoing basis to ensure not just that you keep up but that we keep up’.

Cosmetic Courses also offer a support program so that all delegates are never essentially ‘alone’ after graduating from Cosmetic Courses. Despite being certified competent, if you ever need support or advice after having trained with Cosmetic Courses there is ongoing mentor support via telephone or email.

In all these ways we hope to be able to help do our part to regulate the standards within the industry.

/by
, ,

Cosmetic Courses’ Libby Stewart studies the Pix-L Cannula Technique

Cosmetic Courses Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner and Trainer, Libby Stewart, is always keen to further her development and frequently gets invited to some of the most exclusive training events in the industry: testament to her skill and reputation. Following on from her recent Juvaderm Voluma training, Libby recently attended training in the innovative new Pix-L Cannula Technique, held at the Q-Med headquarters in London. She is fortunate to be amongst the first UK aesthetic nurses to be trained in the use of this new technique from Restylane. In this Blog, Libby shares her experience and tells you a bit about the Pix-L Cannula Technique…

The Pix-L Cannula Technique

The Pix-L cannula technique is a method in which individual treatment areas or a full face can be treated with filler from one injection site.

It is best known as a “blunt technique” and there has been quite a lot of excited publicity about this bluntness because an obvious benefit of using blunt cannulas is that the treatment can be more comfortable for the patient. There is less inflammation, discomfort and chance of bruising and swelling. Psychologically, patients who are squeamish of sharp needles might feel happier. There is even thought to be a better aesthetic result with a higher safety factor.

According to the official Q-Med site: “The Pix’L™ cannula has a blunt tip which does not cut through the tissue but pushes it gently to the side without injuring it. A lateral outlet enables the injection to be precise, and a special inner surface layer allows optimum flow of the hyaluronic acid. The unique replenishment of volume is only attained with the combination of the Pix’L™ cannula in the correct cannula size for the corresponding gel particle size of hyaluronic acid in Restylane.

To provide maximum control and high quality instruments – every Pix’L™ needle is precisely tested after every manufacturing step. In total there are 12 test phases as well as a test under microscope in order to satisfy the most demanding customers. A Haute Couture treatment result requires an ultra precise tool for you, the practitioner – the Pix’L™ micro cannula.”

The fact that these Pix-L Cannulas can treat large areas of the face at a time whilst causing less pain and bruising (physically and psychologically!) to the patient is just so exciting. The treatment is being hailed as the ‘liquid facelift’ and is sure to become huge. At the moment, however, only certain highly qualified specialists (like Libby!) are being invited to train in this technique.

For more information on the Pix-L Cannula Technique or any of Cosmetic Courses’ other training courses and services, please contact us on 0845 230 4110 or [email protected]

/by
, , ,

Botox Training Marketing | What to do after your course

How To Market Your New Medical Aesthetics Business | Botox Training Marketing

After you complete your botox training or dermal filler course, you will naturally be raring to go and get started with setting up your own medical aesthetics business. However, one of the main hurdles to jump over in making a success of your medical aesthetic business is the way in which you market yourself. In this Blog, Cosmetic Courses share some Tips for Botox Training Marketing:

1. Print Advertising

Most new aesthetic practitioners initially start with print advertising (local newspapers, fliers, maybe even cheaper local glossy magazines). Whilst this approach may work for some people, it is quite an outdated method of medical aesthetics marketing and can prove very expensive if not approached smartly and monitored carefully. Traditional print advertising essentially falls into ‘local’ and ‘nationwide’ audiences but the average start-up business will be aiming at the local publications to begin with. Even here, where the advertising costs are cheaper, our advice is that there is always room for negotiation: do not take the advertising cost quoted in the publication or by the sales rep. as gospel – be prepared to haggle, stand your ground and you will find that you can get a real bargain (especially just before print closes). Research your desired client’s demographic very carefully and make sure that the publications you are advertising in really are aimed at them or the response could be poor / made up of timewasters. Always ask the readership of the publication to see how many people it actually goes out to (some which seem like a great offer actually have a tiny readership so your chances of getting much work from them are slim). And check out the legal implications before handing out fliers – at local events, for example, you may need to get permission from your local authority (and are very unlikely to be able to specifically advertise medical aesthetic treatments, so be careful not to violate any trading standards!)

2. Online Advertising

Much more of-the-moment and with (potentially) the ability to reach a far bigger audience at once, online advertising for medical aesthetics has become increasingly popular with aesthetic practitioners. You can set up a free medical aesthetics website relatively easily these days if you are fairly tech-savvy, or for a small price if you need to get help. However: please do be warned that this is just the start of the process. There are hundreds upon hundreds of websites out there advertising medical aesthetic services…the challenge is to get yours indexed and found by anyone searching on the big search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing etc.) This is a process known as SEO and involves clever use of keywords (the most commonly used words related to your industry that potential customers are searching at any given time), regularly creating and updating content (information, photos, blogs, maybe videos and social media usage linked to your site can really help you get increased rank and visibility quicker too). If all this sounds like complete gobbledygook to you then chances are that you may have a bit of learning to do before you embrace this form of marketing, or you might need to employ someone to help. This is, of course, a Catch 22 as you need to be earning before you can start employing! Do not be put off, though – there are abundant sources of helpful information about SEO and optimizing your site for the search engines…particularly good ones are SEOmoz and Mashable. If you just want to advertise without getting too involved with any of that nitty-gritty stuff, online sites like Gumtree provide quick and easy access to large numbers of potential clients and have options ranging from completely free – approximately £49 per week depending upon your region and the level of visibility that you want for your advert.

3. Word of Mouth

It may be horribly boring, but building up a great reputation via word-of-mouth really is a great way to build yourself a client base. The trouble is that it’s a slower approach than most medical aesthetics practitioners like. Start off with friends, family…anybody who would like botox and dermal filler treatments from you. Encourage them to spread the word. Perhaps offer a ‘refer a friend’ scheme where for each entirely new client who refers a friend, they get a small discount off their next treatment. If you have Social Media pages like Facebook and LinkedIn, encourage clients to leave reviews / endorsements. Try to form a link with an established business, perhaps, like a hair salon or existing medical aesthetics clinic (at least initially). Even if you ideally hope to be independent or freelance, this could be a good stepping stone to get reviews, spread the word about your new talents, link-build and hopefully create a client base. Whilst we never advocate stealing clients from another business (this is simply dishonest and poor practice), the networking that you do whilst working alongside others can help you greatly when you branch off alone.

Final Words of Wisdom for Botox Training Marketing

  • Whatever your method of marketing, always remember to ask “Where did you find us / hear about us?” It is vital that you do this consistently or your marketing efforts are wasted because you have no idea what is bringing clients in and what is not, so you could be spending money on completely the wrong types of marketing.
  • Get into the habit of taking down contact details from every enquirer, whether they book or not. These will form the basis of your ‘marketing database’ – a list of emails, addresses and phone numbers that you can use to sell to in the future on an ongoing basis. Remember that once you have these and as you add to the list, you have a responsibility under Data Protection to look after these details, not to spam them with constant heavy sales pitches and to always give them the option to ‘opt out’ of future promotions.
  • Remember that saying the words ‘Botox’ or ‘Botulinum Toxin’ in a sales-orientated manner violates MHRA standards. So always be careful to use alternatives like ‘wrinkle-reducing treatment’ or ‘anti-ageing injections’ instead!
  • Words are everything – keep track of the language you are using, split test and be prepared to vary it. If something isn’t bringing in clients, change it and try saying it in a different way.

We hope this Botox Training Marketing Blog has been helpful. Cosmetic Courses are market leaders in both Cosmetic Training Courses for medical professionals and providing medical aesthetic marketing advice. If you would like more information about training with us, Book Online now or call our friendly team on 0845 230 4110.

/by
, , ,

Can I start my Cosmetic Courses training at Advanced Level if I am an experienced nurse, doctor or surgeon?

I am already an experienced doctor or surgeon: can I skip the foundation level course?

At Cosmetic Courses, we frequently receive enquiries from potential delegates wanting to know whether they can skip the foundation level medical aesthetic training (botulinum toxin training with an introduction to dermal fillers) and go straight to the advanced level techniques (such as brow lift, Nefertiti neck lift, platysmal bands, hyperhidrosis etc.) This question is usually posed by doctors or even surgeons who are very highly qualifed, so feel that the foundation course might be too simple for them and cover ground they already know.

However, we do strongly believe that all our medical professional delegates, regardless of sector or experience, need to start with the Foundation course. This is not to say that the Foundation course you do cannot be tailored specifically to your level and ability. We have good logic for this reasoning, which we shall explain in this Blog:

  1. Although you may be very experienced within your own field, medical aesthetics is quite a different approach (technically and theoretically) to other medical professions. Quite often it is the most highly trained doctors who find they need to go over the groundwork in skin structure again! Sometimes you might have covered the necessary theories, but a long time ago during your initial degree or you may have approached them at a different angle to the way you will need them for aesthetics. Having a refresher can only benefit your understanding and ability to deliver fantastic results to your patients.
  2. There is a much wider gap between the Foundation Level course and the Advanced Techniques course than many initial enquirers realise. It is only when we begin to explain the extent of the techniques and theories that we cover on this course that they see there may actually be a need for some homework in between the two in order to be confident enough with the required theory and methods to achieve good results. In fact, many of our delegates choose to attend 1-1 courses with Cosmetic Courses in between their Foundation and Advanced courses, to brush up on techniques they are unsure of before taking the next big step.
  3. Cosmetic Courses do actually certify you in competence after each course so we have a duty to know that each of our delegates have the Foundation grounding in place before we can progress you to the next level. Whilst the vast majority of our delegates are entirely honest, highly qualified and skilled practitioners, there are always those who will try to claim they have more ability than they do. Therefore, we have to assess this level of medical aesthetic competence in order to be sure that we are certifying fantastic injectors to go out into the world and practice!
  4. Cosmetic Courses have a reputation for excellence and very high standards of training. This benefits you in that the delegates we train are also associated with high standards of medical aesthetic ability. In order to maintain this, however, we need to be very rigorous about our training procedures and ensure that everybody follows each step of the courses.
  5. We do not want anybody to be frustrated, however, by material which they already feel they know or to believe that they are wasting time and money. Please be assured that Cosmetic Courses are experts at tailoring courses to suit individuals’ needs. If you feel that you are at a higher level than a typical Foundation Level delegate, simply give us a call on 01844 390 110 and explain your experience and knowledge. We can then work with you to put together a tailored foundation level package incorporating new angles, theories and techniques or focusing on areas which you feel you are less confident about.
/by
, , ,

5 Things to Consider Before Travelling for Training

Coming to the UK for Cosmetic Training Courses? 

If you live in a country outside the UK and have decided to embark upon a career in medical aesthetics, you are probably well aware already that an English certificate in Medical Aesthetics (Botulinum Toxin, Dermal Fillers and other techniques like Genuine Dermaroller Therapy) is seen as, somehow, prestigious.

This could be due to the very rigorous standards of training and the insurance, facilities and product laws here in the UK. Or it could be because the UK is at the fore-front when it comes to new techniques and theory in aesthetic medicine. So you would be choosing a great place to come for your training, not to mention a very beautiful and friendly country.

However, the same rigorous laws and strict policies do mean that there are a number of things you need to take into account if you are considering travelling to the UK for your Botox or Dermal Fillers training. You also need to think carefully about the practicality of returning to your own country afterwards and setting up your cosmetic business – will this industry be sustainable in your native country?

  1. Is your level of English (speaking, listening and reading skills) adequate enough to fully get the most from your cosmetic training course? Medical aesthetic training is not cheap, so it is important that you can fully understand all that is being presented in your training lectures, read the material in any slides or folders and talk to your trainers and models. You will need to be able to communicate with the trainers and models on the day in order to perform successful treatments to be awarded your certificate. It is important to remember that the type of vocabulary used will be technical, medical aesthetic jargon so may not be the basic language you have learned at school or on a linguistics course. You may wish to spend some time before your training revising key terms to help with your training.
  2. Have you arranged your accommodation & sufficient money for your stay? Your training provider may be able to help or advise regarding where to stay. It might be cheaper to try and share with other delegates, or perhaps you have relatives you could stay with? Remember to find out about exchange rates and factor this into your budgeting.
  3. Sort out your VISA in plenty of time if you need one. There is no point arranging and paying for your course, only to find that you cannot get the right type of VISA from your authorities. Your training provider is unlikely to arrange this so it will be your responsibility.
  4. Check about Insurance and Governing Bodies necessary to practise in your own country after training. In the UK, you must be currently GMC, NMC or GDC registered in order to practise. Legislation varies widely from country to country but if you do not follow the correct protocols for your country you may not be able to practise at all….even if you have been certified in the UK. So it is worth finding out about this and the costs involved beforehand.
  5. If you are a nurse considering cosmetic training courses, you also need to find out about prescribing legislation in your country as this varies too. If you are a different medical professional (doctor, dentist etc.) you will still need to consider where you are going to source your products from and the costs involved with this. Again, you may want to consider doing this research before you invest in cosmetic training so that you can be sure your medical aesthetic career is financially viable in your country.

We hope this information has been useful. Cosmetic Courses do train a large number of delegates from non-UK countries every year and can provide help and advice on the necessary process for coming to train in the UK. You can book your course online with us here (if you are abroad, you simply need to send your certificates to us via post or email scan for verification after booking) or call 0845 230 4110 for more advice.

/by
,

How do Muscles Cause Wrinkles and Frown Lines?

There is a one vertical Procerus muscle and two Corrugator muscles that cause wrinkles and frowning in the area between the eyebrows.

The frotanus muscle runs upwards from the bridge of the nose and inserts into the skin.

Muscle fibres run upwards along the muscle and, when they contract, this produces shortening of the muscle and a cross line transverse (horizontal line at the upper bridge of the nose).

The Corrugate muscles run upwards and sideways from the bone in the frown area to the skin above the inner aspect of the eyebrow.

When these muscles contract they pull the eyebrows inwards, downwards and cause either vertical or slightly slanted lines on either side of the frown areas.

The muscles run in different directions and therefore the contractions cause lines in different orientation. It is important to know which muscle is responsible for which line when treating the frown area with Botox in order to correctly target the right muscle. In future blog posts we’ll talk about variation in muscles between other people and tell-tale signs if someone has had Botox Therapy.

/by
,

Pain Relief & Dermal Fillers

Pain relief using local anaesthetic for dermal filler injections

Dermal filler injections are more uncomfortable for the patient than other treatments such as BOTOX® treatment.

This depends on the area treated, with the lips in particular being very uncomfortable because of their denser nerve endings in this area. Many patients are deterred from having dermal filler injections into their lips because of the discomfort of the procedure.

Traditionally, practitioners have used dental blocks blocking the infra-orbital and mental nerves in a similar fashion to that used for the dentist for dental treatment.

While this type of local anaesthetic is very effective at reducing discomfort from the lips during injections, making it almost completely pain free, it has the disadvantage that the local anaesthetic can also affect the muscle tone of the lips.
By reducing the muscle tone they decrease your patient’s ability to contract the muscle and produce the lines which you aim to treat.

At Cosmetic Courses we always advise our trainees to first of all mark the lines they wish to treat prior to inserting the dental blocks so that the landmarks are retained.

Although the marking technique does give indication as to the areas that require volume adjustment, due to a decreased subcutaneous tissue it is not as accurate as seeing the areas for yourself with the muscles contracted which is often not possible with dental blocks.

Whilst EMLA and other topical anaesthetics such as Ametop offer some pain relief this is not complete and, even if these are used, dermal fillers are uncomfortable.

With Juvederm®, the Allergan company introduced a product with local anaesthetic combined with the hyaluronic acid.
This has significant advantages in that, although the first injection is of normal tenderness, the local anaesthetic does permeate through the area and each subsequent injection becomes less painful.

We have found that, if dermal fillers which contain lignocaine are used correctly, the discomfort from dermal filler injections (even in the lips) is significantly reduced and is very tolerable for most of our patients.

Our current preference is to use a dermal filler containing local anaesthetics in the peri-oral area as this has the dual advantage of producing good pain relief for the patient and also preserving the muscle activity allowing you to accurately place the dermal fillers in the correct position.

If you would like to know more about these techniques with dermal fillers to reduce the discomfort for your patients please contact the Cosmetic Courses office on 08452 304 110 or via email at [email protected] to discuss your training needs.

/by
, ,

Entering the Medical Aesthetic Industry: Be Realistic, not Pessimistic!

Be Realistic…but Stay Positive: You Can Do It!

There has been a trend recently to draw awareness to the fact that entering the Aesthetic Industry is not always plain sailing.

Quite rightly, skeptics have stressed the perils of skipping blindly away from your day job (which may have its downsides but nonetheless pays the bills, right?) after promises of reduced working hours, more input and creative freedom…not to mention money, money, money.

So, What Does it Take?

Let’s be sensible here: Everything in life, particularly with an economy like ours in the UK today, is what you make of it. As Elton John penned in “The Circle of Life”: Some will fall by the wayside, others will shoot to the stars. But a great deal in this industry comes down to:

a)having the required skillset to begin with. This is why the best training providers will, like Cosmetic Courses, only take on medical professionals. We talk about Insurance but this is a very real issue: if you can’t get insured after your training, you won’t get work, therefore it simply would not be fair for us to train you under false pretences. Also, we have found that professionals from roles like Nurses, Doctors and Dentists already have a high number of the skills required to make it in this sector. For more information on this, take a look at our brand new Transferable Skills pages for Doctors, Nurses and Dentists.

b)Ability to network. This is partially being in the right place at the right time, but largely putting yourself out there and making contacts, getting to know others within the industry who can recommend products and techniques, introduce clients…and possibly even provide jobs or partnerships! Self-promotion is absolutely vital so you do need a strong backbone and a creative streak (which of course you have already to be considering Aesthetics!). With online resources like Linked-In, Gumtree, Facebook and regular conferences to attend…the medical aesthetic world really is your oyster.

Market Yourself

To illustrate this point further, here is a real recent enquiry from a Delegate. This both shows the need to be realistic about the industry you are considering going into, and the things that can be done to ensure you give yourself the best chance possible:

Question:
Dear Cosmetic Courses,

I took a medical aesthetic training course in April 2010, and have yet to get my first client! I work full time, as a Practice Nurse, and realise I  may not have promoted myself enough. I have advertised myself in a local dentists, and beauty salon.

Answer from Libby Stewart, Cosmetic Courses Aesthetic RGN:

It can be difficult to get going with your practice.
You could consider holding an open evening at a salon or practice to inform potential patients of what treatments you can offer and how the treatments may work for them. People seem to need more than an advertisement to encourage them. Patients who are regulars to procedures are usually happy to stay with their existing practitioner unless something interests them to leave eg. your prices or they just like you better. Patients who are new to treatment and just considering it need a lot of encouragement and benefit from a good consultation so that you can establish a relationship with them.
Yes, the insurance has to be paid once you commence treatments but most of the companies allow for monthly payments that you can cancel at any time should you find this is not the right field for you. Remember that what initially looks like quite a mark up on product cost can seem less of a profit when you take purchase of product and consumables, paying yourself an houly rate, any rent or commission that you pay to a third party and insurance and training costs incurred by you into consideration. So the price you charge for your treatments should reflect all of these to make sure you still make a profit!

Cosmetic Courses are always on hand and happy to offer advice if you are Entering the Aesthetic Industry or about your Business and Marketing Strategy. 24 hour Advice is available through our Telephone Line, 01844 390110…simply leave your question and we will get in touch very quickly!

/by
,

Can Lumpy Lips from Evolance be treated with Juvederm?

Question :

Dear Cosmetic Courses,

I did the basic course with you a while ago and wondered if you can give me some advice please.

I saw a patient recently who received Evolance in her lips a year ago from another clinic. She now has hard lumps in her lips (collagen I presume).

She asked me to add volume to her lips again and I’m not sure whether it is a good idea!

From my understanding, Juvederm will not cause further lumps, but I would appreciate your opinion.

Answer :

Thanks for your email.

Unfortunately Evolance, unlike Haluronic acid fillers, cannot not be dissolved and will absorb over time.

Overall we would advise the patient to let the Evolance absorb before injecting Juvederm.

It would be possible to inject into the areas without the lumps to improve the appearance but this would not be guaranteed to improve it and could make the situation worse.

Overall we would leave her alone if possible.

Good luck!

/by
, ,

The Curse of Leslie Ash: Permanent Fillers cause Permanent Problems

When you set up your own Medical Aesthetics practise, you will quickly find a Ghost that haunts you. You will particularly experience her looming shadow if you decide to offer Lip Filler treatments. But we can pretty much guarantee that her name will crop up over and over regardless. “I don’t want to end up looking like Leslie Ash!”: it is a plea from your clients that will become all-too familiar.

The Leslie Ash “Look” is certainly not high on most people’s aesthetic wish-list. You have most probably seen the recurrent pictures in the media of her now infamous “trout pout”. The unfortunate woman has been hauled over the coals as an example of Cosmetic Surgery Gone Wrong in every woman’s mag. article of that theme ever since her Lip Body treatment in 2002.

Ash originally claimed she had collagen Lip Implants to correct her disappearing top lip (an unfortunate but common side-effect of ageing) and maintain her image in the public eye. Ironically, the treatment had the opposite effect, bringing her notoriety for all the wrong reasons. Back in 2003, the actress typically told the Press that her permanently swollen, upwards-curled top lip was a terrible accident and the result of a reaction to the collagen in the implant. By 2010 she had conceded that it was not an implant at all, but an injection of liquid silicone (the same lethal cocktail responsible for the recent death of Claudia Aderotimi) which had caused the ridiculous effect.

“The Curse of Leslie Ash” is therefore that hundreds of women who would otherwise have considered lip-enhancing treatment have now been put off completely. And of those that do approach you for procedures, a large number will need reassurance that they will not leave your Clinic looking similarly over-the-top or caricatured.

In his talks to delegates attending Medical Aesthetic courses at the Cosmetic Courses National Training Centre, Mr Adrian Richards (Consultant Plastic Surgeon) is always keen to set the facts straight. For starters, there should be broader awareness of precisely which treatment Leslie Ash underwent: it seems very wrong that by initially shielding the truth, she has created mistrust and fear of both Lip Fillers and Lip Implants. Prospective clients do not realise that Dermal Fillers are not the same as the injections which she had, and can give lovely subtle enhancement to both the lip body and border (in the hands of a qualified, trained medical professional). Nor do they always understand that she did not have a Lip Implant at all and that it is therefore well worth investigating the potential of Permalip implants. In fact, Mr Richards highly recommends the Permalip implant as a method of augmenting the lip body: these implants come in a huge variety of sizes and shapes, are sculptable, safe and above all can be removed if necessary.

In contrast, Liquid Silicone injections, like Ash had injected into her lips by a plastic surgeon whilst at a friend’s house, is permanent. And as Mr Richards warns all his trainee Aesthetic Practitioners, ‘Permanent fillers cause Permanent problems’. In Leslie Ash’s case, the silicone set around the muscles in her lips and it is now impossible for surgeons to remove it.

So there you have it: of course, however silly the actress may have been, she is also incredibly unfortunate. She is certainly not alone, but possibly receives more publicity about the matter than most and will almost certainly be one of the names you come to regard as a bug-bear. Instead of getting irritated by this, however, try to see your role as educating your clients, so that others do not make the mistakes of Ash and others. With this knowledge, you can ensure that you offer only the best and most suitable treatments and therefore provide genuine reassurance that your clients will not walk out of your Treatment Room and straight into the Gossip Columns!

/by