Yes, there are risks!
As with any procedure many things can influence the body's reaction. Rest assured we do everything we can to ascertain the best treatment and if something does occur, we are here to help! At your initial consultation, detailed discussion regarding all of the risks associated with proposed treatments will be discussed with you, including management of these in the event they occur.
Botulinum toxins
Botulinum toxin is a prescription only medication used to relax muscles and reduce or eliminate movement in the specific muscle it is injected into. Most cosmetic uses are considered ‘off label’, with the exception of forehead lines, frown lines and crows feet (frontalis, glabella complex and orbicularis occuli). There are PBS listed uses, such as over-active bladder, increased rigidity or tone in muscles associated with brain or spinal cord injury and others. Botulinum toxins are combined with human serum albumin, similar to many vaccines. No infections are known to have been transmitted via albumin. The effect of botulinum toxin varies from person to person, the muscle it is injected into and the dose used. The effects may start to show as early as 2-3 days, however you should expect to see effects around day 7. Full effect is around 4 weeks after administration and the effects last between 3-4 months in most cases, gradually decreasing with time. You will likely start to see cosmetic movement return around 6-8 weeks. The effects of Botulinum toxin are temporary. The effects vary with unique anatomy, the dose and the location of injection. After care is extremely important and can alter your outcome. It is important to understand your aftercare plan and follow it carefully. The most common side effect is headache after glabellar injections. You may also have some discomfort, altered sensation, stinging, redness or bruising at the injection sites. The muscles effected by botulinum toxin will be weaker due to the effect of the toxin. If you are taking blood thinning medication or have consumed alcohol in the past 24 hours, you are more likely to bruise. Very rarely some people may experience double vision, dry eyes, altered sensation or nausea/flu like symptoms. If think you may have experienced any of these side effects, it is important you contact your practitioner. If botulinum toxin is placed or migrates to a different area, the effects may be unexpected. The medication can be moved with massage, exercise or failing to follow aftercare instructions. Complications occur when the botulinum toxin has either entered the wrong muscle or not entered the intended muscle after injection. These may include: "Spock brow” : when treating frown of forehead, this can usually be resolved at a follow up appointment. Eyelid drooping (ptosis): when frown lines are treated, is temporary and usually resolves within 2-4 weeks, however eye drops can be prescribed to assist with raising the effected eyelid. Too high a dose in the forehead is unfortunately difficult to reverse and will likely require time and massage to resolve. Treatment around the lips with botulinum toxin may result in difficulty forming a tight seal with your lips, with possible dribbling while brushing your teeth or drinking from a straw. Asymmetrical mouth movement, particularly when talking or smiling after treatment with botulinum toxin in the lower face. Reduction in bite strength, slimming of the jawline or slight increase in jowling is possible after treatment of masseters with botulinum toxin. Effects of botulinum toxin are temporary and all side effects resolve as the toxin effects wear off. There is a small chance of an anaphylactic reaction. Botulinum toxin cannot be administered to pregnant or breastfeeding women, anyone who has had an allergic reaction to botulinum toxin or any of the ingredients in the product previously, anyone with a neuro-muscular condition such as Myasthenia Gravis. Botulinum toxin can not be administered into areas with any sign of infection.
LIP OR DERMAL FILLERS
Dermal/Lip Filler
Lip, Dermal fillers and injectable moisturisers are products containing sterile gels that contain hyaluronic acid (HA). These can be injected into the skin to reduce lines, wrinkles or some scars, to alter the shape of lips, increase skin elasticity or reduce some skin irregularities. The effects of these medications can be seen immediately and can last 6-12 months. The maximal effect is seen within 1-3 months in many cases due to the HA attracting water from your surrounding tissues and the effect will be optimal if you are well hydrated. MRI studies have shown that in some cases a small amount of dermal filler may remain for several years after treatment. The duration of the effects of dermal filler varies from person to person and may be influenced by the product used, the site it is administered, the amount administered, the movement of the area treated, your own metabolism and some medications or health conditions. Follow up treatment may be needed to achieve your desired effect and to maintain the treatment effects. Common side effects of dermal filler injections include bruising, redness, swelling, pain or tenderness and itching at the injection site. These are generally mild to moderate and will resolve within a few days to weeks after treatment. There are risks involved with injecting dermal fillers, which vary with the sites injected. Rarely, some people develop inflammatory reactions to dermal fillers. These reactions will appear as red, hard areas of swelling. These can arise any time up to months after treatment. In most cases these will resolve without treatment in around two weeks, however in very few cases may last up to several months and require medical assessment and treatment. Extremely rare risks and side effects that can occur with the use of dermal fillers include: - Skin discolouration - Nodules at the treatment sites - Infection or abscess formation - Acne-like formation - Allergic or hypersensitive reactions - Ischaemia or necrosis - Atrophy or scarring - Coldsore flares - Rash or visibility of blood vessels - Blindness when certain areas are treated. There is a small chance of an anaphylactic reaction. In the event of an anaphylactic reaction, adrenalin should be administered and an ambulance called to transport you to the nearest ED. This is considered a medical emergency and cost of ambulance services or any further medical treatment generally lies with the patient. In the unlikely event of a potential vessel occlusion the treating Doctor will administer hyaluronidase, a reversal agent which will dissolve any filler in the area treated. There is a known cross reactivity between hyaluronidase and bee stings, so if you have anaphylaxis triggered by bee stings, an allergy test is advised prior to any procedures involving fillers. HA filler cannot be administered to pregnant or breastfeeding women, anyone who has had an allergic reaction to HA fillers, lidocaine or some local anaesthetics previously or into areas with any sign of infection. Some dermal filler products contain a local anaesthetic that will last approximately 2 hours. This may result in numbness and decreased sensitivity to pain and temperature to the effected areas.
PRODUCT S
Poly-L-lactic acid is a prescription only medication, injected into the skin to restore facial volume loss (lipoatrophy) due to illness or other medications. Cosmetic uses are considered off-label Common injection related reactions include bruising, itching, pain, transient bleeding, redness and/ or swelling in the treatment area. These reactions are usually resolved within a few days to one week. In some cases more serious adverse events have been reported. These reported reactions include 1. papules/nodules/lumps, swelling, granuloma (inflammation of tissue forming a lump), symptoms of visual disturbance, infection/abscess, mass/induration, numbness and facial nerve paralysis, redness, inflammation 2. Bruising/haematoma, skin discolouration, scarring, skin atrophy (reduction in skin tissue) or skin hypertrophy (increase in skin tissue), allergic reaction, rash, muscle disorders and ischaemia/necrosis. Injection procedures may also lead to keloid scars and reactivation of latent herpes viral infections. In some cases, nodules (small bumps under the skin) may occur within a few weeks of treatment, or they could be delayed and occur several months to over a year after treatment. Such nodules are occasionally associated with inflammation or discolouration of skin. In some cases, the nodules have been reported to have resolved on their own following treatment but may persist for a prolonged time or may need surgical excision. Isolated rare cases of vision abnormalities including blindness and stroke have been reported. Topical anaesthetic cream or supplemental lidocaine solution might be used to provide pain relief. Depending on the treated area and injection technique, effects from this medication can last up to 25 months, but this period may vary from person to person and multiple treatment sessions may be required to achieve optimal results. Follow-up treatment/s may be required to maintain the desired correction. This medication should not be used in people with a history of hypersensitivity to any of the components of the medication or solution, severe allergies with a history of anaphylaxis or presence of multiple severe allergies, inflammation, infection or tumours in or near the intended treatment site. This medication is not recommended for pregnant or breast-feeding people or for those intending to become pregnant or breast-feed. In the event this medication is supplemented with lidocaine should not be used in patients with hypersensitivity to amide-type anaesthetics. There are some medicines that can interfere with the way this medication works, therefore, it is important to tell your treating cosmetic practitioner about all the medicines you are taking, including any that you buy without prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food store.
PRODUCT R
PRODUCT R Product R is a prescription only volumising filler and collagen biostimulator that is injected into the skin to increase volume in areas of the face, hands or jawline to increase volume or alter the shape of certain features, such as the jawline. Risks and complications which may be, but are not limited to: 1. Facial bruising, redness, swelling, itching and pain. These symptoms are usually mild and last less than a week but can last longer in particular in individuals who are on medications or supplements which can prolong bleeding. 2. Nodules and palpable material. Small lumps may form under the skin. Any foreign material injected into the body may create the possibility of swelling or other local reactions to a filler material. 3. Nodules in lips. This product should not be injected into lips. There are published reports of nodules in lips associated with injection of this product into lips. 4. Migration. This product, and any injectable product, may move from the location it was injected. 5. Infection. As with all transcutaneous procedures, any filler material carries the risk of infection. 6. History of Herpes Infection. Any filler material carries the risk of a recurrence of an outbreak of herpes (fever blisters/cold sores/shingles). A history of cold sores should be disclosed. 7. Allergic reaction. Product R should not be used in patients with history of multiple or severe allergies. 8. Keloids/scarring. The safety of Product R in patients with known susceptibility to keloid formation or hypertrophic scarring has not been studied. 9. Accidental injection into a blood vessel. This product can be accidentally injected into a blood vessel, which may block the blood vessel and cause local tissue damage, or potentially even a heart attack, stroke or blindness. 10. Radio-opacity. This product is visible on CT scans and may be visible on x-rays. 11. Duration of effect. The outcome of treatment will vary among patients. In some instances, additional treatments may be necessary to achieve the desired outcome. 12. Concomitant dermal therapies. The safety of this produce with concomitant dermal therapies such as epilation, UV irradiation or laser, mechanical or chemical peeling procedures has not been evaluated in controlled clinical trials.
PDO THREADS
PDO Threads
COMMON SIDE EFFECTS: Bruising, including delayed bruising, swelling, redness and tenderness. Lumpiness: Inflammatory papules or “lines” particularly in areas with thin skin or mobile areas ie. around the mouth, neck and eyes This may take several days to recover depending on individual healing time . UNCOMMON SIDE EFFECTS: It is possible, though unusual, to experience infection, post inflammatory hyperpigmentation, puncture site scarring or a bleeding episode during or after the treatment. Should post-operative bleeding occur, it may require a small amount of further treatment to drain the accumulated blood (Haematoma). DAMAGE TO DEEPER STRUCTURES: Deeper structures such as nerves, blood vessels and muscles may be damaged during the course of the treatment. The potential for this to occur varies according to the location on the body where the treatment is being performed. Injury to deeper structures may be temporary or permanent. ALLERGIC REACTIONS: In rare cases, local allergies to suture material or topical preparations have been reported. Allergic reactions may require additional treatment. DISCOMFORT: Despite injectable local anaesthetic and/or topical anaesthetic, some discomfort or pain may still be experienced during the treatment. Please advise your medical practitioner if you are experiencing pain so that additional measures can be taken to reduce this. LOCAL ANAESTHESIA: Local anaesthesia can involve some risk. There is the possibility of complications, injury, and very rarely, but sometimes death from all forms of anaesthesia and sedation. Consent will be required for all analgesia, including oral sedation. In the event of requiring oral sedation, you will need to have transport home and a responsible adult to supervise you until the effects have resolved. PIGMENT CHANGES (SKIN COLOUR): During the healing process, there is a possibility of the treatment area either becoming lighter or darker in colour than the surrounding skin. This is usually temporary, but on rare occasions, may be permanent. Appropriate sun protection is required.