Face Treatment
Dr Owen specialises in combined full-facial treatments with dermal fillers in Swansea, alongside other ‘tweakments’, for natural-looking rejuvenation done safely. He is the only level-7 qualified aesthetic practitioner in Swansea, and is undertaking a renowned fellowship (Aesthetic Intelligence) in facial aesthetics, having won a scholarship to do so.
To see more about the clinic and ethos, you can visit our homepage.
Treatment with dermal fillers in Swansea is now commonplace, since the substances (and treatments) have revolutionised aesthetic medicine over the last 20 years since the introduction of Restylane with FDA approval in 2003, the first modern dermal filler. Before this, practitioners had to use bovine collagen or fat transfer which had many drawbacks. Modern hyaluronic acid dermal fillers replace lost volume and can rejuvenate and beautify. It also helps the overlying soft tissues, lifting the face and reducing ageing facial shadows.
Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance within the skin. Naturally, it only lasts around two or three days before being recycled, so dermal fillers have linked molecules, leading to long-lasting results. Other fillers such as Sculptra and Radiesse work differently and are particularly good for specific indications such as in the hands.
The concentration of hyaluronic acid and the degree of cross-linking will determine the properties. In our Swansea clinic, softer dermal fillers are often used in areas such as the teartrough or lips where more natural movement are needed, where thicker, more robust gels placed onto the underlying bone tend to be used in the cheeks, chin and forehead for example.
We have come to appreciate that aesthetic treatment should focus on the underlying causes such as structural changes in the skeleton and soft tissues. As we age, there is a loss of volume, most pronounced in some regions of the face, accompanied by soft tissue laxity and sagging.
At Infinity Aesthetics Swansea, Owen has the knowledge to inject dermal fillers around the face to create a harmonious, rejuvenated appearance. He can inject with needle or cannula depending on the area within the face, adjusting the technique and depth of injection to remain as safe as possible and obtain the best result. Typically, he starts in the midface around the cheeks or temple to provide a lift which can be seen in the tissues of the lower face before targeting these directly.
It is imperative, however not to overfill a face as this can lead to an abnormal appearance, such as excessive lip size or massive cheeks. When using dermal fillers in our Swansea aesthetic clinic, we always aim for a natural appearance, considering timeless beauty proportions.
Treatment time
30-60 mins
Pain relief
None or topical local anaesthetic
Results seen
Immediately
Downtime
Minimal
Treatment frequency
6-24 months
Some of the specific areas that Owen targets include:
Cheek dermal filler; a crucial part of midface rejuvenation and often the first place to target. Injections are mainly deep underneath the muscle layer to restore volume lost from the bony skeleton, also lifting the muscle layer which can provide a subtle nonsurgical facelift to the lower face and restore the triangular shape of youth.
Dermal filler for temples; this is an underappreciated area to restore temple hollowing, providing a subtle lift to the mid-and lower face and a brow lift due to myomodulation (allowing muscles to change activity due to underlying dermal filler).
Dermal filler for the forehead; this replaces volume in the frontal part of the skull and is placed underneath the muscle layer to smooth wrinkles and provide a smooth convex surface which is youthful and desirable.
Teartrough dermal filler; Owen performed a precise evaluation to accurately place dermal fillers in the teartrough to fill the teartrough groove. This must be done carefully and subtly so as not to overfill, which can cause persistent oedema.
Chin dermal filler; as we age the mandible recedes so the chin shrinks back. This affects the profile, making the nose look longer. Restoring a feminine or masculine chin, depending on the desired look can make a person appear much more dynamic and youthful, balancing facial proportions.
Nonsurgical rhinoplasty; this is one of Owen’s signature treatments, with a safe, precise and effective technique learned from the top specialist in the UK (Dr Ayad Harb). He uses tiny needles to place small boluses of filler onto the nasal skeleton, correcting a nasal hump, deviation of the nose, a broad nasal tip and drooping of the nose.
Dermal filler for jawline; this can produce a sharper and defined jawline, again making a person look younger and much more facially dominant. This is mainly done with a cannula disguising jowling and producing a masculine or feminine appearance (depending on exactly where the filler is placed). This is great in combination with Morpheus8 treatment.
Dermal filler for marionette lines; Owen uses a needle and cannula to strengthen the tissues around the marionette zone which can lead to downwards drooping of the corners of the mouth. This is great in combination with midface treatment to provide a lift due to stretching of the muscle layer.
Treatment time
30-60 mins
Pain relief
None or topical local anaesthetic
Results seen
Immediately
Downtime
Minimal
Treatment frequency
6-24 months
Around 95% of the dermal fillers that Owen uses are made of hyaluronic acid which is discussed in the article above. This is a natural substance although the molecules are held together by laboratory processes. It is a very safe substance and is totally biodegradable and can be reduced or quickly with a reversing enzyme.
Dermal fillers will typically last between 6-24 months, depending on the type of filler, the area injected, the volume and other factors such as individual metabolism.
Softer fillers such as in the lips and tear trough typically last around six months when first injected although with subsequent injections do seem to last longer with many people still seeing an improvement after one year following the second treatment. There is evidence on MRI scanning that dermal fillers can last considerably longer even if they are not palpable.
Firm fillers such as in the cheeks or chin can last 18-24 months and sometimes more.
Owen only uses FDA-approved fillers from the world’s top laboratories. He uses a combination of Restylane (USA), Teoxane (Switzerland), Belotero (Germany) and Juvederm (USA). As these are FDA-approved, there is data from studies in patients to demonstrate safety and efficacy. Many of the newer fillers originating from (for example) the Far East have very little safety or efficacy data but are considerably cheaper; Owen only uses dermal fillers with robust clinical data to ensure that the treatments are safe and effective.
Hyaluronic acid dermal fillers are reversible with an enzyme called hyaluronidase, breaking the bonds that bind the dermal filler gel together. This is done if there is overfilling or migration of dermal filler. Sometimes it is important to dissolve any filler before starting again as eventually placing too much filler in a certain structure can lead to a poor aesthetic result. Owen performs a skin prick test to reduce the likelihood of allergy for injecting the substance.
All injections entail some discomfort but for most people, this is much less than expected. In more sensitive areas such as the lips, Owen uses strong local anaesthetic and typically uses the smallest possible needles, alongside cooling and vibration to reduce the transmission of pain impulses through small pain fibres. Also, using a cannula in some areas means fewer needle entry points. Most people find that cannula treatment can be slightly odd but does not typically tend to be particularly painful.
Straight after the dermal filler procedure, there should be a noticeable improvement. It can take around two weeks or so for the dermal fillers to integrate fully into the surrounding tissue but straight away he will have a good idea as to how the result will look. In some areas such as the lips where there tends to be immediate swelling, it can be a little difficult to tell the final results straight away. For deep injections, you can see most of the effect immediately in most cases.
Yes, in general hyaluronic acid gels are incredibly safe. There is an exceptionally low risk of allergic reaction although they are mixed with local anaesthetic so there is a small risk of allergy from this. A tiny number of patients (around 0.05%) go on to experience lumps forming in the filler over many months or years and this can be treated with certain medical approaches such as saline steroid injection and ultimately filler dissolving with hyaluronidase. As mentioned above, Owen only uses fillers with FDA approval and a strong evidence base for safety.
Post-procedure care is essential and Owen makes himself personally available to deal with any side effects or complications, whenever these may occur. This includes out-of-hours emergency care in the unlikely event that this would be needed.
Your
Dr Owen Thomas is a highly trained aesthetic physician with a level 7 qualification in injectable treatments.
He uses his passion and skill combined with a professional, ethical and safe approach, to enable his patients to feel rejuvenated, confident and ready for everything life has to offer.
Related
Related
Face Treatment
Over recent years, the chin and jawline area has become much more important, giving a strong, youthful look and giving balance to the overall facial appearance.
Assessment and treatment of the chin together with assessment of the nasal profile and lips is often called profile balancing. This looks to create a harmonious dependent on facial portions, typically using dermal fillers in the chin and lips and a nonsurgical rhinoplasty where indicated.
A full facial profile may also look at assessment of the forehead where frontal bossing can lead to a slightly hollowed appearance and may also benefit from soft fillers injected into the forehead. This is a potentially high risk area due to arteries that run within the forehead and a medical injector would be essential to reduce the incidence of complications. You can see more on forehead filler at the link here.
Featured
Featured
Face Conditions
Formation of jowls around the lower face make us look much older than we feel.
Face Conditions
Marionette lines are the vertical lines that extend from the corners of the mouth down towards the chin, and they are a common concern as we age. These lines can create a downturned appearance, often making you look older or more tired than you actually feel. The primary underlying cause of marionette lines is the loss of volume in the prejowl area, which is the region on either side of the chin. As we age, the natural fat pads that once supported this area diminish, leading to sagging skin and the formation of these deep lines.
At Infinity Aesthetics in London, we understand the importance of addressing the root cause of marionette lines—volume loss. That’s why we offer advanced non-surgical treatments, including the use of premium dermal fillers, to effectively replace the lost volume in the prejowl area. By doing so, we not only soften the appearance of marionette lines but also restore a more youthful and balanced facial contour.
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