Windows To The Soul

by Dr Gabrielle Caswell – www.eyramedical.com.au

Ageing through non-verbal communication: Thinking, frowning and squinting leads to the development of creases between the eyes. These creases become permanent as our collagen changes due to ageing, menopause and sun-damage. Over time, skin creases leave valleys in the muscle across the forehead, and together with collagen reduction, the smooth forehead of youth is lost.

Ageing through non-verbal Communication:

Thinking, frowning and squinting leads to the development of creases between the eyes. These creases become permanent as our collagen changes due to ageing, menopause and sun-damage. Over time, skin creases leave valleys in the muscle across the forehead, and together with collagen reduction, the smooth forehead of youth is lost.

The circular muscles around the eye create creases, particularly when we smile. These fine lines develop into defined folds in the skin as we mature making this area of the face look aged and tired. Individuals with extremely expressive brows tend to develop deep frown lines. Collagen changes and genetics also contribute to hooding of the upper eyelid, where the eyelid closes in and rests on the lash lines, obscuring the eye. Beneath the eye, eye bags can develop, adding to the hooded closed effect.

Preventing expressions from ageing our face:

BOTOX
The most accessible way to minimise or remove creases and folds in the upper face is to have a wrinkle treatment such as BOTOX which will, when conducted artfully, leave the patient with natural movement and expression. A complete consultation with a trained practitioner will include photographs of the patient with all expressions demonstrated, to ensure the correct dosage regime is followed.

The doctor will estimate how much BOTOX you will need for the desired affect, and this will depend on:

* The grade of wrinkles (dynamic, fine lines, or developed folds),
* Size of the wrinkles
* Whether there are fine criss-crossing wrinkles that need to be treated

A BOTOX treatment can take as quick as 15 minutes with minimal downtime and lasts around four months. Hooded eyes can be treated with an eyebrow lift, where BOTOX is placed just beneath the brow mid to outer third. The exact placement of the BOTOX will depend on the shape and arch of your eyebrow. Younger patients are often requesting flared outer brows as a fashion statement and this is achieved with BOTOX placement in the outer third of the brow and the inner edge to help pull the brow down and forward.

Dermal Fillers

Remodeling of the upper eyelid can be achieved with a dermal filler such as Juviderm which can add temporary volume and lift. Smoothing out crow’s feet is a deceptively simple technique, which when conducted well, leads to quite remarkable results. When you are smiling, you retain the movements around the eye as the cheek pushes up and when you are not making an expression, the region remains smooth.

In some cases, a dermal filler can be used to fill out the hollow beneath the eye, and reduce the unattractive shadowing that can develop with the loss of subcutaneous fat from the region. This is a subtle enhancement with some bruising and down time. Depending on the dermal filler used the results may last around six months, and the new gel like filler, Juviderm Ultra is a good choice due to its flexibility of integration.

A method of harmony when using injectable medicines is advisable with the upper face being treated as a single unit in order to achieve subtle but effective results. This concept means that the overall effect is balanced (eg. it can look a little odd having no frown lines while retaining crows feet and visa versa). If funds are a consideration then it is sometimes best to select a few wrinkles to leave so a balanced effect is achieved.

Dr Gabrielle Caswell (BSc, BSc, MB;BS, BA) is a Cosmetic Physician with four clinics in rural NSW and the Gold Coast operating under the Eyra brand, named after the Viking goddess of medicine and beauty. Special interests include injectable cosmetic medicine, laser technology and other tools modern medicine uses for the remediation of sun-damaged skin.

More recently, Dr Caswell developed the Caswell and Marcells product range designed for Beauty Therapist use. Visit www.eyramedical.com.au for more information.