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Non-Surgical Treatments for the Eyes

The eyes are very much the focal point of our faces. Any irregularities in this area can quickly make you look tired and aged. Eye creams after eye creams promise to remove dark circles and brighten the eyes with hefty price tags and tiny bottles. Here we look at the non-surgical treatments available to banish those bags that actually work…

Common problems with the eye area:

  • Heavy eyes
  • Hooded eyelids
  • Deep under eye circles
  • Sunken eyes
  • Crow’s feet

The majority of these issues are caused by the thinning of your skin around the eye area due to ageing. The loss in elasticity and volume causes the area to look tired and lose its youthful glow.

Each of these problems can be easily treated with the correct combinations of Botox and dermal fillers. This can reduce the appearance of tired skin and brighten up your eyes, boosting your self-confidence.

Which treatment is right for me?

Heavy Eyes / Hooded Eyelids

You may have noticed that your brow has dropped causing your eyelid to rest heavily on your lash line. This can obstruct your vision and can result in you needing to prop the area up, particularly if you’re applying make-up such as eyeshadow. Many believe the only cure is a surgical blepharoplasty. In some cases this is true however there is a non-surgical option for those of you with minor hooding of the eyelid…

Treatment: Brow Lift 

Using Botox injections just above the eyebrow, your eyelid can be stretched out by relaxing the muscles. This minimises their hooded appearance. The treatment takes just 20-30 minutes to complete with results being noticed fully 10-14 days after the procedure. The effects from the Botox will last 12 weeks and after this it can be “topped up” with another appointment.

Deep under eye circles / sunken eyes

The skin around your eyes thins out over time which can cause your eyes to look darker. This sunken appearance is known as ‘bags under your eyes’ and is particularly apparent first thing in the morning. This is a very common problem and is one of the first signs of skin ageing.

Treatment: Tear Trough Rejuvenation

Tear Trough Rejuvenation uses dermal fillers injected just under the eye into the ‘tear trough’. Once the area under the eye has re-gained volume it produces a youthful, brightening effect. Treatment time is 30 minutes and full results can be seen after 10 days. This treatment can be re-administered after 12 weeks.

non surgical treatments for the eyes

The Kardashians love PRP

Treatment: Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy

The use of Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy otherwise known as PRP or the Vampire face lift can help to banish dark circles. The purpose of the treatment is to regenerate and rejuvenate the skin surface using the bodies own blood. The practitioner will re-inject your ‘platelet-rich-plasma’ into the problem area. This natural process promotes youthful skin under the eyes causing dark circles to lighten.

Patients can see full results from PRP 3-4 weeks after treatment.

Crow’s feet

Crow’s feet are the formation of wrinkles at the side of your eyes, replicating the image of a birds feet (hence the name!)

Crow’s feet normally appear from the movement of smiling. Although we love smiling, we hate that it makes us look older than we are so fortunately there is a very simple treatment to combat them.

non-surgical eye treatments

Naomi Watts showing Crow’s feet around her eyes.

Treatment: Botox 

By using Botox injections, practitioners can relax this area causing the wrinkles to fade and your muscles to relax. This means the next time you smile, laugh or squint the crow’s feet will have magically disappeared! Treatment time is 20-30 minutes, with results being visible after a week and the option to have the treatment again after 12 weeks.

 

Non-Surgical Treatments as a Model at Cosmetic Courses

Cosmetic Courses has been training medical professionals in the UK since 2002. As one of the longest-established providers we pride ourselves on the quality of our training and the products we use for treatment. This means that you are receiving the safest possible treatment as a model with us. 

If you would like to speak to one of our consultants or to book in for any of our Non-Surgical Facial Aesthetic Treatments please call us now on 01844 390110 or register here to receive further information from our friendly team.

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Find more clients with a FREE listing on our Skin Clinic Finder

At Cosmetic Courses, our relationship with our course delegates doesn’t end when their training does. We believe in supporting all our delegates as they embark on the exciting journey of carving out a successful career in the field of aesthetics. From the practicalities of setting up in business, to furthering your repertoire of treatments, to finding and growing your client base, we’ve a comprehensive support network in place that means once you train with us, we’re there to help you every step of the way.

Although the quality of our aesthetic training has traditionally been our strong suit, we’ve listened to your feedback about wanting more help on the marketing side, and have responded by creating a new sister website to help you.

What’s the NCN – and how can it help you?

The NCN Homepage

The National Cosmetic Network (TheNCN.co.uk) is a specialist clinic finder website that allows people to find and compare reputable aesthetic clinics close to them.

Our aim with the site is twofold – to give patients an easy way to find the most qualified, reputable practitioners in their area, and to help practitioners of a high standard to increase their client base.

The website shares information on non-surgical treatments, from the most established skin treatments, anti-wrinkle injections and facial fillers, to treatments for excessive sweating and thread veins, as well as innovative treatments like PRP Therapy.

A search function then lets people find quality clinics in their local area that offer the treatments. So a well-written listing that showcases your credentials could attract plenty of new clients to you.

How to get your FREE listing on the NCN

To make sure only clinics with the highest professional standards are listed on the site, and safeguard people seeking treatment, only clinics we personally approve make it onto the NCN.

And because every practitioner who has completed training with us has demonstrated they meet the required standard, we give all Cosmetic Courses delegates a free 6-month listing on the NCN for the treatments they have trained in.

When you complete any course from our varied programme, you will automatically be given a free listing on the site to help your potential patients find you.

Please feel free to take a look at the NCN website, and let us know what you think on our Facebook page. If you’d like any more information on the NCN, or any of our training courses, please get in touch with the team on 01844 390110 or email [email protected].

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Botox treatment for ‘gummy’ smiles

The uses of Botox are many and varied, with the product currently licensed for all kinds of applications, both medical and aesthetic. Best known as an anti-wrinkle treatment, Botox is also used to combat excessive sweating, treat urinary incontinence, relieve migraines and reduce muscle spasms.

And the newspapers last week featured another aesthetic application for the drug – treating gummy smiles.

Injected into the upper lip, the drug temporarily reduces the strength of the muscles which pull the top lip up toward the nose when a person smiles. Consequently, the amount of gum revealed is smaller, creating a more pleasing “Hollywood” smile.

Dentists and cosmetic surgeons broadly agree that the ‘ideal smile’ sees the upper lip sit roughly level with the top of the teeth, with a maximum of only two millimetres of gum showing. According to Dr Stan Heifetz, a New York based cosmetic dentist, “Anything over three to four millimetres of gum showing starts to look ‘gummy'”.

To date, the most widely used treatment for correcting gummy smiles has been surgery, with several different techniques available depending on the underlying cause, including lip repositioning or gum lift/contouring surgery (gingivectomy).

But Botox has the advantage of being much quicker, taking only around 10 minutes to administer, as well as being far less invasive and cheaper for patients. And as with wrinkle treatment, results are fairly long-term, typically lasting for up to 6 months.

This particular use for Botox offers another popular treatment to add to your clinic. Here at Cosmetic Courses, we have been offering training in this technique for many years as part of our Advanced Botox & dermal fillers course.

For details on training in advanced Botox techniques, including treating gummy smiles, or to find out more about any other course in our programme, please give our team a call on 01844 390110 or email [email protected].

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Is that illegal Botox in your face? Not sure really…

We recently reported on the scandal of illegal Botox being used in Australia. And now worrying findings in the UK have revealed that more than five in six people who have had Botox treatment admit to having essentially no idea what was injected into their face.

An alarming 84% of Botox patients questioned admitted they didn’t know what product was used on them when they had treatment. Nor did they know for sure whether it even contained the essential ingredient that makes the treatment effective – Botulinum toxin.

Other findings in the national study, carried out by a large cosmetic surgery group, included the fact that nearly a third (29%) of respondents said they had undergone illegal Botox treatment at a local beauty salon, 10% had Botox injections at home or at a friend’s house, and 3% were treated at a Tupperware-style beauty treatment party.

In keeping with these findings, and perhaps most worryingly of all, many of those questioned admitted they had no idea if the person administering their treatment was appropriately trained to perform the procedure.

But amid all these horrifying stats, there is perhaps a little hope on the horizon. Almost two-thirds of respondents (62%) who had either had or considered having non-surgical treatments agreed that the industry was not properly regulated, or that enough was being done to protect people having non-surgical treatments.

Tighter regulation can’t come soon enough.

Who are Cosmetic Courses?

Cosmetic Courses is the UK’s leading and longest established aesthetic training provider developed by Plastic Surgeon Mr Adrian Richards. We have 6 state of the art training clinics across the UK and over 50 online and offline courses available to medical professionals in botox and dermal fillers. Cosmetic Courses have trained over 8000 delegates to date.

To find out more about our aesthetic training courses for medical professionals please click here! 

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Illegal Botox causes Australian health scare

Several patients seeking Botox treatment at a beauty clinic in Perth, Australia were horrified to discover their treatment had been performed by an unregistered nurse using illegally imported Botox.

The revelation came after an investigation carried out in response to a customer complaint. The relevant state department has advised all patients who visited the clinic (Pastel Skin and Body Care) for Botox treatment to contact a public health nurse for a check-up.

They stressed that Botox, or Botulinum Toxin, is a prescription-only medicine, and as such must only be administered by a registered medical professional.

Deputy Chief Health Officer of West Australia, Andrew Robertson, confirmed that the patients given illegal Botox injections had bought their anti-wrinkle treatment via internet shopping sites – the biggest in Australia being cudo.com.au and deals.com.au.

Talking about the problem of tracking down all the people affected, he said: “Where possible, West Australia Health is contacting all of the clinic’s clients who have been given injections, but information on some clients is limited”.

Dr Robertson encouraged all patients who had received Botox treatment at the clinic within the last year – and not received a letter or email from the Health Department – to contact the West Australia Public Health Nurse.

He reiterated that anyone having Botox should ensure that their treatment was being carried out at a licensed clinic by a trained health practitioner – this being the best way to avoid the risk of receiving Botox of unknown provenance, and eliminate the chance of cross-infection.

Cosmetic Courses offers a wide range of accredited aesthetic courses, including Botox training, to registered medical professionals from around the world across of six state of the art training clinics, both online and offline. For information on any of our training courses, please don’t hesitate to email our team at [email protected] or give us a call on 01844 390110.

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UK Approves Botox to Help Stroke Patients

Botox manufacturer Allergan have just announced the latest in a long line of approved uses for the product – treating ankle disability in stroke victims.The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have approved the drug to treat cases of ankle disability caused by the lower limb spasticity for Botox to Help Stroke Patients.

Spasticity is one of the most common after-effects of stroke and can have a far-reaching emotional and physical impact on  sufferers. Lack of mobility often leads to a complete lack of independence, which can in turn breed frustration and, in some cases, depression.

This approval represents a major leap forward, offering healthcare professionals an important new treatment option and providing real hope for patients suffering from lower limb spasticity.

To date, Botox to Help Stroke Patients will be the twelfth indication approved for Botox in the UK.

Professor Anthony Ward of the North Staffordshire Rehabilitation Centre had this to say about the new treatment:

“This is one of the most important advances the post stroke spasticity community has seen for years and will hopefully bring additional recognition to this complex and disabling condition.

“Studies show that Botox treatment can significantly improve the muscle tone in stroke survivors with lower limb spasticity. By allowing the ankle to function more normally, this can bring important mobility and physical benefits to patients, even those who have been suffering from this condition for many years.”

There are currently more than a million stroke survivors in the UK, with around 152,000 new cases every year. Many of these will face huge challenges in the aftermath of their stroke.

Some degree of disability is a common consequence of stroke, with 36% of survivors reporting moderate to very severe disabilities, with problems performing everyday tasks such as walking, washing, getting dressed and eating.

Treatment of lower limb spasticity after stroke currently includes physical therapy, drug treatments and, in some cases, surgery.

Joe Korner, director of External Affairs at the Stroke Association, said of the news:

“There can be significant advantages in using Botox to treat people whose movement and walking ability have been affected by stroke. Up to 30% of stroke survivors are living with muscle stiffness, known as post-stroke spasticity, which means they have abnormal tightness in some of their muscles.

“Whilst this treatment might not be suitable for every stroke patient, we encourage stroke survivors living with spasticity in their arms or legs to talk with their GP about management options that might be right for them.”

Who are Cosmetic Courses?

Cosmetic Courses are the Uk’s longest running aesthetic training provider offering botox and filler courses to medical professionals both online and offline. Find out more here! 

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Advertising Standards Authority targets Botox adverts

Two skin clinics have come under fire by the Advertising Standards Authority – for promoting Botox as a beauty treatment rather than just sticking to factual information.

The ASA have announced a crackdown on the advertising of Botox as a beauty treatment and for making vague yet far-reaching claims. While the injectable is most famously known for its beauty benefits, the fact that it is technically a prescription medicine means it shouldn’t legally be promoted as a beauty treatment.

The types of taglines that the ASA have objected to are phrases which describe Botox in terms such as “revolutionary treatment”, “astonishing results” and having the ability to “erase lines”. Instead, they suggest that advertisers should “stick to the facts”.

It’s not the first time the ASA have stepped in to question advertising practices aimed at beauty. Four years ago they began a crackdown on the amount of airbrushing in adverts. They claimed the way in which extensive photo editing was used created a false image of beauty – one which was unachievable even for the real-life models.

Botox itself is already under review for the way it is administered, with recommendations made by a government committee under Sir Bruce Keogh’s instruction last year.

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17% of Mancunians would have Botox by unqualified practitioners

A Manchester clinic has undertaken research in to consumer opinion, on where and by whom people would undergo non-invasive cosmetic procedures. The results are quite startling – with a sizable minority happy to undergo work by those who are not specifically trained for the task at hand.

On the heels of the Keogh review, whose recommendations are yet to be implemented, many practitioners and clinics are keen to make their credentials clear and to advise those who are looking for treatment that it is always preferable to have it carried out by those uniquely qualified for a specific treatment. What is clear from this group of surveyed participants however is that the general public themselves are worryingly blasé about who treats them.

In the survey 16% admitted they would undertake non-invasive body-sculpting by someone who was not qualified to carry it out. 17% said that they would be happy to have Botox administered or dentist work carried out by someone who was not qualified to do so.

A minority were also unfussy as to where they had the treatments carried out, with a quarter happy to visit a beauty salon for non-invasive treatments and 5% who would be willing to do it at a friend’s house. A similar number would be willing to have their treatment carried out in their own home.

The problem with having procedures carried out by those who are unqualified, and with not being in a clinical environment whilst doing so is not just that the likelihood of things going wrong is greater. If something requires urgent medical assistance then there is no immediate back up for that and the customer will have to seek medical help elsewhere. There is also no accountability if something does go wrong.

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Beautician convicted for fraudulent Botox treatment

A Scarborough-based beautician has been charged for fraudulent Botox whilst showing fake certificates as evidence of her training.

Jamie Winter, 35, has been prosecuted for 5 fraud offences and as a result will have to serve 150 hours unpaid community service – no prison sentence was imposed.

The case came light to light as one of her female patients suffered an adverse reaction and went to the police to report Winter for maltreatment.

No prosecution could be brought for the alleged assault as there was no evidence that the swelling the woman had suffered was a direct result of the Botox. It did lead to the fraud charges however.

The 5 accounts were for treatments given to 10 female and 2 male patients over a period of 18 months, within the Scarborough area. Winter pleaded guilty to these charges. She offered the Botox at a cut rate, having bought it cheaply online from the US and reportedly undergoing minimal online training. After practising on herself and her friends Winter then started to charge for the service and word quickly spread about her discounted rates.

As there is no regulation surrounding Botox treatments it was not her lack of proper training that was the cause for the conviction but rather the simple fact of producing a false certificate, thereby offering the injections on a fraudulent basis.

What the case highlights is the need for regulation of Botox treatments – in particular, regulation surrounding the Botox training carried out by the practitioner – in order to protect the patient.

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Concern expressed over failure to implement Keogh recommendations

BAAPS President Rajiv Grover has spoken out over his concern that recommendations made to government months ago are not being implemented – a view that is echoed by much of the aesthetic medical industry.

In April of this year the final Keogh Review report was published and presented to government. In it, recommendations were made that the administration of non-invasive cosmetic procedures such as Botox and fillers should be carried out by qualified medical practitioners alone. At the time the review found the current deregulation of dermal fillers a “crisis waiting to happen.”

Now, six months after the recommendations were made, there has still been no action to tighten regulation within the industry which Grover deems to be “shameful”, adding:

“I like to hope that something will improve (however) there have been reviews before and none of them were taken up.”

The British Association of Dermatologists reaffirms his view and has responded in kind to the so-far lack of parliamentary response on the matter. In a statement spokesperson Deborah Mason said:

“When things go wrong with dermal fillers clients do not go back to their beauty therapist but seek help from dermatologists. This may give the false impression that these procedures are safe to those not medically skilled to deal with or understand the risks.

“We would like to see specific training in these procedures for medical and non-medical practitioners.”

The Department of Health has responded to the criticisms in a statement, stating:

“The government agrees with the principles of Sir Bruce Keogh’s recommendations and we are considering the report carefully and will put our detailed response to parliament shortly.”

Cosmetic Courses offers aesthetic training to qualified medical professionals from centres in Buckinghamshire and Manchester. Call us on 01844 390110 for details.

 

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