Lip Service

In August, the High Street pharmacy chain Superdrug caused a sensation when it announced that it would be offering anti-wrinkle and skin rejuvenation treatments at its store on London’s Strand.

Ultimately, the retailer plans to make Botox and dermal fillers available in its stores throughout the UK.

Apparently, they came up with the concept of its Skin Renew Service, after the enormous popularity of Love Island sparked huge demand for cosmetic procedures, with Southend’s own contestant Megan Barton-Hanson, comparing cosmetic surgery to 'getting your hair done'. When I read that, naturally, my interest was piqued.

It got me thinking about these type of cosmetic procedures – are they safe and a good idea in general?

I’ve done a little research and, while I’m no expert, I’ll share with you what I’ve discovered.

First, what are dermal fillers? They’re small injections of gel, usually containing hylauronic acid, that fill in wrinkles and add volume to soft tissue around the faces, such as eyes, cheeks, mouth and jawline. Lip fillers are administered directly into the lip tissue.

So, the headline here is that fillers smooth deep-set lines. This treatment is popular with women approaching, or already in their 30’s and 40’s, as our bodies begin to stop producing collagen and elastin from around the age of 25. These then decline at a rate of approximately 2% per year.

One treatment will generally last between six to 18 months, depending on how your body reacts and which hyaluronic acid is used.

Now, I can guess you have two further questions – I know I did. One, do they hurt and two, are there any side-effects?

I would say that, like any procedure involving a needle, there is going to be some discomfort. However, an anaesthetic cream applied before the treatment should minimise this. In some cases, clinics use a pre-mixed local anaesthetic to further reduce any pain.

After a treatment, it is normal to experience swelling, redness and tenderness. Bruising around the area where you’ve had the filler applied can also occur. Whilst this may sound somewhat worrying, these reactions are generally mild to moderate and typically disappear shortly after injection and are, in most cases, resolved a few days after the injection into the skin.

Now, there is a difference between Botox and dermal fillers. Botox stops the small muscles in your face from making the movements that cause wrinkles, whilst dermal fillers plump from below the wrinkle to smooth them out and promote the youthful look.

Also, depending on what you decide to have done, what fillers you choose to use and who you entrust to administer them, affects the price.

Which begs the question, are you proud to wear each line and wrinkle – or are you Simon Cowell?!