Filler treatments are not just any beauty treatments, but they also involve serious risks. Many people don’t think about this when they make an appointment at the nursing home.
Filler injections, lip fillers and other aesthetic treatments have become commonplace for many. The industry is growing strongly.
– The taboo surrounding aesthetic treatments is receding. People are talking more openly about procedures that have been done to them or that they are considering, says a general practitioner specializing in aesthetic treatments Neea Lehtiö.
Unsplash by Ehsan Ahmadi
The fact that the popularity of aesthetic beauty treatments is increasing also has its downside.
– Along with the popularity of the treatments, the problems related to the field are also increasing. At the moment, filler treatments are not controlled in Finland, says Lehtiö.
This means that the author does not need to be a healthcare professional to perform filler treatments.
– In other words, anyone can perform treatments, without supervision, proper training or facilities suitable for the activity. Products can be bought online instead of ordering the products through an official importer.
Finland lags behind other countries in terms of supervision.
– We are years behind. Both in terms of supervision and the frequency of treatments, Lehtiö emphasizes.
High risk treatment operations
The magazine lists treatments that it does not agree to do. These often involve high risks and the risk of complications.
– I do not agree to do nose filler treatments. There are great risks associated with nasal filler treatments. Several complications have been described around the world as a result of nasal filler treatment, such as skin necrosis and even blindness.
Unsplash by Diana Polekhina
The leaflet also does not fill the forehead lines with filler for the same reason as the nose filler treatment. This is a high-risk treatment.
– If during the treatment the filler accidentally enters a blood vessel in the area, it will cause the vessel to be blocked. This filler blockage can cause skin death if left untreated.
According to Lehtiö, a blockage in the nose area can travel towards the eye, in which case it could block the blood flow to the fundus and lead to blindness.
– I myself use ultrasound as an aid in my work. Because, among other things, I map the location of the blood vessels, which makes the treatment safer. Despite this, however, I don’t take the risk and do filler treatments in the forehead and nose area, he clarifies.
According to the magazine, so far there have been no reports of blindness caused by filler treatment in Finland, but elsewhere in the world there have been. These have typically come as a result of nose or forehead filler treatment.
The filler can be removed with an enzyme called hyaluronidal, and blood circulation in the blood vessel is restored.
– However, when the eye artery is blocked, it is really urgent to restore blood circulation and the procedure is by no means simple. For the reasons mentioned above, nose filler treatment is an absolute no for me, he underlines.
Botulinum on the forehead
Instead of fillers, Lehtiö uses botulinum, i.e. botox, in aesthetic treatments of the forehead area. According to him, they should be used more holistically, treating the entire forehead area, not just focusing on horizontal lines. He illustrates this in his Tiktok video.
– The use of botulinum does not have the same risks as fillers. Botulinum is diluted in a sterile saline solution and the finished solution is a liquid. Its risks are related to the injection technique and patient selection, adds Lehtiö.
The author has a great responsibility
The magazine calls for the great responsibility of professionals in the aesthetic field.
– I think that we professionals in the aesthetic field have a great responsibility for the person who comes to us for treatment and seeks help with their appearance problem.
– I do not perform treatments if the client’s and my views on the necessity of the treatment or the desired outcome do not meet, Lehtiö says.
He emphasizes that aesthetic treatments are not just any beauty treatments.
– The operator must have a good knowledge of anatomy, asepsis and medicine so that treatments can be performed safely. It is also important to be able to recognize possible complications, and to know how to act if a complication occurs.
Before performing the treatment, a consultation should always be carried out, where the patient’s skin care routines, medical history, and the treatment to be performed and their risks of complications are discussed, among other things.
Kamil Majdanski / Alamy Stock Photo
The magazine underlines that you must also always keep in mind a possible underlying dysmorphic body image disorder.
– In this case, the person is convinced of the deformity or ugliness of their own appearance and is ready to make even extreme changes in pursuit of change.
In some cases, the palette can be cleaned, so to speak, and the treatments can be started from the beginning.
– If a person clearly already has too much filler or the fillers have started to spread, for example, over the red area of the lips, it is better to remove the old fillers than to just add more, he urges.
– By filling more, you won’t get a good end result, it’s better to remove the old fillings and start from a clean canvas, so to speak, to build a new one.
The most suitable treatments
The magazine mentions a few treatments that are suitable for Finns.
– Filler treatments are suitable for almost everyone. If done correctly, outsiders won’t notice the difference, but the person looks, for example, more cheerful, more rested, and the condition of the skin has improved.
Unsplash by Mathilde Langevin
Filler treatments suitable for Finns can be done on a wide range of faces: on the upper face to the temples and tear ducts, on the middle face to the cheekbones and cheekbone area. In addition, for example, the jawline and chin can be supported with fillers.
– One of the most popular treatments are lip filler treatments.
– Similarly, newer biostimulation treatments that increase the skin’s collagen and elastin production are suitable for basic health over 30 years old. Typically, the skin of Finns is pale and a bit thin, especially prone to dryness in winter.
These are injection treatments, the active ingredients of which cause an increase in collagen and elastane in the skin.
– The production of these starts to decrease rapidly after the age of 35. It, in turn, leads to skin laxity and a loss of elasticity: so natural aging occurs.
Biostimulators can be used to increase the amount of collagen and elastane in the skin. Such treatments are suitable for people aged 35-40 and older.
– New biostimulation treatments give the skin firmness, fullness, moisture and brightness. These cannot be completely compared to fillers, which only fill and do not cause the production of collagen and elastane, Lehtiö opens.
– Biostimulation treatments have great potential, and at best, these can give such good results that we can talk about a face lift without a knife.