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Prick or treat: What are injectables? Are they safe for you?
Don’t frown. More Indians are getting fillers and other injectables to look younger. Is the needle the new scalpel?
No one’s hiding anymore. No one’s blaming their sudden bursts of youthfulness to mountain retreats, Sattvic diets, hot yoga or chilled charcoal water. They’re coming clean about injectable beauty treatments.
When Anushka Sharma appeared on Koffee with Karan with a plumped-up pout in 2016, she candidly attributed them to a lip filler. Joe Jonas says he gets injectable procedures for frown lines and wrinkles. “I don’t think it’s necessarily something we have to shy away from,” he told People magazine last year. Katy Perry says she’s used them to fill in her hollow under-eye area. Kylie Jenner’s bountiful lips, she’s acknowledged, come not from her line of lipsticks but from regular jabs of volumiser.
Injectables are not plastic surgery. No one goes under the knife, no one’s cut open, no one’s in bandages, hiding in pain for weeks as they heal. The targeted, temporary microdoses, delivered via needle, fall into roughly three categories. Muscle-numbing neuromodulators (Botox, Xeomin, Dysport, and Jeuveau) relax forehead wrinkles, droopy lids and frown lines. Dermal fillers (Restylane, Refyne, Defyne and Juvederm) sit under the skin, plumping up lips and cheeks. Mild deoxycholic acids (Kybella) are used on the chin and jawline, where they dissolve minuscule deposits of fat, sharpening features.
Though primarily administered for cosmetic reasons, injectables also treat excessive sweating, lockjaw, migraines, and muscle spasms. Celebrities routinely get Botox on their underarms during awards season to avoid perspiring in red-carpet couture. It’s temporary, cheaper than ever, but by no means risk-free. Here’s a quick guide for anyone planning to go under the needle.
“When considering injectables for the first time, it’s crucial to understand the nature of the treatment and its potential effects,” says Dr Chytra V Anand, cosmetic dermatologist and founder of Bengaluru-based Kosmoderma Clinics and Skin Q Dermo Cosmetics. Anyone of legal age and in general good health can opt for them. Not all dermatologists are trained to perform injectable cosmetic procedures. “Consult with a qualified injector dermatologist,” Dr Anand advises. “Pregnant or breastfeeding women should avoid getting them. Those with certain medical conditions or potential allergies to the injectable substances should too.”
Even those who are cleared to get injected should exercise caution. Most research on injectables has been carried out in the West. There are no guidelines on minimum dosage and how to use them on Indian features and ageing patterns. This gives Dr Anand cause for concern. “It is essential to acknowledge the differences in genetic makeup and facial structures among populations,” she says. Consider working with a trained professional who takes an individualised approach, considering a person’s ethnicity, skin type, and facial anatomy when determining dosage and treatment plans.
“Most people don’t require downtime after a procedure and can resume their daily activities immediately,” says Delhi-based Dr Ishan Sardesai, aesthetic surgeon at The Face Centre. But be prepared for post- jab complications. “There may be mild side effects in the form of redness, bruising or swelling. Be warned though that you may not look your absolute best for a couple of days after the procedure.”
Clients are usually prescribed ice packs and recovery creams, anti-inflammatory tablets and gentle massages, and are asked to avoid strenuous exercise and direct sun exposure for a few days. “The exact post-procedure protocol depends on the type of procedure. So, go to an experienced doctor, who knows how to manage a complication in case it occurs,” Dr Sardesai advises.
Nothing lasts forever. An injectable cosmetic treatment even less so. Most beauty effects last six to 12 months. Critics have pointed out that this pushes users into a vicious cycle, in which they keep going back for more. Dr Sardesai dismisses this claim. “Fillers provide an instant lift, but they also trigger collagen and elastin production, which are the building blocks for healthy, youthful skin,” he says. So, even as the lifting effects wear off, the skin still tends to look healthy.
Injectables, as tabloid photos of askew eyebrows and imbalanced cheeks show, don’t always wear off uniformly. It happens in rare cases, says Dr. Anand, and can be prevented with regular visits to the doctor to assess how the muscles respond over time.
Some users don’t even get to this stage. They’ve been just as open about reversing their injectable procedures. Cardi B removed the biopolymer fillers she’d got on her butt cheeks after she realised she was risking her health. Amy Schumer, Courteney Cox and Khloé Kardashian have publicly mentioned that they got the fillers on their cheeks dissolved because they just didn’t like the way they looked.
