Manscaping in The Lab - Part Two

Welcome back to Part Two of my Manscaping in the Lab blog.

This part will focus on the very best injectable options available to the guys and will cover everything from:

There is quite a lot of information throughout this blog. However, as always I have attempted to keep things as simple and as easy as possible to follow…

Happy reading!

Lines and Wrinkles

Lines and wrinkles form on the face due to a continuous repetition of the underlying muscle, contracting and relaxing during expression. Over time the skin overlying these expressive muscles will crease, resulting in a noticeable line/wrinkle.

Anti-wrinkle injections work by temporarily relaxing the injected muscle resulting in a smooth appearance to the skin. As the muscle underneath is no longer able to contract with expression, the skin overlying the treated muscle will not scrunch or bunch up.

The three most common areas to treat with anti-wrinkle injections include the frown area, the horizontal forehead lines and the crows feet (lines next to the eyes).

As an injector, my aim when treating guys is not to freeze their face. Personally, I like men to have a little bit of movement to these areas post treatment. I feel it results in a nice, natural, refreshed and rejuvenated appearance without being ‘too noticeable’.

Which brings me to one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding anti wrinkle injections… and this is that all anti-wrinkle treatment will result in a frozen face – Not true.

The greatest thing about anti-wrinkle injections is that we can alter dosage depending on the desired result.

For example – For those who want a little movement post treatment and to keep things nice and natural, we can drop the dose or the amount of product injected. Or for those who prefer and request no movement at all, we can increase the dose, which will give a stronger result.

Anti-wrinkle treatments are walk-in-walk-out, with very minimal discomfort. If you’re not exactly super keen on the idea of needles – I can reassure you that the needles in which we use are in fact the smallest/finest needles that we can possibly get our little hands on. I commonly say to my clients, if it were really that painful or uncomfortable – we wouldn’t be performing this treatment day-in and day-out, all-day every-day.

We usually allow around 30 minutes for any anti-wrinkle appointment, however injecting time will usually only take around 5 minutes.

As the product that we use is a Schedule 4 medication all treatments do require a prescription prior to injection, which is signed off and sighted by one of our beautiful Doctors.

In the Lab we are fortunate enough to have the amazing Dr Kate and Dr Christine on-site, this means your prescription can easily be signed off on the day of your appointment and treatment commenced if ok’d by our Doctors.

Unfortunately, results are gradual and will take anywhere from 4 – 14 days to take full effect – best results are seen at the 2 week post treatment mark.

Over the following weeks to months after your injections, new little communication pathways between the nerve and muscle will form, meaning movement will slowly begin to return to the area. If you choose not to re-treat, you will find that muscle movement will return back to its original state.

From a preventative ageing perspective, retreatment is recommended every three months. That is if you are wanting to keep the wrinkles to a minimum and prevent any lines/wrinkles from getting deeper or worse as time progresses.

Although risks and complications can occur, anti-wrinkle injections are relatively safe when used for aesthetic purpose. Visible downtime is nil, which again, is perfect for going undetected – especially for the guys. Initially post treatment, most clients will notice a small, little lump at each injection site which will return to normal after only a few minutes.

Excessive Sweating

Hyperhidrosis (also known as excessive sweating) is common in both men and women. And believe it or not, it isn’t actually confined to one particular body area or part. In the past, I have treated many different areas – ranging from underarms to hands, to feet, foreheads, faces and scalps.

The treatment itself involves quite a few tiny, superficial injections of anti-wrinkle into the area or body part prone to sweating and works by reducing the sweat glands ability to excrete sweat.

Please note that this treatment will not paralyse the muscle – During treatment the product is injected very superficially (just underneath the skin) and not deep into the muscle.

Discomfort during treatment can be managed with the application of a prescription numbing cream prior to treatment and ice to the area during treatment if needed.

As the anti-wrinkle product in which we use is a Schedule 4 Prescription Medication, by Law we are not allowed to promote this product by name.

Most clients will notice a reduction in the amount of sweat being produced at 2 – 4 weeks post-treatment. The best part about this treatment is that results can last anywhere from 6 – 12 months – depending on the individual and the severity of their sweating.

Most areas will generally require a large(ish) dose to give the desired result and effect. This will be outlined and quoted during your initial consultation and prior to any treatment being performed.

Teeth Clenching, Grinding and Tension to Masseters

Would you believe me if I told you that anti-wrinkle could be used to reduce clenching, grinding and discomfort to the jaw area?

Seriously, this product is so versatile, which is why it is in fact one of the Labs most common products used on a daily basis.

Pain and tension to the jaw area is commonly caused by the masseter muscle. This muscle is responsible for clenching and grinding of the teeth during stressful periods, sleep or due to habit.

The most common reasons men seek masseter treatment is:

Pain to the jaw area
Headaches caused by tension to the jaw area
Damage to teeth

The procedure itself is very simple; anti-wrinkle is injected straight into the masseter muscle, which will cause a partial relaxation to the muscle. This means you lose the ability to be able to forcefully clench or grind your teeth (knowingly or unknowingly) throughout the day or night.

For many, the results post treatment can be life changing.

Most clients notice a reduction in tension to the area 2 – 4 weeks post treatment, with the results lasting anywhere from 4 – 6 months.

Jawline enhancement

Women love a defined, squared, chiseled jawline and chin on a guy. It is one of those areas of the male face that when strong, sharp and square, increases masculinity and attractiveness (You can thank me later).

We have two really great options for revamping the lower third of the face:

Fat Dissolving Injections

Fat in the chin area is a big issue for so many men. It can make them feel really, really self-conscious and unfortunately it is generally an area that does not respond to diet and/or exercise. You can thank genetics for that one.

The product that we inject into the area is made from a synthetic form of Deoxycholic acid, which is actually a substance that our bodies produce naturally, which functions to break down fat cells.

This treatment involves quite a few injections, straight into the bulk of the tissue (usually around 20 to 23 to be exact).

Most clients state discomfort levels during the treatment to be between a 2 – 5/10, with most feeling a dull stinging/burning/throbbing sensation usually lasting only a few minutes.

Due to the amount of injections to the area, bruising is common and swelling is pretty much a definite. Generally I find swelling begins almost immediately and in some instances it can last up to 4 weeks.

How swollen might you ask? … Good question. Think of a bullfrog and that should paint a pretty clear and accurate representation. I guess one of the positives of coming into the cooler months is that it is actually a perfect time to treat with fat dissolving injections – As it is so much easier to hide your swelling underneath a hoodie.

Results are usually long term and can last up to 5 years; in some instances they may be permanent.

The amount of treatments needed will depend on the severity and grade of fat within the area. This is discussed and pre-planned during your initial consultation.

Jawline Filler

If you want to add definition, contour or chisel the appearance of your jawline then a little dermal filler should be your next investment. Dermal filler will give great results on it’s own, but can be used in combination with fat dissolving injections if needed.

For those of you who may not quite understand the difference between dermal filler and anti-wrinkle, think of dermal filler as a thick gel based substance, which is injected underneath the skin to re-volumise, contour, lift, project (bring forward) and lengthen areas of the face. Dermal filler does not paralyse muscle like anti-wrinkle.

Specifically in men the most common areas to inject with filler include the cheeks, chin and jawline.

The lower 3^rd of a man’s face should be strong, sharp and square. To create this result with filler I like to add width to the base of the jaw, thread product along the jawbone to add definition and sharpen up the angles and square off the chin.

The great thing about dermal filler is once it has been injected you will see an immediate result and improvement. Even though a little swelling is present immediately post treatment. Bruising is common and sometimes can’t be avoided, even though we are all super gentle injectors and pride ourselves on being kind at the Lab.

Although giving an immediate result, the product will take some time to settle into the tissue, meaning lumps or bumps are common initially post treatment.

Fast forward 4 weeks and the area treated will feel like your own natural self and own natural tissue as the product integrates and meshes into the surrounding tissues.

The length of your results may vary and will usually depend on your metabolism. However, it is common for improvements to be visible up to 1.5 years post treatment.

Hair Loss and Thinning of the Hair

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is an amazing treatment that can be used to stimulate hair growth and increase the thickness of hair. Especially in men who are balding or thinning.

In the Lab we like to call PRP liquid gold – Because it is exactly that.

PRP is so versatile and can be used in so many different ways both cosmetically and medically. Did you know PRP was initially used to treat sports injuries? And as a matter of fact it still is, due to its profound healing properties.

In the Lab we use PRP for skin rejuvenation, reducing lines and wrinkles, improving skin quality and stimulating hair growth.

The process its self is quite simple, we take your blood – processing it in our Emcyte centrifuge (machine which spins around really fast). This process separates the old red blood cells from the plasma. This plasma, which is full of growth factors, is then extracted and re injected back into the area of concern i.e. the scalp.

I often like to described PRP as a fertiliser for your hair as it feeds the hair and the area of concern with all of the goodness it needs to stimulate growth and thickness.

For best results 3 treatments are needed with each treatment spaced 6 weeks apart. Growth should improve slowly over time – with results noticed 12 weeks post treatment.

Dark Circles

Oh, dark circles… where do I even begin?

I would actually say that this is legitimately one of the most common issues in both women and men. And to be completely honest, it is also in-fact one of the harder concerns to treat… Why?

Well, there are so many different reasons as to why the area might appear dark. Is it pigment? Is it noticeable because of volume loss? Is it venous pooling? Is it noticeable due to poor skin quality? The list is actually endless…

To keep things short and sweet I will focus on 2 of our most common treatment options, tear trough filler and PRP.

Tear Trough Filler

Let’s say you have a true tear trough deformity, which is recognised as a hollowing under the eye – usually genetic. Treatment can involve a small amount of dermal filler to the area of hollowing, which will disguise the shadowing – thus reducing the appearance of the dark circle.

Although treatment may sound simple, it is important to mention – many clients are not suitable for this treatment. Here in the Lab, we are VERY selective with who we will/won’t treat with dermal filler, especially when treating this area. If not treated correctly results will be sub-par or very, very noticeable.

Less is definitely more when it comes to treating this area, which means results achieved may be very subtle or achieved over a series of appointments, we do not want anyone looking over filled or puffy, which is common if treated incorrectly.

The procedure itself is really, very tolerable, as we tend to use a cannula instead of a needle. A cannula uses only one, small entry hole and is fed through underneath the skin reducing risk, discomfort and bruising in the area.

With any injectable procedure, it may take the product a few weeks to settle into the tissues, so subtle lumps and bumps may be noticeable underneath the skin initially – remember it takes time for the product to integrate and settle into the tissues. Swelling and tenderness are common but will subside over time.

Although dermal filler to this area is a great option and will give some immediate result, results are only temporary. Often it is not necessarily the hollowing, but the quality of the skin which needs treating and improving. This is where PRP comes back into play.

PRP for eyes

PRP is one of our most popular treatments for the eye area.

It has the capabilities of improving an entire range of concerns associated with the eye area, plus it gives long-term preventative aging results.

Due to its high concentration of growth factors PRP will stimulate your skin to produce new collagen and elastin, improving skin texture, skin quality and reducing the appearance of lines and wrinkles. As the quality and thickness of the skin under the eye improves over time, dark shadowing is often disguised, with the area appearing brighter, tighter, rejuvenated and more youthful.

Swelling is common with this treatment, with most of my clients leaving the clinic looking a little ‘bug eyed’. This will last around 24 – 48 hours.

For best results I recommend a course of 3 treatments, which are spaced 6 weeks apart.

As PRP gives long term anti-aging benefits with the stimulation of your bodies own collagen – best results are seen 12 weeks post-treatment and results will get better as time progresses. Maintenance treatments are recommended, however, most clients will need only one treatment every 12 months to re-boost the collagen within the area.

For those of you who are still with me, I thank you for your time and for allowing me to share this immense amount of information with you.

If you have any questions relating to the content within this blog, please do not hesitate to contact the clinic – our front of house coordinators are absolute angels.

Finally, don’t be a stranger; you are all more than welcome in the Lab

And with that being said, we hope to see you very, very soon

Danaé x