One of the main trends of our generation has certainly been a push in the filler direction, let’s be honest there’s no escaping it on our Instagram feeds. Clearly one of the main things millennials seem to be striving for is facial perfection. All of our favourite TOWIE characters and influencers have taken the plunge so why shouldn’t we? We decided to speak to an expert to get some inside info on the matter. Dr Elle Claire Reid of Paragon Aesthetics, a dentist and cosmetic practitioner spills all the beans on millennials going filler-crazy, what the Kardashian effect is all about and why she just really does love her job.
Over the last few years there has been a massive increase in young women wanting to achieve facial perfection through cosmetic surgery, what do you think this is down to?
“Young women are more aware than ever of the idea of facial perfection; the high arched cheek bones, defined jawline and perfect pout. This generation have grown up using skin care treatments, having regular beauty appointments for brow tints, nails, lashes and watched their mothers have none-surgical treatments to halt the ageing process. Exploring their options for not only prevention of ageing but also for beautification in the form of injectables is the next natural step.
“I also feel there has been a shift in the cultural norm, cosmetic surgery through surgical and non-surgical routes have been around for decades. However whereas it used to be thought of as something to be ashamed of or kept secret it’s now something that is openly discussed on social networks, reality TV programmes and even bragged about amongst peers.
“It is often referred to as the ‘Kardashian effect’. The day Kylie Jenner announced that she’d had lip fillers google search interest peaked to ten times higher than it have ever been before and has maintained an interest higher than it ever had previously. Whether it be the Kardashian’s themselves or other influencers we are constantly bombarded with the idea of facial perfection whether it be in the natural or the augmented form.”
What was your journey into becoming a practitioner, can you tell us a bit about your company and your ethics personally?
“I initially trained to be a dentist at Newcastle University qualifying in 2012. After completing two years of general practitioner training I worked for a year as a Maxillofacial Senior House Officer at the major trauma hospital the RVI dealing with head and neck trauma before returning to general dental practice. Having had aesthetics treatments myself I had always had an interest in fillers and anti-wrinkle treatments and completed my first training with Dr Bob Khanna Training Institute and from their Paragon Aesthetics facial aesthetics was born. Since then I’ve completed 7 more aesthetics training courses with 3 courses dedicated to lip augmentation. I started practicing aesthetics at Luxe in Jesmond and have gone on to provide treatments in Newcastle City Centre and Ryton. This year I have taken on a Dental Therapist and another Dentist to extend our services in to South Shields, Sunderland and Gosforth.
“My personal and company ethics are to provide safe, natural and bespoke treatments. The consultation, assessment, consent and treatment planning stages form the majority of my treatment appointments. The injection time is actually very minimal. For me I feel that choosing to have a non-surgical procedure with a new practitioner whether it’s your first for fiftieth time is such a big decision. I personally follow up all of my clients after treatment, and all my clients know that I am always on call to them if they need to speak to me about their treatment. This is the same for all the Paragon Aesthetics practitioners.”
What factors should be taken into consideration when it comes to picking a practitioner?
“Number one has to choose to see a medical professional, whether it be a nurse, medic or dental care professional. Having a medical background means they will be trained in understanding facial anatomy, how to treat you safely, cleanly and what to do if things go wrong.
Do your research, speak to friends who have had treatments and see who they would recommend but make your own decision, make sure the practitioner you choose creates the look you want.
Don’t go to anyone who advertises deals or money off discounts. Any good practitioner knows that it is unethical to financially entice customers in to having a procedure done and won’t need to if they have faith in their quality of treatment.”
What are the main treatments that you offer?
“The main treatments I offer are anti-wrinkle injections and fillers. Although I offer most facial filler procedures my most commonly requested procedure is still lip fillers. Its a treatment I love doing because every case is unique, I’m constantly researching and learning new techniques and styles to offer my clients.”
How many treatments do you usually do in your typical week?
“I still work full time as a dentist but on an average week I carry out around 15-20 facial aesthetics procedures depending on what clinics I have on.”
Have you done work on any celebs?
“I’ve treated a client who is now on television, I couldn’t believe it when she popped up on my screen one night! I’m really pleased that she is returning to the North East to continue her treatment with me.”
Has there ever been a point when someone’s asked you for a treatment and you’ve had to say no?
“Yes. Every treatment is bespoke, if I don’t feel a treatment will benefit the patient I won’t do it. I am always honest with my clients, I’d rather be judged on the cases I choose not to take that those I do.”
Do you think anyone is ever truly happy with their face?
“Definitely! Although facial aesthetics treatments are growing in popularity those who have them are still in the minority and of those that do they are often seeking minor tweaks to enhance rather than correct what they dislike.”
In your opinion, are millennials obsessed with becoming more like celebs?
“I don’t think Millenials are obsessed with becoming more like celebs, but I do feel the margins between normal day to day people and celebrities are becoming blurred. There used to be a clear cut between the two, however with the rise of instafamous girls and guys there’s a middle ground. These people look and live like the famous but their none-celebrity status make them relatable and their influential ability undoubtable.”
What are the chances of lip fillers/any other facial treatments going wrong?
“With any treatment there are risks. There a common side affects like discomfort, swelling, redness or bruising after treatment. These are short term and their incidence can be minimised by adequate pretreatment requirements, good injection technique and appropriate aftercare instructions. Any experienced practitioner will be well versed in how to minimise complications and if they do occur. Although the incidence of complaints regarding facial aesthetics treatments have trebled since 2016, 83% of the reports were treatments performed by beauticians, hairdressers and other non-medical professionals.”
Do you love what you do/why?
“I think a fair description would be to say that I am completely obsessed with what I do. I really love being a dentist but at least once a day someone comes in and tells me they ‘hate the dentist’. Doing my aesthetics, men and women come to me with a problem or something they wish to enhance about themselves and together we make a plan. Nothing makes me happier than handing the client the mirror at the end of treatment and seeing their reaction.”
What’s the most common thing clients say to you?
“I want to look natural.”
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