THINKING: FILLERS MEAN CHIPMUNK CHEEKS NEW THINKING: ‘MORE’ REALLY CAN BE MORE ANTIAGEING OLD

The days of the trout-pout and pouchy cheeks are over, says beauty writer Alice Hart-davis. But would she be game to try the latest mega-filler facial?

So, how about facial fillers? Anyone?

Hmm, I thought not. Risk ending up with hamster cheeks and a trout pout? Not likely! But what if I told you that those distorted features were the result of old-fashioned techniques, that cosmetic doctors have improved their skills enormously in the 20 years that fillers have been available, and that, in the right hands, a few shots of filler can take years off your face without making you look weird?

Choosing the right doctor is crucial, particularly given the dire lack of regulation when it comes to injectable facial fillers. So do your homework before even thinking of booking in for treatment. Visit clinics to see what they look like. If the receptionist looks like a badly sculpted waxwork, go elsewhere.

Until this year, cosmetic doctors had agreed that the best way to counteract a loss of volume in the face and give a subtly refreshed look was to use the minimum possible quantity of fillers. But now the thinking has changed, as I found out when I went to see top cosmetic practitioner Dr Tapan Patel at the Phi Clinic in Harley Street. I’ve been having small amounts of fillers for 15 years, so was taken aback when Dr Patel said he’d like to use ‘quite a lot’.

‘Like, how much?’ I asked. ‘10 or 12ml,’ he said levelly. ‘We now know volume loss isn’t limited to one area. We may need to treat the temples, cheekbones, mouth area, chin and jawline – so we need more product. It is not unusual for us to use up to 16 syringes of product in one treatment plan.’

I held my nerve because I know his work and trust him, and was fascinated to see where all this filler – Juvederm Voluma, a sturdy gel made from hyaluronic acid, which has a good safety profile and which will last for up to 18 months – would go. As well as a little in my cheeks (which lifts the contour of

the mid-face and softens the nose-to-mouth lines), Dr Patel zoned in on areas you wouldn’t expect. My temples, for example. Temples hollow as we age, and filler here gives a hint of lift to the drooping ends of my eyebrows. And then there was the slackening skin on my chin. The solution was to rebuild it with a scaffolding of filler beneath the skin. It felt weird for a month until the filler integrated, but the difference was amazing.

Putting 1ml of filler in the corners of my jaw gave fantastic results, too – suddenly, I had a terrific jawline. Finally, Dr Patel put 1ml of Juvederm Volite (more of a skin-conditioning agent than a filler) into my lips, to hydrate them from inside without puffing them up.

Could it be the treatment for you? ‘Typically, patients who have noticed some sagging or loss of jawline definition make the best candidates, especially if this is accompanied by sunken cheeks or hollow eye circles,’ says Dr Patel. Ultimately, a good practitioner can make a judgement based on a consultation.

Me? I’m thrilled with my results. It’s a lot to spend, but as a cosmetic surgeon said, even a facelift can’t achieve this sort of gentle restructure of the face from the inside.

Need to know

Fillers with Dr Tapan Patel cost from £850. Alice paid £3,995 for her treatment with 10ml of filler.

‘It’s subtle, but you can see improved balance and symmetry in my mid-face. Also, I look just a tad less grumpy, non?’

‘Wow, look at my new jawline. Deep fillers along the jaw and in my chin have given a restructuring effect that even a facelift couldn’t achieve.’