Why It’s Important to Choose an Experienced Injector

Why It’s Important to Choose an Experienced Injector

It’s been 30 years since Botox first became the first injectable approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for use as a treatment for moderate to severe frown lines, crow’s feet and forehead lines. Since then. neuromodulators and dermal fillers have become a commonplace lunchtime treatment for women and men across the country.

While the benefits of injectables are impressive and exciting, there could be some drawbacks if your injector is not skilled enough at their craft. With so many service providers and online sources, it can be confusing to know who to choose when you are first considering injectables. We’ve prepared a detailed list to give you some guidance.

The Face Is the Place

While Botox, Dysport, Restalyne, and other injectables can be used in other places on our body, the usual place we get injected is on our face and the surrounding areas. Facial skin is among the thinnest on the body. The number of skin cells on our faces is less than almost anywhere else. And our stratum corneum—the top layer of our facial skin—is the most delicate layer of tissue we have. 

Of course, it isn’t just the skin but what lies beneath it. There are 42 muscles in the human face. Contrary to what you might have heard as a child, it only takes six muscles to frown, but 10 muscles to smile. The face is also the place where we have our orbicularis oris, the precious muscle that allows us to kiss. Our faces are the “us” that we present to the world. It’s important to entrust them to the care of experienced, knowledgeable providers.

Most injectable treatments are specific to certain conditions and meant for well-defined purposes. Restylane Silk, for instance, is the first drug approved by the FDA to smooth wrinkles around the lips and augment the lips of patients 21 and older). Juvéderm Voluma is an injectable gel approved by the FDA as a filler for the cheek. 

The potential of these treatments to enhance our appearance is remarkable. Knowing what these drugs are intended to do, how they differ, and where exactly to inject them implies that a person must be well-trained and practiced in their administration. It is no wonder, then, that the bond between injection providers and those receiving the medications and fillers often grows to be so close.

What Are the Characteristics of a Good Injector?

Here are the most important qualities to look for when seeking the right person to safely, effectively administer injections. Ideally, the patient should be able to depend upon every provider in a particular medical practice to be able to embody these qualities.

• Best training & lots of experience: Just as the testing and refining of Botox and the other injectable treatments have not stopped, so the training of physicians, nurses, other providers who administered injections must be current and ongoing. Injectors must have instruction from a Galderma trainer or its equal.
• Thorough knowledge of fillers and their uses: With more than a dozen potent, quite varied facially injectable treatments, an injector must have a complete awareness of the uses, doses, and possible side effects of each.
• A clear understanding of the natural, youthful look a patient is trying to achieve: Just as a plastic surgeon faithfully sits with a patient and together they achieve an understanding of the patient’s goals, so the injector must have the judgment and expertise to know how to use the proper filler to obtain the patient’s intent.
• Proceeds with integrity and compassion: All patient wants to know that the person to whom they have entrusted their face is an individual who practices with ethics, sincerity, and compassion. The injector must be someone who is never casual or uncaring. 
• Must be able to say “no”: Just as a physician always determines a patient’s level of well-being before proceeding with surgery or medication, so an injector must be able and willing to delay or deny giving an injection in any circumstance that might compromise the health of a patient or when it is clearly unadvised.
• Transparent and friendly in communications: To the extent that ethical considerations and HIPPA rules allow, the injector should be open and conversant with the patient. The ability to help a patient relax while an injection is being given is a balm in itself.

With the advent of Botox and other related injectable cosmetic fillers, many corrections to our appearance can be achieved with a trip to the office and a simple injection. The right provider will patiently discuss the look you are trying to achieve and explain the various possibilities that exist—indeed, there are many. Together, you’ll determine the best course of action to deal with the particular issues you want to address and learn in detail exactly what is involved. It’s quite likely that going through this process will have the added benefit of creating a lasting bond of understanding and trust between you and your injector.

Contact Us

For more information on Botox and other non-invasive injections, contact Dr. Keith Ladner at (303) 253-7686 or fill out an online form to request an appointment.