Who is injecting fillers into you?

Why you should be very wary with cosmetic injections

We are proud of the appearance treatments that we provide. We are also proud of our luxurious clinic facilities. Even more proud though, are the safety and back up of the medical facilities and skills available within the clinic. This is particularly important when it comes to invasive procedures, such as lip and dermal fillers, facial sculpting and PRP *. It’s important to know the qualifications and experience of the practitioner performing your injectable treatment.

We’ve all seen the headlines recently in the ABC and other news outlets. Calls for greater regulation in administering cosmetic injections, along with the need to improve facilities. The team at Dr Luci Clinic are wholly supportive of tighter regulations, and we’ll detail why below. When it comes to injectables, be aware, not all practitioners or establishments are equal.

It’s important to consider the qualifications and experience of practitioners when seeking cosmetic treatments.

In many respects, the use of cosmetic injectables has, and rightly so, become more mainstream recently. At Dr Luci Clinic, we provide a number of enhancing and sculpting procedures along with PRP treatments for our clients. Dr Saliba, is a senior consultant breast surgeon, and highly qualified injection practitioner. Think about this, we’ve been fed a diet of thinking that injections should be cheap. We strongly advise that whoever you use, do your research and that price should not be your only consideration.

Facial Anatomy

With many potential pitfalls, an in depth knowledge of facial anatomy is essential in order to reduce the risk of adverse effects or outcomes, some of which could be life changing, such as blindness. One question to ask your practitioner is – how familiar are you with facial anatomy? Behind your skin are a myriad of blood vessels, muscles, bone and other structures. Your practitioner should understand and visualise these before any injection. Recently, a lady suffered enlarged lips and considerable swelling, due to the practitioner injecting filler into an blood vessel. Incorrect administration of fillers can lead to serious complications; ensuring your practitioner is properly trained reduces this risk. I believe that:

” it is imperative that whoever is injecting you intimately understand facial anatomy. They understand and can visualise, where each of your vital organs, vessels and structures are before starting treatment. Practitioners should be trained to assess facial proportions and apply techniques that align with each patient’s natural anatomy and preferences.” When considering cosmetic injectables, qualifications and clinical setting should be key decision factors, rather than cost alone.

Medical Equipment

Another aspect of safety, is the level of medical equipment and skills available should something go wrong. This is rare, however, reactions can occur. Adverse reactions to substances can occur, and let’s face it, serious, unconnected medical episodes can occur at any time. Does your establishment have defibrillation equipment on hand? Or qualified medical doctors on site at the time you are having your injections? Some businesses do not. They rely on a Skype or other system of doctor consultations. Real-time, in-person medical oversight is essential for managing potential rare complications during procedures.

Also, what other equipment is available in your clinic? At Dr Luci Clinic, we have a range of life monitoring equipment. Our staff are trained in CPR and First Aid. We also only ever have myself, (Dr Saliba) perform any invasive procedures. I must repeat, medical episodes are extremely rare. However, because they can happen, we feel all injectable clinics should be suitably skilled and properly equipped.

We believe anyone wanting fillers or sculpting should be very careful who they have perform these treatments. Delivering consistent results requires an understanding of facial anatomy and tailored approaches to each patient. The safety equipment on site is paramount. Also important is having a medical doctor on site, with the right equipment available should something go wrong. When clinically appropriate, cosmetic injectables may offer aesthetic enhancements tailored to patient needs. Cosmetic injectables should only be administered by appropriately trained health professionals in safe, medically supported environments.

*some prescription-only treatments may be recommended to you, but a thorough clinical assessment is required to ensure they are clinically right for you and as part of your treatment plan. We are not allowed to mention specific prescription medication names.

Dr Lucia Saliba is the founder and CEO of Dr Luci Clinic in Caringbah, NSW. Dr Saliba is a senior consultant breast surgeon with advanced training in cosmetic injectable procedures. A graduate of UNSW medical school, and Master of Surgery (Breast Cancer) bestowed on her from University of Sydney