How to Tell If Someone’s Had Work Done on Their Face

Abby Borbon-Roaquin, a manager and clinician at Ulan Medical Spa in San Diego, California, has been a registered nurse for over 14 years. She is experienced in providing many types of medical aesthetic procedures. Here, she discusses the tell-tale signs of Botox and Juvederm and how to avoid them.



Medical spa procedures are designed to lift, tighten, refresh or rejuvenate our skin - not to make it look stiff or fake. So if you overdo it, the results wont be good. Lets discuss how to avoid the pitfalls of Botox and Juvederm (and how to tell if someone else has fallen prey to over-injecting):



First, lets start with Botox injection.



Botox is an injection. It is mainly used in the upper face and meant to smooth severe frown lines in between the crows feet, eyebrows and forehead wrinkles. It is derived from the purified protein of clostridium botulinum bacterium. In small quantities, it helps to relax muscles so that frown lines and wrinkles that are caused by facial expressions will not appear easily.



There is a "fine line" (pun intended) between good use of Botox and bad use of Botox. When someone is "over-botoxing," you can really tell. For example, when the forehead does not move or looks completely paralyzed, it gets that "waxy" look. Everyone wants to maintain the facial expression and let wrinkles disappear. Botox can help you. It works in injectable units, with about 20 or 30 units per area, depending on the need. An experienced clinician knows how many units it takes to relax each area and wont inject more than what is necessary. On the contrary, sometimes people themselves will ask for more than what is needed.



Then, we will discuss tell-tale signs of Juvederm.



Juvederm injectable gel is made from hyaluronic acid. We often use it to smooth the smile lines around the mouth. As opposed to Botox, which addresses wrinkles that are caused by muscle movement, Juvederm works on the folds that are not caused by muscle movement, but by a loss of volume or structure underneath the skin - the nasolabial folds or the "parentheses around the mouth." It works by instantaneously adding volume and the results are seen immediately. Results continue to improve for about two weeks from the injection date, as hyaluronic acid absorbs up to eight times its weight in water. There is minimal to no downtime.



Some people want to reshape their lips and make them look plumper by using Juvederm. Who doesnt get Angelina Jolie envy sometimes? Be careful, sometimes it can make your lips look ...well, too plump. At Ulan Medical Spa, an experienced clinician will know how to make lips look both natural and fuller. But make sure not to overdose on the filler.



Please keep in mind that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.



The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.