When Lisa Hattingh turned 40, she treated herself to an ‘injectable facelift’ – the go-to for women who want results without surgery. Read her Q & A session with Fairlady in the June 2012 issue.

WHAT HAPPENED AT YOUR FIRST CONSULTATION?
After turning 40 (and closely examining my exhausted, stressed face in the mirror), I decided the time had come to treat myself to a serious cosmetic procedure. I met with well-known Gauteng cosmetic physician Dr Anushka Reddy, and after a thorough consultation she recommended the chemical facial sculpture. This would involve relaxing my jaw muscles with Botox and injecting filler into the lines that run from my nose to my mouth; into my cheekbones to plump them up a bit; and, of course, into the gully in my forehead. The overall aim is to smooth lines and create a softer looking, more heart-shaped face (the youthful ideal)

WERE YOU NERVOUS?
I wasn’t anxious beforehand at all, but then I saw the first needle! I’d been so focused on the outcome that I somehow forgot that it was going to involve a number of injections. Dr Reddy talked me through every detail of what she was doing, though, which really helped.

WAS IT PAINFUL?
On the pain scale, the procedure was more than a little uncomfortable. It hurt, but not unbearably. The pain didn’t last very long, luckily, and there was no lingering pain once the needles had been removed. The fillers were slightly more painful than the Botox, perhaps because of the sensation of something being injected under my skin, which was quite creepy.

HOW DID YOU FIND THE EXPERIENCE OVERALL?
The entire procedure took about an hour, including the consultation. Dr Reddy administered the injections slowly – she was very thorough in that she constantly checked to see that everything was balanced, i.e. that there wasn’t more filler in one side of my face than the other. Afterwards, there was no pain and I couldn’t feel the fillers at all. Dr Reddy recommended a check-up in two weeks to make sure everything was on track. She called the next day to see how I was doing, and asked me to let her know if I experienced any problems or concerns. (I didn’t.)

DID IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
My sister was the only one who knew I’d had the procedure done, and she said she couldn’t see any difference at all the next day. But after two weeks, there was a definite improvement, and loads of people noticed. I was most delighted that my ‘gully’ had completely disappeared! In the back of my mind I was terrified of coming out of the procedure looking puffed up, plastic, or like I’d had ‘work done’. But the results were beautifully subtle, which was a relief. Nobody said, ‘What have you had done?’ – but a lot of people remarked on how relaxed and rested I looked, and asked if I had lost weight. Everyone wanted to know if I had been on holiday – I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome.

WHAT’S THE RECOVERY PERIOD?

Happily, there is no real recovery period or ‘downtime’. I bruise very easily and had a small blue mark where the needle was inserted on one side of my nose, but nothing that I couldn’t cover with a little foundation the next day. Dr Reddy said that for a few days I should sleep on my back, avoid strenuous exercise (which I
loved!), not have a sauna and not drink alcohol – basically steer clear of any behaviour that might cause the capillaries in my face to flare up.

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THIS PROCEDURE TO YOUR BEST FRIEND?
I’d recommend this procedure in a heartbeat to anyone who isn’t too squeamish about needles. It’s also of paramount importance to go to an experienced professional, as I did. Also, I think it’s important to be realistic about your expectations. You are not going to come out of there looking like you did 20 years ago, but two weeks after the treatment you will look – and feel – much better than you did before.

WOULD YOU DO IT AGAIN?
I am planning my next appointment already. I think the effects last for about six months, and it has already been eight. You can use Botox three to four times a year and fillers about once a year, and I definitely want to do it again. It’s amazing how quickly the fantastic results make you forget the pain!

HOW MUCH DID IT COST?
The procedure costs R6000 for the Botox and R2600 for the fillers, so R8600 in total, but the number of injections needed may vary from person to person, and so will the price.

For more information, call 0861 003 007, email info@medisculpt.co.za or visit www.medisculpt.co.za