By Amerley Ollennu
Yes, more black women are having injectables than ever before, but in comparison to your white counterparts you’re not nearly getting as much. Why?Well, there’s the myth that Black skin doesn’t age to start, as well as the lack of representation in aesthetics advertising and the general coverage of aesthetics injectables, all of which have led to many of you having no idea that the likes of dermal fillers and muscle relaxants can benefit you, too.
When it comes to ageing, “thanks to protective melanin in the skin, Black people and those with darker skin tones experience less photo ageing caused by exposure to UV. This makes lines, wrinkles, and pigmentation caused by sun exposure far less prevalent,” shares Dr Ifeoma Ejikeme, Founder & Medical Director of London's Adonia Medical Clinic and EV Editorial Panel member.
This doesn’t mean Black and brown skin doesn’t age, but rather that while extrinsic ageing is less of an issue, intrinsic ageing aka the natural process of ageing that we all experience, from volume loss in the mid face, to dark circles and bone loss, are where changes in the face can really be seen. All of which can be remedied with an injection or two. Read on to discover how injectables can work for you according to Dr Ejikeme...
Smooth Your Forehead
“Hair styling practices have meant that many Black women have become accustomed to having tight, smooth foreheads. So, when the styles stop pulling the forehead as taut as they used to come our late 30s and 40s, this can become a major area for concern. That, plus the frown lines that seem to develop a lot earlier than any other lines and wrinkles, can all be easily treated with botulinum toxin injections aka Botox,” shares Ejikeme.Address Volume Loss
“When it comes to Black faces, volume loss tends to be one of the first signs of ageing, and you’ll likely notice this initially around the eyes. This leads to dark circles that are not pigment-related but rather caused by shadowing as the eye hollows. Plumping out the tear trough with hyaluronic acid dermal fillers works a treat here, as it does in the mid face. This is another prime area where volume is lost. You’ll notice this as the nasolabial folds become more prominent, and the cheeks begin to flatten.To re plump, your practitioner should inject laterally on and around the cheek area to treat the effect not the cause. By doing so they can lift and smooth the mid face all without actually injecting into the fold, which can over-plump and look unnatural. Where exactly in and around the cheek will be determined by your unique facial features, and even where you hail from. West Africans for example, tend to have strong cheekbones, so volume shouldn’t be placed too laterally as this will widen the face. Alternatively, it should be placed around the apples of the cheeks instead.
Volume loss also occurs above the bone found at the corners of your nose. When you get volume loss here your nose can appear wider, as the support at the base has changed, making the face look different. By placing dermal filler to support this bone called the piriform fossa, the nose will look much more similar to the nose you had in your 20s and 30s.”
