Aesthetic practitioners often report that patients come to them with a specific problem and a pre-determined solution in mind. When experts ask the right questions, however, they reveal people’s underlying concerns and can provide a more effective solution.

“People usually come into the clinic with a treatment in mind," says EV Expert Dr Nestor Demosthenous. “They focus on an area, like their ‘smile lines’ for example, as being the reason for their dissatisfaction and have prescribed themselves a treatment before they’ve walked in the door.  

“I like to find out a bit about what has brought a person to my clinic. What is their fundamental ‘why’? Sometimes you have to peel back a few layers before you get to their core ‘why’, but once you understand what’s making a person unhappy with their appearance, you can advise on the most appropriate, tailored approach.”

Etre Vous Experts work ethically, tailoring treatments to meet your individual needs and concerns, which is why it is so important to have a thorough consultation before going ahead. You can choose an aesthetic professional and book a consultation directly on the EV platform.

Here, we reveal some of the most common ‘whys’ and the treatments aesthetic experts find the most effective.  

'I look old'

Dr Nestor says that ‘looking old’ underpins a lot of treatment requests. “No-one can escape growing old, but expert aesthetic treatments can help you to look your best self at every age,” he says.

“Sometimes I have to challenge people’s perceptions of what is ‘at fault’ in their appearance. One woman came to me wanting to erase all of the expression lines around her eyes. When I gently challenged why she would want to erase her ‘smile’ lines, it turned out that she was really concerned about looking old. Knowing this helped me to understand what treatments would really help her and prevent her from losing an attractive part of her appearance.”

EV Expert Dr Bhavjit Kaur has noticed an upsurge in requests for anti-wrinkle injections since the pandemic, which she attaches to people scrutinising their faces on Zoom calls. “People look at themselves in 2D on a screen, see lines and think they need muscle relaxing injections,” says Kaur.

“In consultation I am able to see and show a client their face as it really is. Looking older is actually often down to a loss of plumpness in the face, and I am able to advise a more holistic approach to restoring youth.  

“Dermal filler is effective in restoring youthful plumpness and structure to the skin and this works well when paired with skin tightening treatments such as High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU). Fat dissolving injections are also effective in targeting individual problem-areas, like a double chin.”

Pigment caused by sun damage can also read as a sign of ageing, says Sharin Shafer from aesthetic clinic Skinfluencer, who recommends a tailored combination of laser therapy to help restore a clear complexion.

'I look sad' 

Dr Nestor says, “Some people come to us having experienced great emotional turmoil and, while we can’t turn back time on the experience, we can help to restore a reflection of themselves that they are happier with.”

Anti-wrinkle injections are the expert’s treatment of choice for a depressed appearance, and the reasons may surprise you: well-placed injections can lift the brow and erase the lines between the eyebrows that can make us look sad or perplexed, while a study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology in 2020 uncovered a further reason to choose the treatment – research found that the restriction of frowning actually makes people feel happier.

What’s more, researchers at Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at University of California, San Diego, have found that the effects may be linked to more than the prevention of negative expression. Their study found that patients who received botulinum toxin for conditions including aesthetic reasons, muscle spasms, migraines and incontinence, were between 40 and 80 per cent less likely to report depression.

'I look grumpy' 

Looking grumpy is often associated with cheek and chin jowling, creating an Eeyore-like look of discontent and displeasure with the world.

Neck lift surgery, also referred to as platysmaplasty, is a go-to procedure for effectively combatting sag. However, it is an invasive treatment that requires significant downtime and carries surgical risks.

Laser-based treatments and microneedling are non-invasive treatments that are popular with experts for skin tightening in targeted areas, such as cheeks and chin.

Shafer says, “Our clinicians work with clients to create a treatment plan that best suits their unique requirements. We have found that our energy-based devices provide such improvement in dermal collagen and elastin that it allows us to use minimal dermal fillers or toxins to improve facial features.”

'I look angry' 

The slump and furrow of the forehead, as we start to lose collagen in the skin, can make us appear angry. Expression lines that were once as fleeting as our mood start to become deeply ingrained and more permanent.

Anti-wrinkle injections are a long-established treatment for the forehead, and for two good reasons. The injections work by relaxing the muscle movements that lead to an angry expression, preventing lines from forming or becoming deeper.

Feeling happier with your appearance also has the knock-on effect of releasing endorphins and boosting serotonin. These are the body’s natural feel-good chemicals, so softening those lines can have an outside-in and inside-out effect.

'I look tired' 

Age, sun exposure and genetics all play a role in skin health, leaving many of us feeling like we look perpetually in need of sleep. However, hollows under the eyes can be plumped and revived with expert administration of tear trough dermal filler.

Shafer advocates for a more comprehensive approach, however. “Our core philosophy is to trigger skin transformation at a cellular level, rather than to superficially treat a concern.

“Using medical grade lasers, stem cell technology and growth factors, we can harness the body’s ability to regenerate all tissue, improving overall skin clarity and laxity. If your skin is healthy and your barrier function is intact, you will glow.”