DE-GLAMORIZING AESTHETIC MEDICINE
With Dr Kayla Andrew.
After learning about all of my options, we created my skin plan and decided to start with a baby tox or a “sprinkle” (as Kayla likes to call it) of Botox on my frown line and below my eyes, just to soften the harsh the prominent line between my brows. This is generally done for first-time patients who are a tad bit nervous. I was pleased to realize that the injections were painless. A little bit of numbing cream, a few pinches here and there and it was over before I knew it. “Is that it?”, I asked. Kayla laughed and confirmed that the “worst” was all over. She then continued with Mesotherapy which is a treatment that injects vitamins, enzymes, hormones, and plant extracts to rejuvenate and tighten skin – leaving the skin brighter and refreshed, and the best part? There is no downtime. Kayla treated my undereye area – giving it the boost it needed after the lack of sleep I’ve had this year. The treatment was surprisingly relaxing. You’d think that nothing could be relaxing when you’re in the Doctor’s chair – but this was relaxing indeed.
After my treatments were complete, Kayla sent me home with the Heliocare 360° Pigment Fluid SPF 50 which is an ultra-light sunscreen that helps prevent and correct hyperpigmentation while unifying skin tone. “Everyone will get to an age where they need to start looking after their skin. It’s about taking the preventative approach and prolonging your ageing process. Starting with one fundamental rule: applying SPF! I can’t stress enough how important it is to use a quality SPF on your skin”, she explained, “It needs to become part of your daily skincare routine – something that you enjoy”.
Two weeks later, and after strictly using my SPF every day, I returned to Derma Lab for my follow-up consultation and a teeny tiny top-up of Botox. “After a month to six weeks is when you start noticing that your Botox treatment looks the best”, she explained, “I call it the golden time – once it’s settled.” I was then guided to the adjacent room where I was introduced to Aesthetic skincare specialist Kim Schmidt who has recently joined the Derma Lab team. Kim has over 20 years of experience in all things skin. We chatted about my skincare concerns, and we agreed that for us to achieve the best results – Kim was going to do the Beta Plus peel. Up until this day – I had never done a peel before, so I had no idea what to expect. Kim explained the products she was using on my skin and how they are correctly applied in utmost detail. I experienced slight tingling, but nothing too unbearable – and I have a very low pain threshold. The aftercare was simple; apply generous amounts of the Lamelle Restorative Balm on my face for a few days after the treatment, stay out of the sun, and allow my skin to peel naturally. “We love a bit of a peel. The glow will be so worth it”, Kim enthusiastically texted me after I sent her a video of my skin peeling a few days later. After my skin had shed its old layer, I was so excited to see how my skin was glowing. It made me realize that the formula that Kayla and I discussed at the beginning of my skin journey with Derma Lab with the combination of Botox, mesotherapy, using SPF and the Beta Plus peel left my skin looking the best it has ever looked and I don’t think I could ever look back. It’s evident that Kayla is incredibly passionate about what she does and it shows in her work and her returning patients who just can’t get enough of Derma Lab’s extensive treatment list. “My goal is to make my patients look and feel softer in such a hard world. Beauty is in the subtlety”, she says fondly.
In the Aesthetic Medicine world – the options are endless, and it’s not just Botox and fillers, Derma Lab offers a variety of skin care treatments including peels and medical-grade skincare – because good skin is always in! Kayla continues, “Having a plan and process behind what peels you do, and what products you use, is so important to achieve clinical skin changes – and this takes time. These can be used to treat and prevent ageing, acne, scarring, pigmentation and sun damage”, she explains. “I’m so excited that together, we have been able to deglamorize the Aesthetic Medicine space and make it more accessible and less intimidating for people”, she says.
I need to be honest about something quickly. I used to be one of those people who would raise an eyebrow at Aesthetic Medicine. I couldn’t quite understand why people would want to alter their faces–in whatever way or form they did until I started feeling self-conscious about the frown line in the middle of my forehead. I spend a lot of time at my devices, staring at thousands of words a day–and my eyesight isn’t the greatest which led me to frown a lot more than I should–and after it being pointed out by many people, I started getting a debilitating complex about it, so much so, it started affecting me emotionally. I found myself rejecting invitations to events and airbrushing photos to rid my forehead of its line – I was intensely insecure about it.
It wasn’t until I met the owner and founder of Derma Lab in Salt Rock, Dr Kayla Andrew,one evening at a braai, that we got stuck into chatting about Aesthetic Medicine and my opinion was changed drastically. The truth is, the lack of knowledge that I had about the industry was the sole reason why I felt unsure and intimidated by it.
Kayla invited me to learn about and experience some of Derma Lab’s phenomenal treatments for myself, and naturally, I was nervous at first, but after sitting in the chair for just a few minutes, Kayla and I discussed my thoughts, concerns and fears, and made me feel incredibly comfortable, educated and empowered about why I was sitting in her chair.
So, let’s talk about the good stuff. I wanted to understand all aspects of Aesthetic Medicine. What interested me the most–was the psychological reasonings behind why people choose to do these treatments. “A lot of my patients’ concerns are emotionally related. Often the emotional characteristics in our face tend to become exaggerated after going through a traumatic or stressful experience”, she says. I finally understood why. This exact reason was why I was sitting in her practice, in search of a solution to something that bugged me daily. And there are many reasons why people choose these treatments; Kayla explained that some of her patients want to make themselves look more youthful, others use it as a regenerative or preventative solution and incorporate Aesthetic Medicine into their skin routine, while others just want to soften the harsh lines on their face so that their insides match their outsides. It’s a very simple, yet effective way for one to look younger and refreshed.
“I like to sit with my patients, formulate a treatment plan for their skin, help them understand and learn about what’s out there, advise them what I think is best for them,and then help them decide for themselves. Ultimately, it’s the patient’s choice of what they want to do; I’m here to help them achieve their goals and guide them through theprocess. Everyone’s plan is unique and customized to their skin”, she says.
She went into detail explaining the different treatments she offers. Kayla explained that neuromodulators or wrinkle-relaxing injections (Botox and Dysport) will always be important, and they often use them in their younger patients to help prevent certain lines and signs of ageing. “Fillers are an excellent treatment option–and with the knowledge and improvement in treatment methods, as well as the products themselves, we now use fillers for full-face rejuvenation and beautification with very natural results. Profhilo is an injectable hydrating agent that both hydrates the skin and helps restore its firmness of the skin. Another treatment that’s new and super exciting–is Sculptra,which is a collagen stimulator that tightens and improves skin quality which also gives the patient very natural and long-term results”, she continued.
Get Connected
To book a consultation at Derma Lab call them on 063 880 4839 or visit them at 59 Basil Hulett Drive, Shop F4, Level 2 situated in the Salt Rock Hotel Centre in Salt Rock.
For pricing and more information about their treatments, visit their website: www.dermalab.co.za or give them a follow on Instagram: @dermalab.za
