Cosmetic Injectables and Skin Procedures Explained

A general educational guide for people wanting to understand neurotoxin (wrinkle-relaxing), dermal filler, and skin needling treatments.

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Educational Notice:
This page is for general information only. It does not replace medical advice.
All cosmetic injectable and skin-penetrating procedures are medical treatments that require individual assessment, informed consent, and treatment by appropriately qualified and registered health professionals working within their legal scope of practice and in accordance with Queensland Health, AHPRA, and national regulations.

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Before You Begin

Cosmetic injectables and advanced skin procedures such as skin needling are medical treatments. They can change appearance and confidence, but they also carry risks.

Safety depends on
- being assessed properly
- being treated by a qualified medical professional
- having access to complication management

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Never proceed unless you fully understand the risks, benefits, alternatives, and limitations.

 

Anti-Wrinkle Injections (Neurotoxins)

How They Work
Neurotoxins relax overactive muscles that cause expression lines.

- They soften movement rather than stopping the face from moving naturally when done carefully
- Effects usually last around 3 to 4 months
- Results vary between individuals

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Common Treatment Areas

Forehead lines
- Horizontal lines across the forehead
- Treated muscle: frontalis
- Safety note: too much can make brows feel heavy

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Frown lines (“11s”)
- Vertical lines between the eyebrows
- Treated muscles: corrugator and procerus
- Safety note: placement too low or too strong can cause eyelid droop

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Crow’s feet
- Lines at the outer corners of the eyes
- Treated muscle: orbicularis oculi
- Safety note: over-treating can change natural smile movement

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Bunny lines
- Scrunch lines across the upper nose
- Treated muscle: nasalis
- Safety note: too much can affect nose movement during smiling

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Gummy smile
- Excess gum showing when smiling
- Treated muscles: levator labii group
- Safety note: too much can weaken upper lip movement

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Jawline slimming
- Used for bulky jaw muscles from clenching or grinding
- Treated muscle: masseter
- Safety note: may cause temporary chewing weakness

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Neck bands
- Vertical cords in the neck
- Treated muscle: platysma
- Safety note: excessive weakening may affect speaking or swallowing

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Dermal Fillers

How They Work
Fillers replace or support volume where skin or fat has reduced with age.

- Most are made from hyaluronic acid, a substance naturally found in the body
- Results usually last 6 to 18 months depending on area and product type
- Hyaluronic acid fillers can be dissolved using hyaluronidase if needed

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Common Treatment Areas

Lips
- Used for hydration, shape, or volume
- Risks: swelling, bruising, lumps, rarely blocked blood vessels

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Cheeks
- Used to support mid-face structure
- Risks: unevenness, swelling, vascular blockage if placed incorrectly

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Nasolabial folds
- Lines from nose to mouth
- Risks: nearby blood vessels increase complication risk

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Marionette lines
- Lines from mouth corners downward
- Risks: poor placement can make area appear heavy

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Jawline and chin
- Used to support profile and proportions
- Risks: swelling, nerve irritation, uneven appearance

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Tear troughs
- Under-eye hollows
- Risks: swelling, puffiness, bluish colour (Tyndall effect), higher risk area

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Non-surgical nose reshaping
- Used to smooth contour irregularities
- Risks: very high risk area, including rare risk of blindness
- Only highly experienced medical practitioners should attempt this

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Temples
- Restore hollowing
- Risks: arteries and veins run through this area

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Hands
- Restore volume over tendons and veins
- Risks: swelling, bruising, infection

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Skin Needling and Hyaluronic Acid Application

How It Works
Skin needling creates controlled micro-injury to the skin to stimulate repair processes.

- It triggers collagen and elastin production
- It improves skin texture and firmness over time
- Results develop gradually over weeks to months

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When combined with topical hyaluronic acid:

- Needling increases skin permeability
- Hyaluronic acid supports hydration and healing
- It can improve skin comfort and recovery

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Skin needling is not a beauty facial. It is a medical skin procedure.

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Common Treatment Areas

Face and neck
- Improve texture, fine lines, and skin quality
- Risks: redness, swelling, infection, pigment change

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Body areas
- Used for scarring or texture changes
- Risks: prolonged redness, scarring, infection

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Safety Notes

- Incorrect depth or technique can cause scarring or pigment problems
- Poor hygiene increases infection risk
- Topicals applied after needling must be medically appropriate

Only trained health professionals should perform high-risk skin procedures.

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Risks You Should Be Aware Of

Most people experience only temporary effects such as swelling, redness, or bruising. However, serious complications can occur.

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Possible risks include
- unnatural or overfilled appearance
- asymmetry
- lumps or filler movement
- infection
- blocked blood vessels leading to skin damage or, rarely, blindness
- scarring or pigment change from skin needling

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This is why proper training, anatomy knowledge, hygiene, and emergency preparedness are essential.

 

What to Expect at Your Consultation

A proper medical consultation should include:

- a full medical history
- discussion of your goals and expectations
- explanation of suitable and unsuitable options
- clear explanation of risks, benefits, and alternatives
- opportunity to ask questions
- access to emergency management where required

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You should never feel rushed or pressured.

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Final Thoughts

Cosmetic injectables and advanced skin procedures are not simple beauty treatments. They are medical procedures.

- Results vary between individuals
- There are no guaranteed outcomes
- Safety depends on practitioner training, assessment, and technique

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Always choose a qualified medical professional.

Always ask questions.

Only proceed when you clearly understand what is being done, why it is being done, and what the risks are.