Helping people look like they feel inside is what drives Kate Schuler.
"People simply want to look how they still are inside. Often people say to me, I look angry with this frownline, or sad with this line, but they are not angry or sad. So for me, appearance medicine is not about turning back the clock, but helping people express themselves more positively and confidently. It is amazing what this can do for self esteem which in itself improves one's overall appearance."
An intensive Care nurse for many years, Kate added Appearance Medicine to her skills 16 years ago.
"Few people want that over worked on look, it is about looking refreshed, but natural."
Working out of the purpose-built Fraser Clinic in the Avenues, Kate offers a range of appearance medicine, the most popular being Botox*.
While Botox is now a household name, Botox is just one of a type of Botulinum Toxin type A, derived from a naturally occurring bacterium, which is used in appearance medicine in an extremely diluted, purified and sterilised form.
As it causes muscle relaxation it is typically used in the upper face to treat wrinkles, lines and crow's feet caused by a combination of ageing, genetics and environmental factors such as sun and diet, alcohol consumption or smoking.
"While you cannot do anything about the genes you inherit which can affect the level of ageing, you can limit the impact of external factors such as sun exposure and diet, for example, but there's other external factors such as repetitive facial expressions, gravity, even sleeping positions that can cause lines and wrinkles, and it is these lines and wrinkles that are perfect to treat with appearance medicine."
It can also be used for hyperhidrosis - excessive sweating, "It's a very effective treatment and can give relief of symptoms for up to a year," says Kate. The brand Kate uses is Xeomin.
"I like it because it is the only wrinkle treatment free of complexing proteins which are surplus and have no therapeutic benefits ... it is a toxin like other brands of botulinum toxin - and like them safe in small doses, but I like it because it is one step more natural but has the same effect on frown lines."
The consultation begins with a chat so Kate can see how your face moves naturally in everyday conversation. We discuss what I would like to achieve.
"Anything that makes me look younger works for me."
But like most of Kate's clients, I do not want an over frozen look. There are also compromises to achieving a more natural look - for example, if a person's concern is mostly wrinkles in their forehead, this can be achieved but then it might be more difficult to simultaneously tackle other areas of concern, such as deepset eyebrows or crow's lines around the eyes. It depends on each person but Kate says she discusses options - sometimes a person may need more than just 'Botox' - for example a combination of Botox and fillers for a desired look.
For me, I am feeling that my eyebrows are flat, giving me a frowning look - which I think goes with my profession, I tell Kate, to scrunch my brows thinking of questions that need answers. Luckily Kate has the answer - a few carefully placed injections can lift the brows, smoothing out wrinkles, give them a more defined arch which conveys a fresher look.
I have had 'Botox' before and am not afraid of needles but Kate also exudes calm confidence, and her friendly and professional manner puts me at ease. Chatting, I feel she totally gets my areas of concern, and even has a few suggestions - I thought my furrowed brow was my only issue but Kate feels I have an "overactive chin".
Not so much from talking a lot (which I do) but I apparently scrunch my chin a lot in conversation. I can recognise that I do this as I often tense my neck and jaw when talking but it is interesting to hear honestly how others perceive this. Kate suggests a few strategically placed injections will just soften the chin.
I don't find the injections painful - there's a bit of a bite, more so in the chin area but totally bearable and to those that squirm back in the office at the thought of needles I would say it is less painful than plucking eyebrows.
How it works is the Botox, or in this case Xeomin, acts on the nerve endings in the muscle tissue to reduce the muscles' ability to contract - hence improving the look of lines. You won't notice this straight away - it can take a few days or up to two weeks before you see noticeable results.
There is no downtime, but it is advised to avoid alcohol or intense exercise as this stimulation of blood circulation could increase the possibility of bruising.
Slight bruising at the injection site is possible, but easily covered with makeup if this occurs, although being just a tiny dot it is not noticeable. I don't get any bruising or redness. A week after the injections I feel my eyebrows are higher but still look natural, and my chin area does feel smoother. Overall I feel better. I get three comments in the week that my skin looks nice and that was when I wasn't wearing any makeup - one even asked what foundation I was wearing as my skin looked good.
Shot!
Kate says she sees most clients every three to four months and some every six months.
For me, regular appearance medicine is a great investment in skincare routine.
*Botox® Botulinum Toxin A is a prescription medicine.
Annemarie received treatment from Kate Schuler at Fraser Clinic, 64 Fraser St, Tauranga, 075789495 or 0800834652, fraserclinic.co.nz