Anti-ageing procedures

Ageing is not a condition and there is nothing wrong with looking your age. But where the visible signs of ageing bother you, there are several different approaches - and they address different problems. Choosing well starts with understanding which problem you actually have.

Me Clinic has been providing medical and skin rejuvenation treatments for over 35 years. Treatment plans are set at consultation after assessment.

The four things that change with age

Most facial ageing is a combination of four separate processes, and each responds to different treatment:

Skin quality - texture, pigmentation, fine lines and thinning. Addressed by laser and skin treatments and by sun protection.
Muscle-driven lines - lines created by repeated expression. Addressed by anti-wrinkle treatments.
Volume loss - the face loses fat and bone support, producing hollows and shadows. Addressed by dermal fillers or fat transfer.
Skin laxity and descent - tissue that has moved downward and skin that no longer retracts. This is the one that injectables do not fix. Addressing it means a thread lift or, for a significant change, a facelift or neck lift.

Treating volume loss with filler when the actual problem is descent adds weight to sagging tissue and can make the face look heavier. This is the most common mismatch, and a proper assessment should identify it.

Anti-wrinkle injections

Repeated frowning, squinting and smiling create expression lines around the eyes and forehead. Anti-wrinkle injections temporarily relax the specific facial muscles producing those lines, softening their appearance.

The injection itself is described as a pin prick and no anaesthetic is required. The effect is not permanent - it typically lasts around three to six months and fades gradually, with duration varying between individuals. Like all medical procedures it carries risks, and it is not effective for everyone.

These are prescription medicines in Australia. They must be prescribed by a doctor following a consultation, and the law restricts what can be published about them, which is why no product name appears here.

More on anti-wrinkle treatments, including the full risk list.

Dermal filler injections

The face loses volume from the mid-twenties onward - fat, and later bone support. Dermal fillers, usually hyaluronic acid gels, are injected to restore contour, soften folds or enhance features such as the lips.

Redness, swelling and tenderness in the treated areas afterward are common and usually settle within days. Duration varies with the product and area; some patients report effects lasting six to nine months or longer.

The serious risk with fillers is vascular occlusion - product blocking a blood vessel, which can cause tissue death and, rarely, permanent vision loss. More on volume enhancing treatments, including the full risk list.

Thread lift

A thread lift is a minimally invasive procedure in which absorbable sutures are placed under the skin to reposition tissue and stimulate collagen formation along their path. It is usually completed within about 30 minutes with limited downtime.

Areas that can be treated include the jawline, jowls, cheeks and mid-face, the under-eye hollow and the neck.

The threads and their anchoring cones dissolve over roughly 12 to 18 months, during which they stimulate collagen around the treated area. Me Clinic recommends a review with the treating doctor around 24 months afterward to assess whether a repeat procedure is appropriate.

A thread lift produces less change than a facelift and the effect is temporary. Risks include asymmetry, visible or palpable threads, puckering or dimpling of the skin, thread extrusion, infection, pain and an unsatisfactory result. Thread lift treatment with Dr Ku starts from $4,900. More on thread lifts.

Fat transfer to the face

Fat transfer uses your own fat rather than a manufactured product. Fat is harvested by liposuction from a donor site such as the abdomen, hips or buttocks, processed to remove excess fluid, and injected into the facial area.

Swelling generally settles within one to two days and bruising within five to ten days. Over the first few months a proportion of the transferred fat is reabsorbed by the body - this is expected, is unpredictable in extent, and is why a top-up procedure is sometimes needed. Where the fat survives, the result can be long-lasting.

Because it involves liposuction as well as injection, fat transfer carries the risks of both: bruising, swelling, infection, asymmetry, contour irregularity, fat necrosis, cyst formation, and the risks of the donor-site procedure and any anaesthetic used. More on fat transfer to face.

Factor4

Factor4 is an autologous treatment - prepared from your own blood - used for skin quality concerns including fine lines, creping and scarring. More on Factor4.

What none of these do

No treatment on this page stops ageing. They manage the visible signs of it, temporarily in most cases. The two interventions with the largest effect on how skin ages over decades are avoiding sun damage and not smoking - neither of which is a procedure, and both of which matter more than anything listed here.

Consultation

A consultation is where the assessment above is made and options explained. As at September 2024 and including GST, a consultation with a Cosmetic Doctor is $150, with a Specialist Plastic Surgeon $350, and a skin assessment with a nurse or aesthetician $50, redeemable on products or services.

For cosmetic surgery - a facelift, neck lift or blepharoplasty - a GP referral has been required since 1 July 2023, and a cooling-off period applies before surgery can be booked. Non-surgical treatments do not carry that referral requirement.

Me Clinic is at 4 Burke Road, Malvern East VIC 3145, five minutes' walk from Caulfield station. Appointments are generally available within 7 to 14 days.

See Factor4, preventative cosmetic medicine, or all face procedures.

Individual results may vary. Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.