The price of beauty: which aesthetic procedures are worth the investment?

Today the pursuit of beauty has become a formidable force, often demanding considerable financial investments – leaving many of us pondering the most important question: which aesthetic beauty procedures are truly worth the investment, and which ones should be approached with caution, or perhaps even avoided?

With endless available options, the path to enhancing beauty can be both exciting and scary. We sat down with Dr. Mohsin Kaira, an aesthetic physician, and a member of the EU and American Society of Aesthetic Medicine, as well as a dedicated medical researcher at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad to explore which trending cosmetic procedures are worth the investment and which to avoid.

Lip Fillers

The trend and unbelievable popularity of lip fillers began with the Kardashians and was cemented with Snapchat filters. Although immediately effective, Dr Kaira says they are unnecessary for most clients that come to him.

Lip fillers consist of synthetic hyaluronic acid that helps add volume to your lips. Genetics, smoking, or sun damage may cause thinning of the lips. This filler helps restore them to their natural size, shape, and volume.

While lip fillers may be trending, Dr Kaira suggests that they are not for everyone. He recommends that for most patients, especially the younger ones without any thinning or damage, lip hydration is a better route.

He warns of serious side effects of lip fillers, which may include poor aesthetic look and in extreme cases even necrosis of the lip that is irreversible. He highly recommends consulting a qualified doctor and to avoid technicians for this procedure. Post-procedure, it is critical to have follow-up visits with your doctor to assess if the lip is functioning properly. In the event of even a slight doubt, your doctor should be able to dissolve the filler before it worsens. 

Lip fillers last for up to 9-12 months, with relatively low maintenance and costs anywhere between Rs50,000 to Rs100,000 depending upon the quality and brand of injection you/your doctor decide upon.

Botox

Dr Kaira admits that botox is a miracle worker and has great results in rewinding the appearance of age by diminishing wrinkles and crevasses of the face. However, Botulinum toxin, as its name suggests is a toxin that is meant to paralyze muscles in the face to stop them from drooping. He says, this name alone should be a sign for patients to ensure their doctor is properly qualified and has enough experience. He recommends keeping the Botox injection minimal – it offers youthful skin without losing the authenticity of your facial character. 

Botox requires sessions every 03 to 06 months to maintain and may cost north of Rs30,000 per session depending upon the quality of product and practitioner. It takes approximately 30-40 minutes per session.

Side effects may include paralysis of the face, so it is essential to go to an experienced doctor who takes time to understand the anatomy of your face, and its specific requirements.

Glutathione Intravenous Injection

Glutathione is an antioxidant. In aesthetics, this treatment passes glutathione along with vitamin C into your blood stream through an intravenous (IV) injection. It is meant to help reduce dark spots, lighten the skin tone, and offer a glow to the patient in question. It is also said to help build immunity and has anti aging effects.

Dr Kaira says that the Glutathione IV is perhaps his most requested treatment. Yet, it is his least recommended one. While, it is noninvasive, and seems to work for some. Six out of ten people do not see desired results. It is expensive, with a single injection costing anywhere between Rs10,000 to 12,000. It takes a few months of weekly/fortnightly sessions to see tangible results and when the treatment stops, its effects also go away. You could be spending more than Rs20,000 and hours of your time each month just to maintain it.

The side effects of this treatment include toxin positivity, allergic reactions and stress on the liver and kidney. He recommends if you are hell-bent on opting for glutathione, try the oral intake before resorting to IV drips. It will cost less and will show you if this treatment is effective on your body.

Micro Needling

Instead of Glutathione IV, Dr Kaira recommends micro needling, popularly known as the vampire facial. In his expert opinion, this procedure is the most natural procedure in aesthetics with no outside toxins. This procedure pricks the skin to kickstart the healing process. It then takes the patient’s own platelet rich plasma and injects it into the skin for better results.

According to Dr Kaira, the procedure takes less than an hour (including the numbing cream application) and is low maintenance. Once the procedure is done, and if you follow a proper skin regimen, you do not need to have it done a second time.

Micro Needling has negligible side effects and costs between Rs20,000 to 50,000.  

Hair Removal Laser

Dr Kaira highly recommends hair removal laser procedure to those who are interested. This procedure permanently removes unwanted hair from the body through laser frequency and is highly effective. Although there are multiple types of laser technologies that might be used for the procedure, like the Soprano, Alexandrite and diode lasers but it will cost anywhere from Rs40,000 to Rs80,000 per session and typically requires eight sessions with a minimum one-month gap between each session. One session after two years is recommended to maintain hairless skin. While the cost seems a bit steep, the results are permanent.

Dr Kaira recommends that young adults can pursue this procedure after the age of 16.

It is important to note that both the doctor and the machine are critical aspects of this procedure. Dr Kaira says it is 30 per cent the doctor and 70 per cent the machine. The side effects of laser hair removal include skin burns if done carelessly and, in some cases, excessive hair growth as well.

Therefore, Dr Kaira warns that patients must request their doctor to perform the procedure and not technicians.

Mental health screening now ‘must’ before cosmetic procedures