Natural-looking aesthetics in Alderley Edge: what does “natural” actually mean?
One of the things I hear most often in clinic is: “I don’t want to look done.”
Good. Neither do I.
For me, good aesthetics shouldn’t be about chasing perfection or changing the features that make you look like you. It should be about working out what is actually bothering you, understanding why it is happening, and deciding whether there is a sensible way to improve it.
Sometimes that involves an injectable treatment. Sometimes it is a skin treatment. Sometimes it is skincare. And sometimes my advice is simply to leave something alone.
Natural doesn’t necessarily mean doing very little
There is a bit of a misconception that a natural result just means using tiny amounts of product.
It’s more nuanced than that.
A natural result comes from looking at the face as a whole rather than treating one isolated line or feature. Facial proportions, skin quality, volume changes, muscle movement and the way the face has changed over time all matter.
For example, someone may come in concerned about heaviness around the lower face, but simply adding filler directly to that area may not be the best answer. Equally, someone concerned about looking tired may actually have a skin-quality issue rather than a volume issue.
The treatment needs to match the problem.
Skin comes first more often than people expect
I am probably more interested in skin than the average person who works in aesthetics.
You can make very subtle structural changes to a face, but if the skin is dull, inflamed, dehydrated or significantly sun damaged, it can still affect how fresh somebody looks.
That is why my treatment plans often include skincare, microneedling, chemical peels or injectable skin-quality treatments alongside, or sometimes instead of, traditional facial aesthetics.
Improving pigmentation, texture and overall skin quality can make an enormous difference without altering your features at all.
I would rather build a result slowly
There is very little benefit to rushing.
If somebody is new to aesthetic treatments, I generally prefer to make a plan and work through it gradually. It means we can see how each treatment has changed the face or skin before deciding whether anything else is actually needed.
It also reduces the temptation to keep adding treatment simply because we can.
My aim is that somebody who knows you thinks you look well, rested or particularly good lately. They shouldn't necessarily be able to work out why.
A consultation should include the option of doing nothing
This is important.
Coming for an aesthetics consultation does not mean you have signed yourself up for treatment.
I will talk through what I can see, what I think is contributing to your concern, and the treatment options that may be appropriate. I will also tell you if I think a treatment is unlikely to give you the result you are hoping for.
Sometimes the sensible plan is to start with skincare. Sometimes it is to wait. Sometimes there is simply nothing that needs treating.
A good consultation is about making a plan, not finding something to sell you.
My approach at DR JACKSON SKIN
DR JACKSON SKIN is a doctor-led aesthetics and skin clinic based in Alderley Edge, Cheshire.
My approach is fairly simple: subtle changes, good skin and treatments that make sense for the individual face in front of me.
I am much more interested in how somebody will look six months or five years from now than creating the most dramatic before-and-after photograph possible.
If you are considering aesthetic treatment but want to keep the result natural, you can book a consultation to talk through your concerns and put together a personalised treatment plan.
Why do my under-eyes look tired even when I’m not?
“I look tired all the time” is one of the most common things people say to me when we start talking about their under-eyes.
And unfortunately, getting eight hours of sleep does not always fix it.
The under-eye area is complicated. Darkness, hollowness, fine lines, pigmentation, visible blood vessels, puffiness and changes in skin quality can all create a tired appearance — and they do not all respond to the same treatment.
That is why treating under-eyes properly starts with working out what is actually causing the problem.
Hollowness and shadowing
Some people naturally have a deeper tear trough or lose volume around the eye as they age.
When there is a hollow between the lower eyelid and cheek, overhead light creates a shadow. That shadow can look like a dark circle even when the skin itself is not particularly pigmented.
Volume loss elsewhere in the mid-face can sometimes make this more noticeable too.
This is very different from true pigmentation and needs to be assessed differently.
Thin skin and visible vessels
The skin underneath the eyes is naturally very thin.
In some people, the underlying blood vessels and tissues show through more prominently, giving the area a blue, purple or grey appearance.
As collagen and skin quality change with age, this can become more noticeable.
Treatments designed to improve skin quality may be more appropriate here than simply trying to add volume.
Pigmentation
True brown pigmentation around the eyes can be genetic, related to sun exposure or sometimes worsened by inflammation and rubbing.
If pigmentation is the main cause of the darkness, filling a hollow will not fix it.
This is where skincare, sun protection and carefully selected skin treatments become much more important.
Fine lines and crepey skin
The under-eye area moves constantly.
We blink, smile and squint thousands of times a day, and the skin here is thinner than almost anywhere else on the face.
With time, it can become finer, drier and more crepey.
For these patients, improving hydration, collagen stimulation and general skin quality may be more useful than adding volume.
Puffiness and eye bags
This one is particularly important because not every under-eye concern is suitable for injectable treatment.
Prominent fat pads or significant puffiness can sometimes be made more obvious by adding volume nearby.
If somebody has true eye bags, I would much rather explain that a particular treatment is unlikely to help than perform something simply because it is available.
In some cases, surgical assessment is the more appropriate option.
So what actually works?
It depends entirely on what we are treating.
Options may include:
prescription or medical-grade skincare where appropriate
diligent SPF
treatments aimed at improving skin quality and collagen
polynucleotide treatments
carefully selected dermal filler in suitable patients
treatment of the cheek or mid-face rather than directly underneath the eye
or no injectable treatment at all
Often it is a combination.
Under-eye treatment in Alderley Edge
At DR JACKSON SKIN in Alderley Edge, I assess the whole under-eye and mid-face area before recommending treatment.
The aim isn't simply to “fill the tear trough”. It is to work out why somebody looks tired and choose a treatment that actually addresses that problem.
If tired-looking eyes are something that bothers you, a consultation is the best place to start.