Expert Spotlight

Dr Neal Hamilton
Cosmetic Physician

Combination treatments

Cosmetic treatments such as anti-wrinkle injections, dermal fillers or peels can be highly effective in rejuvenating our facial appearance when used individually.  However, combining certain treatments can result in a much greater overall effect and give better, more lasting results. Dr Hamilton talked us through some of the treatment options available and explained the benefits of using them in combination.

“If people are comprehensive in their use of medical-grade cosmetic treatments, then they can get an additive effect, where one plus one plus one gives a result of ten, not three. So combining good skin-care with fillers, or peels with anti-wrinkle injections, for example, allows people to get both a better aesthetic effect as well as a better preventative effect against the onset of ageing.”

There is now a wide range of non-surgical cosmetic treatments available that work in many different ways. In selecting the best treatments for any individual, it is important to consider the reasons behind changes in facial appearance and select a combination of treatments that are designed to correct those changes.

“It’s important to consider both skin quality as well as skin contours when tailoring treatment to the individual,” explained Dr Hamilton. “Skin quality refers to the overall complexion, texture of the skin, fine lines, coarse lines, pigmentation, redness and pores. Skin contours are related to excessive skin folds, flat cheeks, sunken eyes, sunken temples or jowls.”

Non-surgical treatment options

• Medical-grade skin care
• Anti-wrinkle injections
• Chemical peels
• Lasers
• Intense pulsed light (IPL) treatments
• LED light sources
• Resurfacing procedures
• Photodynamic therapy
• Dermal Fillers

“There are any number of ways to combine the available treatments,” explained Dr Hamilton, “it all depends on the requirements of the individual. If someone wants to just put their foot into the water, a minimalist but very powerful approach would be to start with a new medical-grade skin-care routine, anti-wrinkle injections three-to-four times per year and maybe a filling agent once a year to volumise some critical aspects of their face .”

“The younger people start, the fewer requirements they have,” continued Dr Hamilton. Dr Hamilton emphasised that, “we’re not trying to make people look silly or frozen with these treatments, we’re using them as a preventative measure so people look natural and youthful.”

Most of the treatments that are available to the cosmetic physician can be dovetailed with each other. The key factor to consider is whether they are the best choice for the individual and whether they are cost-effective.

“The key to getting a good result is to individualise the treatments for the specific needs of the person. It’s therefore really important that the physician that you visit is experienced in, and can provide the full range of treatments,” said Dr Hamilton. 

An example of a comprehensive combination treatment approach

With cosmetic clinics becoming more widely accessible, Dr Hamilton predicts that greater numbers of people will start to use medical-grade procedures to look their best. “In the future, cosmetic clinics will become as ubiquitous and standard as dentists,” he said. “Where people now see dentists to keep their teeth in the best condition, people will see their cosmetic practitioner to keep their face in the best condition.