Case Studies

'People constantly tell me I look so well but nobody can put their finger on why' Barbara Craig

Barbara Craig

Barbara Craig, 50, a hairdresser and receptionist in a beauty salon, also has a vested interest in preserving her looks for work. She has a younger husband, too - Alan, an offshore worker, is 43 - and the compulsion to shore up her self-belief by eradicating her wrinkles got more acute when she passed the age of 40.

‘From my early 40s, my confidence dipped as my face showed the signs of ageing,’ confesses Barbara. ‘I’ve always looked after my skin, but the sagging of my skin and hollowing of my cheekbones was just natural ageing that no amount of skincare products would rectify.

Mid-life crisis: Barbara Craig felt a dip in self-belief after she turned 40

Thrilled: Barbara had Teosyal fillers to add volume to her face and Botox on the lines around her mouth

‘I’d always had such defined cheekbones, and I’d look in the mirror and think that if only I could find a treatment to lift and restore them, then I’d look so much younger and feel so much more confident, both socially and at work.

‘Before working in hair and beauty, I was in the fashion industry, so I’ve always felt that there’s a standard that you have to maintain when it comes to your looks.

‘Although my employers are great, and never made any comments about my ageing appearance, I just didn’t feel happy with it myself.

‘I think it’s important to really look your best when you work in beauty and to be a good advert for the industry, and the products and treatments you provide to clients.’
Fired by this, and conscious that she had become less out-going among her younger clientele, she opted for non-invasive fillers.

‘I had Teosyal fillers to add volume and roundness to my face,’ she says. ‘Teosyal is a synthetic, non-animal hyaluronic acid that plumps up the skin. I also had some Botox on the lines on my mouth and chin.

‘I’m thrilled with the results - especially as people constantly tell me I look so well but nobody can quite put their finger on why. I didn’t want to look as though I’d had obvious or drastic work done.’ Again, she reports a new buoyancy at work.

‘I’m so much more confident. My boss’s jaw hit the floor when she saw me afterwards. She couldn’t believe the difference.’

Having seen the benefits of non-invasive surgery, Barbara confesses herself a convert. Indeed, she may even consider going under the knife.

‘Now that I’ve seen the results, I would consider invasive surgery in the future, too, if I felt I needed it.

‘I think there’s increasing pressure on women my age to look good - and, actually, we want to as well, now that there are so many treatments available to make that possible.’

Certainly, the pressure on women to avail themselves of rejuvenating treatments increases as the choice of procedures grows.

This 65 year old lady was treated with 8 vials of SCULPTRA ® over a series of 4 treatments. As you can see from the results she has significantly restored volume in her cheeks and her temples. The overall result is to look refreshed and generally younger without looking like somebody else….still you but better.

This lady was so distressed about the state of her nose that she actively avoided looking at herself in the mirror. When we discussed addressing the imperfection she became quite emotional but was keen to see what could be done. Although I like to think of all my clients being delighted with the outcome of their treatment, it is not often that I see somebody actually skip about the clinic when they see what I have done.

Her feedback “ following the treatment that Sam did on my nose I felt 100% improvement in my appearance. I used to avoid looking in the mirror because I was so unhappy about my nose. I did not realise that anything could be done to help and I never would have asked because it seems so vain to be upset about it. Since my treatment I have had lots of lovely comments from my friends and family on how well I am looking and wondering what I have had done. I just smile secretly like the cat that has the cream and let them wonder. I shall definitely be back to Temple Aesthetics”