We are so happy to introduce you to Lauren Adamski, RN, the newest addition to the About Face team.
Lauren! You have the unique situation of first starting your relationship with About Face as a patient. Why did you decide to work here?
I’m not being biased, and I’m not blowing smoke. As a patient I just loved my About Face visits! Everyone is so welcoming and knowledgeable and happy, I felt like I would fit in perfectly with the About Face team. (Plus, who doesn’t want to hang out with Sprout? He’s a great at-work substitute for my dog, Flynn.)
Was it weird at all to go from the person sitting in the treatment-chair, to the person administering the treatments?
Not at all! If anything, being a patient first was actually really helpful! Before I came to About Face for my own injections, I had been other places too. My past experiences as the patient-in-the-chair helped me better understand how a person feels, how they can perceive what the injector says and does, and overall it made me much more empathetic to my patients’ needs.
Why are you interested in skin care / cosmetic injections?
My passion for skin care started when I was a teenager with acne. It was then that I learned how to take care of my skin. As I grew older I became interested in cosmetics and worked at a cosmetics counter in a department store. From there that I quickly realized how important skin care is to having beautiful, healthy skin.
In an ideal world, you want your face to be a clean and healthy canvas before you apply make-up. Lasers, cosmetic injections, good skin care products, etc., are the tools we have to make that canvas as nice as possible so that makeup can just be an optional icing on the cake.
When people find out you are a cosmetic injector, what are the most frequent questions you get?
It’s funny, in Philadelphia people are on the secretive-side about their beauty regimens. However, as soon as they find out what I do — they always want to talk lips, cheeks and Botox.
Interestingly, one of the most frequent questions I get from the total injection-newbie is “what is the difference between Botox and dermal-fillers?”
If you’re totally innocent to the injection world, this answer is for you: Neurotoxins such as Botox and Dysport, are used to quiet down facial muscle-movement so that the skin can lay smoothly, eliminating lines and wrinkles. These treatments are usually done on the forehead, but there are a million other clever uses for Botox / Dysport. Dermal-Filler injections are used to add / replace volume. Lips, cheeks, and temples are popular areas for filler treatment.
At one point you were a visual-merchandiser for a retail store. Are there any helpful skills from that experience that lend themselves to the skincare / beauty industry?
The concept of symmetry and balance is key in visual merchandising and in the beauty industry. A retail display that is symmetrical is simple and pleasing to the eye, just as is a face that is symmetric. When you merchandise a store you want to look at the store as a whole; each section has to complement the next. This is also the same with the face; you want to make sure that you look at the face as a whole. For example, when a patient talks about volume loss in the lower-face, you want to make sure that you also assess all of the other areas of the face; upper, middle, and lower face, so that the overall results look as cohesive, natural and flattering as possible.
Do your male patients have different aesthetic goals from your female patients?
Most male patients (like female patients) want to look like a better version of themselves; more youthful, well-rested, etc. To me, the biggest difference between male and female patients is the differing face-shapes. Both genders can vary in terms of how specific or drastic they want their results to be, but female patients usually want to have their curves back (volume in their cheeks and lips) whereas men want to have a more chiseled, masculine look.
Botox or Dysport?
Both products are the same neurotoxin – botulism toxin type A. The biggest difference is really in the brand-name. Most people are familiar with Botox because of it’s extensive marketing in the United States. Both Botox and Dysport are quality products though. I would recommend that clients try both products at some point to see what works best for them. Personally, I don’t have a preference, I’ve been very happy and satisfied with the results both products deliver.
Even though cosmetic injections are SO prevalent and popular, there is still a stigma around them. Why do you think that is?
The media tends to focus on images of celebrities who abuse and overuse the cosmetic procedures at their disposal, resulting in an unflattering, unhuman, “fake” appearance. The average person can’t tell the difference by looking at someone, if what they are seeing is the result of a bad CO2 laser, an overly aggressive facelift, or overdone injections. All of these modalities have their niche, but cosmetic procedures should should be like a toupee – good ones are so natural looking it appears completely organic to the person!
Hypothetically, what do you think is the most intriguing / creative / unexpected use of a filler or neurotoxin?
Hypothetically, I love hearing about new ways people can benefit from these products beyond their initial, original use. Kybella is especially interesting right now, I have heard that researchers are testing it’s use for fat-melting on various other body parts.
What do you do when a patient requests something that they don’t need, or will be unflattering?
Educate!
Often, patients simply do not know exactly what treatments are right for them to achieve their desired outcomes. By explaining / teaching how the muscles work, the aging process, what facial ratios should be, and looking at the face as a whole, it is easy to change the way patients view themselves, and adjust their initial treatment desires.
If you won the lottery tomorrow and got a bazillion dollars, what would make you still excited and motivated to get out of bed every morning?
People! The chance to make a positive impact on someone’s life.
Everyone needs a purpose in life no matter how much money one has. Loving what you do is key. I gave up a successful career in fashion/retail because I wasn’t personally fulfilled. Now as a nurse, I wake up every day looking forward to going to “work” and seeing my patients.
For all of the injection nay-sayers, what say you?
To each their own. Injections aren’t for everyone, but for those looking for a way to a slow down the aging process and/or achieve their aesthetic goals without surgery and minimal downtime, injections are definitely the way to go.
What do you think is the biggest misconception about cosmetic injections?
I hear people say that they don’t want something “foreign” injected into their face. Most fillers are made up of hyaluronic acid, which is a substance that naturally occurs in the body. In addition, this is most fillers do not last forever and are eventually broken down and reabsorbed into the body.