We caught the fantastic Dr MJ MJ Rowland-Warmann’s instagram stories earlier this week where she gave her very honest and frank thoughts on some of the treatments available out there. We love a no-nonsense woman who tells it how it is, so we asked Dr MJ if we could share her reviews of some of the wild and wacky (and some not so crazy) cosmetic treatments offered across the UK to help you decide on what's right, and also what's very very wrong, for you. From anti-wrinkle treatments to B12, this is your ultimate guide from one of the most talented, educated, skilled and best aesthetic experts in the UK.
From Anti-wrinkle Treatments to B12: What Treatments Really Work?
Dr MJ Rowland-Warmann. She doesn't beat around the bush and we love her for it!
Profhilo/Sunekos (Skin Boosters).
There is nothing wrong with skin boosters like Profhilo IF you know what to expect and aren’t expecting miracles. If you have great skin and want some hydration but aren’t expecting much more than this, then you’ll be very happy. But skin boosters are mild and transient (they do not correct wrinkles) they will only last 4-6 months in ideal cases. To put this simply, it wears off - it does not last. You’ll need the treatment regularly to maintain the results and the results might not be as significant as you're expecting.
Fat Dissolving
Stay away from it! Fat dissolving is a really bad idea! I’ve seen horrendous complications from beauticians administering it. Long-term complications are off the chart. Numbness, swelling and bruising are just the half of it. An intravascular injection will cause large scale necrosis. It’s high risk and often doesn’t work.
B12 Booster Shots.
These are a phenomenally bad idea and unfortunately they’re largely dispensed by people with zero medical training and even less knowledge of how the human body works. For IV drips and vitamin shots to be effective, a full blood screen needs to have identified a deficiency. If you don’t have a deficiency and you’re just doing it because it’s trendy, you are putting a serious stain on your organs and if you have a misdiagnosed heart or kidney problem, you could make it worse or cause serious problems. At the very best it’s pointless and you’re wasting money because your body will just wee out any any excess vitamins and minerals. It’s 100% quackery, 100% useless and 100% dangerous in the wrong hands.
If you don't know if you need it, why are you getting it?
Chemical Peels.
These are absolutely bloody marvellous! And a peel doesn’t have to be a 'burn your skin off through to your skull chemical peel' to be effective. Lots of very mild peels (superficial peels) will get you the same results as those that singe your face off - with far less risk!
Chemical peels are wonderful and should always be accompanied with medical grade skincare. Peels without medical grade skincare and SPF is like taking your car to the garage every year for a service but not filling it up with petrol. All of the various acids used in chemical peels (don't be scared by the word acid! It's not the kind of acid you're thinking!) such as glycolic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid can do wonders for a whole host of issues from pigmentation to acne. Just don't go to local beauty salon for a chemical peel. Choose your peeler wisely! You don't want your face burned because you've gone to someone who isn't trained well enough. Also, just to note, those with darker skin tones, need to really quite careful with things like salicylic peels as they can cause pigmentation. SEE A MEDICALLY QUALIFIED PRO FOR YOUR PEELS!
Buccal Fat Removal.
This treatment, on the whole, sucks. Often performed on younger women, this surgery removes the buccal fat pad. This results in a chiselled lower face appearance when you suck your cheeks in. I have seen beautiful young girls disfigured by this. As you age you will naturally lose this fat and premature removal means accelerated ageing, you’ll look worse as a result.
A before and after of buccal fat removal, which Dr MJ warns against!
LED masks.
Evidence on the effectiveness of these isn’t abundant at the moment but I’m not against them. What do they do? Red light: increases collagen, Blue light: decreases inflammation and acne. I think they have some benefit, but you’re not going to see massive results and you definitely aren’t going to reverse 20 years of ageing with some light bulbs. However, I like treatments that invite people to take care of themselves, and a little bit of self care is good for the soul, so if it makes you feel nice, I’m all for it! As they say, the skin is a reflection of what’s going on inside…
Emscuplt.
(A device which claims to build muscle and sculpt your body).
Nope, go to the gym or get liposuction.
Fat freezing.
Nope. Just get lipo. Fat freezing isn’t cheap, requires a bunch of sessions, and isn't that effective, suck it out instead.
Medical Grade Skin Care.
Yes. Spend all of your freakin’ money on it! This stuff isn’t snake oil. But don’t go in blindly. There are lots of medical grade skin care brands out there and while they are all much of a muchness, some are better for some people than others, depending on the skin issues you’re trying to address. Find a practitioner who is passionate about skincare and have a consultation so they can decide what is right for your skin.
Some products make your skin worse before the get better like retinol, which can make your skin dry before it gets better.. but some of the worse skin I have seen is when I have seen people take advice from something they have seen on IG, and just gone and spent a load of money on expensive products willy-nilly, without any advice - or they use too much and it makes their skin worse! You have to have guidance and a plan.
But the bottom line is these products will work better than anything you’ll find on the high street which say they do the same job. Think about what you’re trying to achieve, but also remember everything takes A LONG TIME to work, it's not overnight! It usually takes a full skin cycle to see any results.
Bum Filler.
In the right hands it can be okay and ‘Hip dip’ filler I can understand with people who are toned as the indentation in the hip won’t go. Filling can be effective. I’ve not seen any WOW results for bum filler though, and it’s VERY product intensive, and with results only lasting around 2 years it’s expensive for limited gain. I’ve not had any bum filler complications, but I am sure with the number of salons offering it, it’s only a matter of time before I get a referral for a necrotic bum cheek. I think it’s a trend we’ll see the back of, soon.
The Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL).
No. Hard No. The BBL presents a horrendous risk. Also most of them look awful. The risk of death is 10 times higher than many other cosmetic procedures. It’s a big fat no from me.
The bottom line: don't risk you life for a bigger bum.
Wrinkle Relaxing.
The life elixir and the fountain of youth! Wrinkle relaxing is is marvellous! It's fantastic! I rate it very highly. It does an incredible job for anyone who wishes to reduce lines and wrinkles. It won’t do anything for your skin quality, and it won’t do anything underneath your skin (it doesn’t fill). But it uncrumples the dynamic lines (the lines that appear where your face moves) and some of the static lines. It's not an iron though, it’s not going to take all of the lines away! But it really works on the upper part of the face and will rejuvenate the skin and makes people just look that little bit fresher. It doesn’t last for long though, so you do need to get more often. Same message applies though, do not go anywhere for your wrinkle relaxing treatments. Do not go for a cheap deal - it's likely they're using unregulated products (fake Botox) and won't be sufficiently trained. Find a medical pro on Glowday
Vaginal Tightening.
Honestly, I think this actually works and especially after children and after menopausal changes - from experience of patients who have had it, they really rate it. Speak to an expert though, don’t go just anywhere offering this. Dr Shira Lakhani is the women for this job!
Dermaplaning
Yes! Dermaplaning is a treatment where vellus hair is removed with a scalpel. Yes - essentially shaving your face! It leaves you smooth like a dolphin and no your hair does not grow back worse and you don’t end up turning into the bearded lady. I always have a chemical peel straight after mine, so it gets straight to the good bits and leaves my skin glowy!
Lip Flip
Listen if you want plumper lips, get filler. The Lip flip is hyped and often doesn’t deliver. Personally I think it feels weird and messed around with my lip movement. Results are minimal and because it’s done using toxin, only lasts a couple of months. It’s a ‘meh’ from me.
Morpheus8
I LOVE IT. If I could get everyone in the world to use this, I would. Mopheus8 is essentially a microneedling gun with an electric current ... oh forget it... that sounds horrible! But it really is incredibly brilliant for skin rejuvenation and tightening. And with a bit of filler or botox underneath it will just make the results awesome. Don’t expect a facelift, and it wont work for skin issues like pigmentation, but for skin tightening - it’s just wonderful. Get it!
A before and after of Morpheus8 treatment. See that snatched jaw? Dr MJ says the whole world should get this one!
PDO Threads.
I’m not wild about them. I’ve done hundreds, I’ve used Silhouette and PDO and I find the results are weak at best. Add to this the fact the procedure is often traumatic, I don’t really like the results on most patients. Risks include dimpling, puckering, pain and I have seen loads of referrals for complications. The fact that so many beauticians are doing them in very delicate areas is cause for alarm. I'm not a fan.
Jawline Slimming (Not for dental reasons).
No. Just no. Anyone who is offering jawline slimming for vanity reasons is seriously not trained enough to understand the role of the muscles in mastication (chewing your food!). Check out my IG Live with with Gillian Murray an aesthetics complications expert, where we discuss this.
Microneedling with BB Glow Cream Tint:
I am not a fan of microneedling most things into the skin unless it’s been extensively tested, especially not pigments that accumulate there. Large scale microneedling of these products often causes prolonged immune responses. Just don’t.
Fillers.
My weapon of choice! Everyone loves filler! If they are chosen well they will look awesome, they do am amazing job of restoring volume - if chosen and placed expertly. Fillers plump, support and rejuvenate. But, if they are chosen and placed badly, they will look awful! That’s just the way it is. Volume replacement needs a strategic approach. It’s all about placement, and it’s all about the skill of in the injector. A good injector will make people look brilliant with filler and done well it shouldn't look fake, in fact you wouldn't even know someone has it when done well. It should look very natural, very subtle and should be designed to enhance your features. I always say to patients who are scared of fillers, bad work is the work you see. My face is put together with filler and I think I look alright!
Click here to book your dermal fillers.
And we concur. Have you seen Dr MJ? PHENONEMAL. A huge thank you to Dr MJ for sharing all of her worldly wisdom with us. We hope this has helped you make up on your mind when considering a treatment. Don't forget, if you are interested in a treatment and you want to be assured you're going to someone who is trained, professional, skilled and safe then look no further than Glowday - search here to find someone near you.