Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2008 | Page 89

FASHION, HEALTH & BEAUTY

life

Fashion, Health & Beauty
Filling in time:
it's on
everyone's lips

Dr Maire Rhatigan of the
Orchard Clinic at St James’s talks to
Roz Whistance about fillers
Photo: Dr Maire Rhatigan

RW: Fillers have been quite
contentious, haven’t they?
Everyone thinks of Leslie Ash’s
trout-pout after a disaster
with Botox. How safe are
they?
MR: With the new
generation of fillers that
won’t happen. They are no
longer collagen (animal)
based but are formed from a
substance which is naturally
present in our bodies.
RW: So how do they work?
MR: Unlike Botox which
stops muscles contracting,
fillers are a volume
replacement. We inject them
in the line above the lips,
known as the smokers’ line,
where volume has been lost.
RW: Is that the only area
where filler is appropriate?
MR: No,it can be used
quite extensively. We use

it to upturn down-turning
corners of the mouth and fill
lines which extend from the
corners of the mouth right
down the jawline, which can
make people look quite sad.
RW: Isn’t the injection very
painful?
MR: No, we give people a
topical anaesthetic just to
make it more comfortable.
RW: How long is it before
you can face your friends?
MR: One of the beauties
of fillers is the effect is
immediate. I love them
because clients see the
difference there and then
and there are virtually no
side effects. Occasionally
there is a little bruising and
we anticipate that by giving
clients a camouflage pencil.
RW: But isn’t it a bit of a
giveaway, that you’ve “had

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work done”, if the results are
so spectacular?
MR: Again, the lovely thing
about fillers is they are for
people looking for stronger
results than they get from a
face cream but who don’t
want to go down the surgery
route. At the clinic I have a
variety of types, so for those
who want a subtle look or a
quick rejuvenation it can be
treated without the likelihood
of swelling.
RW: What sort of people are
coming to you for fillers?
MR: All sorts, and for various
reasons. They’re getting
married or a relative they
haven’t seen for ten years
is about to land on their
doorstep. Subtle rejuvenation
is what they want.
RW: How long do fillers last?
MR: Up to a year, though

some people come for a
top-up about nine months
after their first treatment.
RW: Now Maire, you moved
from the Orchard Hospital
to the St James’s Clinic in
Newport. How are you finding
your new pr V֗6W3