No, dermal fillers act in a totally different way. Dermal fillers restore skin elasticity and volume to reduce the depth of wrinkles, lines, and folds. The skin remains flexible with movement for a natural look..

During the CoolSculpting® procedure you may experience sensations of pulling, tugging, mild pinching, intense cold, tingling, stinging and aching at the treatment site, but these will subside as the area becomes numb.

Following the procedure, typical side effects include temporary redness, swelling, blanching, bruising, firmness, tingling, stinging, tenderness, cramping, aching, itching, or skin sensitivity which generally resolve within 1-2 weeks.

Rare side effects have been recorded in 0.01% to 0.1% of patients where a visible enlargement of the treated area developed 2 to 5 months after treatment that does not resolve on its own and may require surgical intervention for correction.

Oestrogen helps to release eggs from the ovaries. It also regulates a woman’s periods and helps her to conceive. Oestrogen also plays a part in controlling other functions, including bone density, skin temperature and keeping the vagina moist.

The main role of progesterone is to prepare the womb for pregnancy, helping to protect the lining of the womb. Progesterone also utilises fat for energy, normalises blood sugar levels and is important for cortisol / reducing the feeling of being overwhelmed. Thyroid action and fatigue are also impacted by progesterone levels.

Women’s ovaries make testosterone. Testosterone production starts to increase significantly during puberty, and begins to dip after you reach 30. Testosterone is most often associated with sex drive, but it also affects bone and muscle mass. 

No. You must wait until your acne is not active. Having a treatment whilst your acne is active could irritate your acne which can often be painful and leave your skin feeling sensitive.

We would recommend - no , unless the exact composition of the tattoo ink is known and does not contain metallic components. Metallic elements inside the pigment can interact with the microwave technology causing problems.

Nobody can make such a guarantee, because so much depends on the quality of the inks used in your tattoo. Tattoo cover-ups can be more difficult due to a mixture of inks. However, our AlexTriVantage medical laser is recognised as one of the world's most efficient and can remove tattoos unlike many salon or tattoo parlour systems which can only fade tattoos. We are a laser service provide to NHS Lothian and therfore can offer you the very best chance of removing your tattoo safely.

The CryoSuccess uses a sterile glass tip, cooled by Nitrous Oxide, allowing great precision for treating skin lesions around the eye and intimate areas.

The CryoPen shoots a controlled jet of Nitrous Oxide gas directly onto the skin lesions making it less accurate for treating areas around the eye and intimate areas but faster for larger skin lesions on other body areas.

Both cryotherapy and advanced electrolysis treatments can be used to remove benign lesions. Advanced electrolysis uses a thermolysis current and a very fine needle to either cauterise or lift away the superficial epidermis, depending on the type of blemish that is being treated. Cryotherapy is typical more comfortable and requires less appointments. The cost of individual appointments for either is roughly the same, so cryotherapy can work out less expensive if less appointments are required.

Vitamin A, particularly in the form of retinoids (such as roaccutane or tretinoin), is known for its skin-renewing properties and is commonly used to treat various skin concerns, including acne, and uneven pigmentation. However, there are certain considerations when using vitamin A products like retinoids alongside laser treatments.

Skin Sensitivity and Risk of Irritation:
Vitamin A, especially in its more potent forms like prescription retinoids, can make the skin more sensitive and prone to irritation. Laser treatments, depending on the type and intensity, can also cause some level of skin irritation, redness, and peeling as part of the healing process. Using both retinoids and undergoing laser treatment simultaneously can increase the risk of severe skin irritation and potentially prolong the healing time.

Increased Risk of Side Effects:
Combining retinoids and laser treatments can potentially increase the risk of adverse side effects, such as burns, blisters, or changes in pigmentation. The combination of already sensitive skin due to retinoid use and the effects of the laser treatment can be too harsh for the skin to handle.

Disrupted Healing Process:
Laser treatments work by creating controlled damage to the skin's surface, which then triggers the body's natural healing response, including the production of new collagen. Using retinoids during the post-laser healing phase could interfere with this process and may not allow the skin to heal as effectively or efficiently as it should.

For this reason your aesthetician may ask you stop using vitamin A skincare for a specified time period pre and post laser or IPL treatment.

No supplements or diet programme is required.

At your consultation we will discuss your lifestyle habits and may recommend some changes to help you to maintain the best results. However, these are never drastic and could be something as simple as getting more exercise through walking to work or nutritional advice.

Many patients when they see results - feel more motivated to maintain their shape. It’s as if they got a second lease on their body!

Our skilled medical team use topical or local anaesthetic on the areas to be treated to ensure your comfort. While the treatments are painless some aspects of the PRP application, such as injections around the eyes or the amount of blood visible, can cause anxiety, but our medical assistants will be on hand to comfort and calm you.

We recommend you book an Observ520X skin analysis, with our facial experts, who over 30 mins use the technology to reveal your skin's health and therefore scientifically recommend the best facials and skincare to help you achieve your goals.

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You should use the Keravive Peptide Complex spray daily beginning the following day after your treatment. Apply 1–2 sprays per area of concern once a day by placing nozzle directly on the scalp while spraying. After spraying, massage solution into scalp for 30–60 seconds. For best results, apply in the evening and allow solution to remain on the scalp overnight. 

It is no more painful than having the tattoo in the first place. Any discomfort comes from the build up of heat in your skin during a long procedure, so we have an iCool system which you can use to blast cold air on to your tattoo during your treatment to improve your comfort.

The team and clinic is annually inspected by Healthcare Improvement Scotland who regulate independent hospitals, hospices and clinics in Scotland. The inspections examine our team, treatments and clinical environment, so that you have the invaluable assurance that you are in safe hands that use safe products in a safe environment.

If you find computer and internet technology more of a barrier than a help when trying to communicate - then simply call our reception on 0131 226 9610 and explain your feedback and it will be sent to the relevant team member.

Seek a consultation to determine the best solution for you. Typically IPL treatments are better in treating specific thread veins or spider veins where the IPL will remove the offending capillaries.

However, if you are a perimenopausal women then IPL on its own will not strengthen your skin barrier for long term results and so a treatment combination maybe a good solution.

For young men and women with mild facial redness a HydraFacial Platinum facial with the ZO Rozatrol booster is likely to be a good starting point.

No. Since Ultherapy® has become so successful a number of copy-cat versions have appeared and some are sold to non medical service providers. None of these have been approved for use by the FDA and EU. Importantly none have the ability to allow the practitioner to see before they treat reducing your safety and increasing the risk of complications. Always check you are getting a treatment from a genuine  Ultherapy® machine by a medically qualified practitioner trained in the procedure.

An injectable treatment is administered using a very fine needle that takes just a few seconds. It’s a quick tiny prick that most patients tolerate very well. If your treatment plan requires several injections at a localised area then a topical anaesthetic cream may be applied to numb the skin.

For small trauma scars the treatment is short and usually tolerable. For long procedures, such as a full face for wide acne scarring, your practitioner will use a topical anaesthetic before starting to improve comfort.  Immediately after treatment you will look as though you have moderate sunburn, and your skin may feel warmer and tighter than usual, but this will pass within 48 hours. 

Microneedling is safe and effective when performed by a regulated clinic and qualified practitioners. Our microneedling treatments are carried out in clinical treatments rooms, using medical protocols and products that have been inspected and approved by Healthcare Improvement Scotland, which means you can be assured that the procedures are very safe.

Cell Research Corp, who are based in Singapore, have developed CALECIM® which is our exosome serum. They have been a pioneer in ethical, sustainable stem cell research for two decades. The stem cells used to produce CALECIM® are harvested from the umbilical cord of red deer which are free ranging, and organically and ethically raised, in New Zealand. The umbilical cord, which connects the calf to its mother, is typically discarded after birth. While harvesting umbilical cords as “medical waste” does not involve any harm to mother or child. All mammals share similar signalling proteins, including those released by stem cells which are used to communicate with other cells. Red deer cord lining stem cell proteins used in CALECIM® thus also have regenerative and restorative effects on human skin.
 

Yes - the major advantage of PRP is that it involves no foreign substances, because your own growth factors extracted from your own blood are used. Which means there is no risk of any disease transmission or allergic reaction.

Since 2009 medical research on the safety of PRP has been gaining momentum and now both the US FDA and UK's NICE regulatory bodies have confirmed that PRP treatments are safe.

PRP is used by some NHS trusts in accelerating recovery post operations. PRP is also widely used in sports medicine, with famous athletes such as Tiger Woods and Rafael Nadal benefitting from PRP treatments to sprained knees and chronic tendon injuries.

We recommend microneedling as a more effective treatment for improving skin texture and the appearance of acne scars.

We recommend HydraFacial® treatments as a more effective way to improve mild skin texture and minimizing pores whilst promoting the growth of healthier skin cells.

If you have mild facial pigmentation then we would recommend a HydraFacial Booster facial with a ZO Brightalive serum that tackles general pigmentation and freckles. If you have dark age spots  then IPL  or laser treatments, depending on the severity of your pigmentation, are likely to be more appropriate. The best place to start is to book in for a skin analysis.

The Ultherapy® procedure has been used in over 1 Million treatments worldwide. Ultherapy® is the only micro-focused ultrasound technology that has been reviewed and cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration, (one of the World’s most stringent regulatory bodies for healthcare). In the European Union Ultherapy® is CE certified for non-invasive sculpting and lifting of the dermis on the upper and lower face, neck and décolletage (chest). All our Ultherapy® practitioners have receives extensive procedural training, so you can feel confident in their abilities. 

Ultherapy® uses two special types of ultrasound. The first emits parallel lines of ultrasound, just like in the maternity unit ultrasound machines which bounce back and allow your practitioner to see what is immediately under the treatment area.

Once you practitioner is satisfied that he or she is in the right position (i.e. will not hit any blood vessels or bone) the Ultherapy® machine then goes into treat mode where the ultrasound waves cross over at very precise depths. This crossing creates heat and it is this heat energy that initiates the body’s natural response to stimulate the growth of fresh, new collagen and elastin.

Yes - you can remove hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers if you don't like your lip results. Our skilled medical experts inject an eraser enzyme called hyaluronidase to break up the particles and accelerate the rate at which the fillers break down.

How long your lips stay plump and how quickly the filler breaks down really depends on your own body's metabolism. Everyone metabolism will break down the HA fillers at a different rate. In addition more expensive HA fillers have been developed to last longer. So, typically results last 6-12 months 

We recommend temporary hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers which are a sugar derivative that is naturally found in your body and is able to hold 1,000 times its own weight in water. For this reason it is a great hydrating ingredient that creates natural looking results that dissolve over time, so you will continue to age naturally.

Will I have to pay a consultation fee when I become a patient at the DRVICTORIA™ Clinic?

When you are referred by Skintalks to the clinic and your medical records have been transferred you will receive an initial complimentary consultation. All new patients to the clinic are required to have a consultation which takes 30 mins and normally costs £35. If you are not referred by Skintalks you will need to pay for the consultation.

Requesting a referral and the transfer of your patient records is the best way to continue your care.

Can I transfer any unused course credits or voucher with Skintalks to the DRVICTORIA™ Clinic?

No. All unused course credits and vouchers with Skintalks should be redeemed with them.

Collagen is a protein that is abundant in our skin and is important in providing strength and stability. It is produced by special cells (called fibroblasts) but over time our skin loses some of its collagen, contributing to skin laxity and sagging. 

Elastin is a highly elastic protein in skin and allows many tissues in the body to resume their shape after stretching or contracting. Elastin helps skin to return to its original position when it is poked or pinched. Again, as we age, our skin loses some elastin which also contributes to sagging and laxity.

Since our faces are constantly subjected to movement & pressure (when we smile, sleep, talk, shout, cry, laugh or sing) the loss of elastin and collagen really can take its toll.

Many people, after seeing their CoolSculpting® results feel even more motivated to stay close to their ideal weight.

However, if you do gain weight, your body will store it in your remaining fat cells. This means your weight gain will be more obvious in areas not treated by CoolSculpting® where you have more fat cells remaining.

CoolSculpting® removes fat cells in targeted areas for body sculpting. It is not a treatment for obesity or weight loss.

Collagen induction therapy (and skin needling) are other terms used to describe microneedling.

Morpeuse8 is a microneedling device that combines radiofrequency. We use ENDYMED INTENSIF which also combines radiofrequency and microneedling, because we believe it is a superior device that is more comfortably for the patient.

Sclerotherapy has a great safety record and is practiced by the NHS. NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) found Micro Sclerotherapy to be effective and that, on average, the Foam Sclerotherapy was effective in 84 out of 100 cases.

Common side effects are temporary blisters, crusts scabs, bruising and pigmentation which will disappear during recovery. In rare cases, usually when aftercare instructions have not been followed, large weeping blisters can appear. In extremely rare cases the treatment can lead to blood clots. Our doctors and nurses provide highest standard of care and should you need support they will answer your questions or resolve any concerns.

HydraFacial uses a unique, patented Vortex-Fusion delivery system to dislodge and remove impurities and blackhead extraction while simultaneously delivering skin boosting serums for dry skin on face.

Prior to your TIXEL® treatment your skin must have been free from an active tan for 3 weeks. 
 

Most patients see visible skin rejuvenation in a single HydraFacial treatment which can last up to 7 days and longer. Like most facials its not a quick fix, so we recommend one facial per month for improving oily congested skin, blackhead extraction and dry skin on face. Regular continued facials will maintain healthy skin and results.

There are no shampoos or conditioners that need to be avoided after a HydraFacial Keravive. For optimal results we recommend shampoos and conditioners that contain gentle AHA / BHA or exfoliating properties.

You should wait at least 6–12 hours before washing your hair after a Keravive treatment or using the Keravive Peptide Complex Spray.

After a TIXEL® treatment you should expect the treated skin to have a ‘sunburnt’ feeling and redness which may last for a few days. You will be provided with an SPF50 sun protection cream to protect the skin for 3 weeks.
 
Some micro crusting (small scabbing) should be expected which will clear in 2-3 days. You may use makeup after 48 hours to cover your skin while healing continues - we recommend using mineral makeup such as Jane Iredale.

Botox injections have been used globally in millions of treatments and are safe and effective when administered by a healthcare professional who has the correct understanding of anatomy. However, like all medical treatments there can be side effects. Common side effects, which resolve quickly, include:

• tenderness;
• bruising;
• and redness at injection points.

IPL uses a broad spectrum of high-intensity light, which is emitted at multiple wavelengths, whereas laser emits a single, focused and precise wavelength that's optimised for maximum follicle absorption. Therefore IPL hurts more and is less effective in an individual session which means you require more IPL treatments to achieve the same result as a laser and have to endure more discomfort. For this reason we recommend laser treatments for hair removal where possible.

Botox injections are suitable for most men and women, but the best way to find out is to arrange a consultation. If you have any of the following contra-indications then please ask about alternate treatments:

• Pregnancy / breast feeding;
• Myasthenia gravis;
• Eaton lambert syndrome;
• Bell’s or facial palsy;
• and Liver disease.

We provide PRP treatments for skin rejuvenation and to reduce hair loss. We do not treat sports injuries. A consultation and physical examination is required to determine if PRP is a suitable treatment for your concern.

Our HydraFacial aestheticians are qualified in Advanced Skin Science, trained by HydraFacial and supervised by medical professionals which means you get expert skincare advice and facials appropriate for your skin type. Our genuine HydraFacial machine is serviced and maintained by HydraFacial for optimum performance.

At present exosome serums derived from plants have not been scientifically proven to be as effective as those derived from animals.

At present polynucleotides serums derived from plants have not been scientifically proven to be as effective as those derived from fish.

Microneedling pens can be set to reach the dermis at the correct depth to stimulate where the damaged collagen is causing stretch marks.

Bioactive serums combined with microneedling can penetrate to the dermis through the micro channels created by the skin needling.

However, topical creams cannot penetrate to the correct depth and are therefore not effective. The best time to use creams is during the period of rapid growth, such as pregnancy, when they can help keep the skin supple and flexible to reduce the damage from forming.