Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main advantages from attending Mulberry House Clinic for my treatment?
- We offer the most comprehensive range of non-surgical cosmetic treatments. This means that you will be able to make an informed choice about which treatment will best suit your needs and requirements.
- You are always seen by one of only three qualified professionals who offer open and honest advice regarding treatments that will help you most.
- The treatments offered are medical in nature so we feel that follow-up is important; this is offered to everyone at no additional cost.
- Digital photographs are taken routinely before and after treatment for your benefit.
- We are constantly reviewing the treatments we offer to ensure that you can benefit from up-to-the-minute treatments, but only if they are proven effective and safe.
- Our appointment intervals are booked so that you will not feel rushed, and wherever possible we offer you appointments at times that will fit in with your busy lifestyle.
BOTOX®
I'm worried that I won't have any expression and the result may not look natural.
When treatment is done sensitively, and in my view correctly, you will still have facial expression and the results will look natural, but you will have a much fresher look as lines and wrinkles are softened. We can also give the eyebrows a little lift which adds to the effect.
Is BOTOX® safe?
BOTOX® has been in clinical use for over 20 years, and is receiving approval for an increasing number of medical conditions. There have been no reports of any long-term problems.
How long does it last?
Usually 3-4 months, although there is some individual variation. After several treatments at regular intervals it will often last longer - a good number of our clients only need treatment twice a year.
Can BOTOX® only be used for the upper face?
No, areas around the mouth and in the neck can also be treated.
What about treatment of sweating?
Excessive underarm sweating (axillary hyperhidrosis) is successfully treated with BOTOX®.
Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers: Restylane - Perlane - LIPP - subQ - Hydrafill
What are they?
These are clear gels that are injected to fill lines and wrinkles, and to enhance the body or border of the lip. HA is already present in our skin so is a very natural and safe product. The above materials are not derived from animal sources.
How long does treatment last?
This depends on the area treated and the product that is used, but typically it is 6-9 months, sometimes up to 12 months before you will want to top up the treatment. Often at this stage a smaller treatment is all that is needed to maintain the effect. Very often after a second treatment I find that the effects will last longer still.
Will I see an immediate effect?
Yes, because the filler material is injected into the area to be treated it shows results straight away. There is usually some minor redness and swelling which subsides after a few hours.
Sculptra
What is Sculptra?
The product is a suspension of a substance called polylactic acid. This is injected and acts as a stimulant to your collagen-producing cells. The product itself is gradually broken down to lactic acid, a substance that occurs naturally in the body.
Is Sculptra used like any other filler?
As well as smoothing lines and wrinkles it adds volume to the face - loss of volume and skin thickness is one of the key processes that contribute to the appearance of ageing. This makes Sculptra a very flexible treatment that can be used for any age group.
Are the effects immediate?
There is an initial effect from the suspension itself that lasts for a few days, but as the water dissipates this effect is lost. The main effects begin after the first few weeks, and then increase over the next few months with further treatments.
How long will the effects last?
Effects will usually last two years or more, and top-up treatments can be given when needed.
Laser Hair Removal
Can any hair be treated?
Laser hair removal works on dark hair, so if your hair is brown or black it should be effective for you. Unfortunately the treatment will not work for blonde, grey or auburn hair. This is because melanin(dark pigment) is necessary to absorb the laser energy.
Does it matter if I have a darker skin type?
No - our laser can safely treat any skin type, even the darkest of skins.
How many treatments will I need?
Typically you are likely to need 6 treatments, although sometimes our clients have an excellent result after 4.
Facial Threadveins
What is the best treatment for facial veins?
We are in no doubt that laser offers the most effective, safe and reliable treatment compared to the alternatives. We commonly see people who have tried other treatments first and for various reasons wish they had had laser treatment in the first place.
What happens if I have laser treatment?
Laser is essentially light energy of a single wavelength, which is absorbed by the red colour of the veins. The effect of closing down the vessels is usually immediate.
Is it painful?
There is a brief prickling sensation during the treatment which most people find very easy to tolerate or even relaxing.
Will there be any after-effects?
A degree of redness afterwards is usual, but this goes within a few hours.
Medical Microdermabrasion
What is it?
It is a treatment in which fine medical-grade crystals are passed over the face under a vacuum. Both the crystal flow and the vacuum settings can be altered independently.
The effect is a deep exfoliation for a smooth skin and also stimulation of the deeper skin layers to encourage new collagen formation.
What will it treat?
A range of problems can be treated - fine lines and wrinkles, sun damage, pigmentation, acne, oily skin, scarring from acne or chickenpox. It is also a wonderful treatment for freshening your appearance for that special occasion.
Are there side-effects or problems after treatment?
Generally no. Some redness or blotchiness can occur, but this usually settles within a matter of hours. A few days afterwards some minor dryness can occur, but this can be overcome with moisturiser.
Is it painful?
Not if appropriate settings are used for your skin. You may feel a mild "scratchy" sensation, but the treatment itself is usually a pleasant experience.
Agera® RX Facial Peels
What are they?
These are exfoliating rejuvenating treatments. Solutions are applied in layers, and the strength can be varied according to skin type and the aims of treatment.
Immediate effects are smoothness and a brighter complexion. Over a course of treatment the benefits increase.
What about redness/peeling afterwards?
Unlike a variety of widely-used chemical peels, Agera® Rx peels cause minimal, if any, redness or peeling. This is because of their different mode of action, and the strong anti-inflammatory components that are used in the solutions.
Why are Agera® Rx peels different?
They are applied in layers, and penetrate the skin before they are activated with ice-cold water. Traditional peels do not penetrate and have to burn their way through the skin in order to have an effect, hence side-effects and problems afterwards are greater.
Thermage
What is Thermage?
Thermage (pronounced Therm-arj) is in our voew the most effective non-surgical treatment for skin-tightening and contouring. It uses radiofrequency technology to introduce heat safely into the skin. It won an award in 2007 for the best skin-tightening procedure.
How does it work?
The heating effect in the deeper layers of the skin results in tightening of existing collagen, which is often seen immediately, followed by a delayed effect on stimulating new collagen. This means that the main effects are seen between two and six months.
How many treatments will I need?
Typically one treatment is given for a pleasing result. At Mulberry House Clinic we like to offer a second top-up treatment after six months in order to further improve the result. This is offered within the standard cost of the procedure.
Will I be able to go straight back to work afterwards?
One of the great advantages of Thermage is that it is a "no downtime" procedure. There is no special care needed after treatment and most people return to normal activities straight away. There is often some mild redness and minor swelling, but this usually settles within a few hours.
Does it hurt?
When the energy is applied you will feel an intense but brief heating sensation. To protect teh skin surface and for your comfort a cooling spray is applied before, during and after each application of energy.
Portrait
I've never heard of Portrait. What is it?
Portrait is a unique technology using Plasma energy. It has been developed since 2002, and has been in regular use in the USA and UK for a few years. We are one of select number of clinics offering the treatment. We believe it offers the greatest advance seen in the industry for some time.
Essentially it employs excited nitrogen atoms to provide a controlled heating effect to the deeper layers of the skin while leaving the skin surface intact.
It can treat a range of problems all through the one treatment type: skin smoothing, pore tightening, reduction of sun damage and pigmentation spots, and improvement in lines and wrinkles can all be achieved. It also has FDA approval for treatment of acne scarring. Studies have shown effects similar to or better than the most modern lasers, with comparable or shorter downtimes.
Is there any downtime after treatment?
We use different strengths of treatment for the different problems that we are treating. With the mildest treatment there is some minimal redness and dryness afterwards. For the strongest treatment, for example for acne scarring or skin tightening, there will be redness followed by peeling, which means that a week off work is usually required.
Your requirements will be discussed in detail at the consultation so that you can have the most appropriate treatment with the least possible downtime.
I've heard of new laser treatments for skin improvement - fractional lasers - is Portrait as good?
Clinical studies have been carried out comparing Portrait to the leading fractional laser treatment. The most recent study showed superior results from Portrait in a single treatment compared to several treatments with the laser, and the total downtime was very similar.
Sclerotherapy
What is it?
This is a technique for treating visible leg veins that involves injection of a solution that causes the veins to close and collapse.
Is it painful?
It really is virtually painless - the injections are only just under the skin surface and very fine needles are used. Sometimes there is a tingling feeling as the solution is injected.
Are results immediate?
There is usually some redness after treatment. This fades after a few days. The full benefits of treatment are seen after about 6 weeks.
OBAGI Prescription Skincare
What type of problems is OBAGI used for?
OBAGI skincare can be used for pigmentation, acne problems or as a very effective anti-ageing programme.
Surely laser treatment will be more effective than creams?
We first became interested in the range because of its effectiveness in treating pigmentation problems, especially melasma, and this is now our preferred treatment for a number of pigmentation problems as it is in fact more effective and more cost-effective than other options.What's more OBAGI can be used as a maintenance treatment to prevent recurrence of the problem once the benefit has been achieved.
I've already tried so many creams and been disappointed. How do I know this will be any better?
Usually people we see have tried all sorts of (often very expensive!) creams over the counter or internet before coming to see us, so this is a common and understandable question. The ingredients are used on prescription, so by definition have a proven effect, and will be unlike anything you will have purchased.
For us the real proof of effectiveness is the number of people who start OBAGI through us, and within a few weeks their mother/daughter/sister contact us asking forthe same treatment!
Agera® RX Home Treatments
What does Agera® Rx offer that's different?
These products have been developed through rigorous scientific research and evaluation - it is proven that the products firstly penetrate the skin (which many do not) and that they will then have the desired effects when they have done so (again many do not).
This is achieved by producing very small particles (to an extent that has never previously been achieved), and coating them in a way that allows them to penetrate the skin.
Why can't I buy these in the High Street?
Agera® Rx produce medical grade products. Not all of the range is suitable for everybody, and different skin types will benefit most from different products. Hence a medical consultation is recommended prior to use of these specialist products.
Do I have to undergo other treatments to benefit from Agera® Rx?
The range has been designed specifically to enhance the effects of Medical Microdermabrasion and Agera® Rx facial peels, but they can be used alone.