Sarah Arseneault
Nurse Practitioner Specializing in Dermal Filler
Canadians are increasingly getting dermal fillers to address esthetic concerns and boost their self-confidence — so understanding the options is key.
If you’re working from home, you’ve likely been in plenty of Zoom meetings. This has led to a new phenomenon called Zoom fatigue, where we’ve become hyperaware of what we look like based on the increased time staring at our own faces on video calls — and we may not always be happy with what we see. In fact, more Canadians than ever are visiting their dermatologists to address concerns like wrinkles, dark under eyes, and loss of volume in their face.
Sarah Arseneault, a nurse practitioner specializing in dermal filler and @beautoxbabe on Instagram, answers your top questions about the Zoom fatigue phenomenon and how she addresses patient concerns.
Are your patients talking about Zoom fatigue?
Yes. They’ll say, “I don’t like the way I look on Zoom. I look tired. I look old.”
So, what are patients asking for?
In general, people are satisfied with what they look like — they just want to look like a fresher version of themselves. They’re not asking for drastic changes.
What treatments do you suggest to address patient concerns?
Everyone is different, so it starts with diagnosing and assessing each patient. There are several options, for example, neuromodulators like Dysport to address wrinkles and hyaluronic acid dermal fillers like Restylane to address volume loss.
What is dermal filler, and what should patients know when asking for this treatment?
Dermal filler is mostly hyaluronic acid-based, so it’s a synthetic version of what we already have in our skin. Dermal filler has several different mechanisms of action, including lifting, contouring, and filling superficial lines.
When asking for this treatment, patients should consider the person doing the injectable (making sure they’ve had appropriate training and that they’re under the supervision of a medical director), what’s being injected (making sure it’s safe), and the clinic they’re going to (making sure it’s reputable and regulated).
Is getting dermal filler like getting plastic surgery? Is it permanent?
It’s not at all like getting plastic surgery, which involves actually cutting skin. And it isn’t permanent. The filler generally lasts for 12 to 18 months.
Is dermal filler safe?
Yes, provided you go to someone reputable who’s using a reputable product.
If I get dermal filler, will I still look like me?
When the work is done well, it should be undetectable. Taking a personalized approach to placement is key to natural-looking results. Stay away from package deals that encourage a set number of dermal filler syringes to be placed at one time. This encourages the patient to feel pressured to use up all the filler rather than to stick to a personalized approach and often leads to unnatural-looking results.
Is there anything else patients should know about dermal filler?
Besides contouring and lifting, dermal filler can also improve the skin’s appearance, elasticity, and glow.
