5 Tips for Choosing an Injector in Ann Arbor

BOTOX® and dermal fillers (such as JUVÉDERM and Restylane) are popular non-surgical treatments to minimize wrinkles, define the jawline, and increase fullness in the lips, cheeks, chin, and under-eye hollows. These injectable treatments are FDA-approved and a safe and effective treatment when injected by a highly-trained, qualified, and experienced injector. With so many providers in the area, we’ve put together a list of tips to help you select your injector in Ann Arbor

1. Check their credentials

For starters, only a licensed medical professional can be an injector in Ann Arbor and the state of Michigan. Your provider should make their credentials clearly known. Consider it a warning sign if you don’t know if your injector is medically licensed. Plus, your provider should have a degree from an accredited institution of higher learning.

2. See the same injector in Ann Arbor for consistency

You may be tempted to price shop for the best deals and discounts, but by doing that, you’re compromising your results. Returning to the same provider for all of your BOTOX and filler injectable treatments helps to maintain consistency in your appearance. At our office, our injectors take the time to get to know your desired outcomes, how your anatomy responds to injectables, and how much product to inject to achieve optimal results. If you constantly change providers, you’ll likely find that you’re dissatisfied with results and are more likely to need to return for follow-up appointments.

3. Look for offices with low employee turnover

Because provider consistency is important, it’s also crucial to look for offices with low employee turnover. If you see that a practice is constantly introducing new injectors, it may be because their injectors don’t have longevity with their practice. Our injectors are committed to our practice and have a long history with the Center for Plastic Surgery Ann Arbor.

4. Ask if a practice provides training opportunities for its injectors

BOTOX and dermal fillers have been around for over 30 years, but the technology and techniques continue to change. Occasionally, our injectors may be unavailable for a few days because they’re attending training courses for continuous learning. As a practice, we are committed to providing our patients with the most cutting-edge techniques and the highest quality of care, which means investing in our team’s ongoing training. If the provider you’re considering never takes a day off for training, you’re probably not getting the most qualified and experienced injector.

5. Consider the length of the appointments (hint: shorter isn’t better!)

We live in a culture where “quick and easy” are often are favorite words. Many injectors in Ann Arbor advertise quick appointments that you can do over lunchtime. We get it. You’re busy and have a to-do list a mile long, but trust us, this is not a treatment you want to be rushed. As we mentioned above, injectables are safe when administered correctly and done without rushing.

A typical facial filler appointment should take approximately 60 minutes. If your provider does filler in less than this amount of time, they’re simply cutting corners. During a filler appointment, your injector should review the risks, apply numbing cream (this alone takes 30 minutes to begin working!), discuss your desired outcomes and treatment plan, and inject the actual filler.

Many practices treat injectables like conveyor belts, where they just want to get patients in and out as quickly as possible so they can move on to the next patient. To save time, some places don’t offer any numbing options so they can cram more patients in. They also tend to offer cookie-cutter treatments instead of customized treatment plans designed specifically for each patient.

Lip filler appointments, like facial filler appointments, typically last about 60 minutes. Even though the area is small, it still takes about 30 minutes for the numbing agent to begin working. The injector will also review the risks, discuss the treatment plan, and, of course, inject the filler.

BOTOX appointments are usually the shortest of all the injectables (unless they’re done at the same appointment as filler). Your initial appointment with your injector may last around 30 minutes as you review risks, discuss the treatment plan, and receive the injectable. Subsequent Botox appointments can be pretty quick and take only 15-20 minutes since your provider knows your goals and how your body responds to the Botox (another reason to return to the same injector for all treatments).

Bonus Tip: Look at before and after photos

By looking at fillers and BOTOX before and after photos, you’ll get an idea of their injecting style—for instance, whether there is an over-filled look or a more natural appearance. If the practice doesn’t have photos, it may be a sign that it doesn’t see many cosmetic injectable patients.

Call our office at 734.712.2323 to schedule your free injectable consultation with our nurse injector or PA injector. You can also request an appointment online here.