The Blurb
Dr Leah Totton is an experienced cosmetic doctor, spokesperson for safety and improved regulation in the UK cosmetic industry and an advocate of natural-looking cosmetic outcomes. Dr Leah’s aim when she founded Dr Leah Clinics in 2014, was to set a new ‘Gold Standard’ in the unregulated cosmetic industry by creating a chain of doctor-led clinics, which provide safe, effective, cosmetic treatments and which give natural-looking results.
She says, “The Dr Leah brand ethos is to create natural-looking results and I am glad that with time more and more people are adopting this way of thinking and seeking natural results and not desiring an over-filled look. When it comes to lip filler treatments, I believe the holy grail is to achieve beautiful lips, which are the ideal size for your face and that appear to be natural-looking…. Choosing the right brand of lip filler is critical. Since its recent launch, I have been asked regularly about MaiLi, a new Hyaluronic Acid (HA) filler that delivers natural-looking volume, but by using less product. The added bonus with MaiLi is that you also get much more flexibility and suppleness, which means you don’t get the rigid looking ‘trout pout’ that so many of my clients are keen to avoid. The soft and spring-like gel allows for natural movement and normally lasts for up to one year in lips. It tends to draw in less water than other popular dermal fillers so there is less of a “puffy” effect.”
The Process
Arriving at Dr Leah’s eponymous clinic, I was met with a friendly receptionist before meeting the doctor herself. Something of a genius, Dr Leah carefully assessed my face, knowing exactly where to put dermal filler to balance out asymmetry and restore more youthful contours.
Friendly and down to earth, the consultation began with a lengthy discussion; we looked at pictures and mapped out areas to fill in the mirror, before slathering on numbing cream and, unusually, leaving this to cook for a full 25 minutes. Often doctors are in a rush so pretend it works in 10, it doesn’t, and Dr Leah doesn’t make you feel like you’re encroaching on her schedule at all.
She used new Swiss-made hyaluronic acid dermal filler, MaiLi, which allows for more precision and greater volume, all whilst using less product. That’s 24% less product than the market leader for a resulting equivalent volume, if you’re feeling technical.
Dr Leah also has an incredible gadget to distract you from the (admittedly minimal) discomfort. A state of the art TENS machine that you hold on your sternum to generate a strong vibration. Not only is this fun – and totally distracting – it hijacks the neural pathways that deliver pain signals to the brain.
Between each couple of injections, she stopped, handed me the mirror and checked in with me. This is really helpful as it means you end up with exactly the result you were after. No nasty surprises here!
The Result
I couldn’t be happier, Dr Leah evened and filled out my cheeks just below the cheekbone, giving a broader, more youthful look. My lips were also slightly plumped, subtly lifting the Cupid’s bow and widening the lower lip. I’d say she took about 5 years off me in under an hour, and I’ve never felt more listened to by a cosmetic doctor.
