As its name suggests, a barcode is the multitude of ultra-fine lines invariably printed on supermarket packaging, for example. There are thousands of different bar codes and all of them are used to store and transmit data.
Yet, one of them is particularly annoying: the one found above the upper lip – especially on women, and often on smokers! These wrinkles above the upper lip are more or less accentuated, depending on lifestyle.
To overcome this, several combinations of tailor-made techniques are possible. Taking into account, of course, the specificities of each profile and combining injections of specific hyaluronic acids, botox, focused ultrasound and radio frequencies, the doctor manages to target the causes of the apparition of this barcode.
The hyaluronic acid injected directly into the fine lines of the barcode is a very slightly crosslinked hyaluronic acid that will hydrate without swelling this very particular and delicate area.
A more concentrated hyaluronic acid can be injected into the lip contour, often softened over time, to restore firmness and structure, for a much smoother appearance of the entire upper lip.
What you need to know
Hyaluronic acid is a biocompatible gel naturally present in the skin. Moisturizing, and completely absorbable, it is used as a natural aesthetic treatment to fill deep and superficial wrinkles. Hyaluronic acid can also be used to successfully and precisely sculpt a chin, plump temples or hands, moisturize lips or redefine the bridge of a nose.
In this highly mobile area, a few drops of strategically located botox can discreetly soften muscle contraction and smooth the lip. Botox, once injected into a muscle, will limit neurotransmission and reduce muscle contraction.
The amount used is always minimal. It is a question of softening without ever changing the expression. Botox is also used successfully for other indications (jaw lift, neck lift, eye contour lift, forehead and temples lift …)
Focused ultrasound (Hifu, Ulthéra, Ultralift) is a high-tech technique that allows the face to be lifted in depth while fully respecting the integrity of the skin surface. This technique stimulates the synthesis of collagen in depth.
The Ultralift lifting treatment (focused ultrasound such as Ultherapy, Ulthera) concentrates the energy of ultrasound on depths varying between 1.5 mm, 3mm and 4.5 mm in order to act at the same depth as that generally targeted during a surgical lift (4.5 mm). For the barcode area, it is only 1.5mm deep.
Stimulated by this energy, a synthesis of collagen is generated in the skin creating, within three weeks, a targeted lifting effect.
Focused ultrasound Ultherapy, Ulthera, Ultralift are commonly used for the face and any other area to firm up, such as the oval jaw lift, neckline, stomach, but also for removing fat off thickened skin (double chin, arms, buccal fat pads, belly…).
Radiofrequency is a technique that consists in heating the skin evenly and in depth, to a temperature of 43 °. This is the temperature where fibroblasts, actual collagen and elastin powerhouses, get to work and produce these ingredients, treasures of youth! In thirty minutes, the skin is already tightened, plumped up, and optimizes the effects of other barcode treatments
There are different types of fractional radiofrequencies via needle or multipolar blast, their action is more or less strong and will be chosen according to the need by the doctor and the patient.
Note that radiofrequency is useful for the treatment of sagging skin, on the body, but also active acne and its scars.
Each session begins with a careful diagnostic examination by the doctor assessing the characteristics of your skin and face: sagging, wrinkles and areas to be treated.
Once the diagnosis is established, the treatment is settled upon, fruit of an exchange between the doctor and the patient. Once consent is given, the medical assistant proceeds with an antiseptic cleansing of the skin and the application of an anesthetic cream to make the treatment comfortable. Local anesthesia can be performed according to the techniques used. The goal is to provide you with optimum comfort.
At the end of the treatment, the assistant evenly applies a refreshing hydrating mask with hyaluronic acid to soothe the treated skin for 5 minutes. A restorative cream is applied with an airbrush. A light make-up, fixed by a protective mist, completes the session and allows the patient to continue the normal course of their day. No hiding awat. The show must go on.
Possible side effects such as bruising or slight swelling may appear but are transient (a few days maximum). They are easily camouflaged with a little makeup.
The barcode is a typical cutaneous sign found in smokers: the repeated pursing of the mouth around the cigarette accelerates fine line apparition. History shows us once again that equality remains to be achieved: thanks to their upper lip hairs, which protect them from these specific lines, men dodge yet another bullet.
The treatment requires between 30 minutes and 1 hour, even a little more depending on the machines used. The results last between 6 and 12 months depending on metabolisms and lifestyles. The procedures are all non-invasive and allow you to resume your everyday life immediately, with a rejuvenated smile.
Duration
30-60 minutes
Price
starting at £500
