A–Z glossary
Aesthetics, in plain English.
Glabella, masseter, hyaluronic acid… the words you'll hear in clinics, explained simply. If something's still unclear, just ask Gwen.
gla·bel·la
noun · say it gluh-BEL-uh
The smooth area between the eyebrows, where frowning creates the vertical lines some people call the 11s.
Read the entryA
- Aftercare
- The simple dos and don'ts for the hours and days after a treatment, such as staying upright for four hours and avoiding heat and strenuous exercise for 24 hours. Good aftercare helps your result settle well and last.
- Aftercare guide Before your visit
- Anti-wrinkle injectionsAlso called Wrinkle-relaxing injections
- A prescription-only treatment that relaxes the small muscles that crease the skin, softening lines on the forehead, between the brows and around the eyes. Results show within 2 to 14 days and usually last 3 to 6 months.
- Anti-wrinkle injections Anti-wrinkle or filler?
- Area
- How anti-wrinkle treatment is usually planned and priced. The forehead, the frown lines (glabella) and the crow's feet each count as one area; smaller extras, such as a lip flip or bunny lines, are additional areas.
- Prices Anti-wrinkle injections
B
- Brow lift (non-surgical)
- A subtle lift of the outer brow with anti-wrinkle injections, made by relaxing the small muscle that pulls the brow down. One of the additional areas.
- Anti-wrinkle injections
- Bruising
- A small bruise where a fine needle has passed a tiny blood vessel. It's common after injections and usually settles within a few days. Avoiding alcohol and some supplements beforehand can make it less likely.
- Before your visit Aftercare guide
- BruxismAlso called Teeth grinding, clenching
- Clenching or grinding the teeth, often during sleep. It can cause jaw ache, headaches and worn teeth. Masseter treatment relaxes the jaw muscle to ease it, and it's worth seeing your dentist too.
- Masseter treatment Teeth grinding guide
- Bunny lines
- The little lines that crinkle across the sides of the nose when you smile or scrunch your face. They can be softened as an additional anti-wrinkle area.
- Anti-wrinkle injections
C
- Cannula
- A fine, flexible tube with a rounded tip that some practitioners use instead of a needle to place filler in certain areas. The right tool depends on the area and the person.
- Anti-wrinkle or filler?
- Cheek filler
- Hyaluronic acid filler placed in the mid-face to restore volume and lift and contour the cheekbones. Results are immediate and usually last 12 to 18 months.
- Cheek filler
- Chin filler
- Filler used to add definition and projection to the chin for a more balanced profile. Results are immediate and usually last 12 to 18 months.
- Chin filler
- Consultation
- A conversation before any treatment about your goals and medical history, with an assessment and a written plan. With Gwen it's free, takes 20 to 30 minutes, and there's no pressure to book.
- Free consultation Before your visit
- Contraindication
- A reason a treatment isn't safe or suitable for you, at least for now, such as pregnancy, breastfeeding, an infection at the area, or some medical conditions and medicines. It's why every consultation includes a medical history.
- Safety & standards
- Course
- A set of sessions spaced a few weeks apart that together give the best result, such as three under-eye skin booster sessions or five B12 injections. Courses are paid in full and used within 12 months.
- Prices Terms
- Crow's feet
- The fine lines that fan out from the outer corners of the eyes when you smile. One of the most common anti-wrinkle areas.
- Anti-wrinkle injections
D
- Dermal fillerAlso called Filler
- A smooth gel, usually made of hyaluronic acid, placed beneath the skin to restore volume, shape and support. Results are visible straight away and last around 6 to 18 months, depending on the area.
- Lip filler Cheek filler Anti-wrinkle or filler?
- Downtime
- How long a treatment might affect your plans afterwards. For most treatments it's minimal: perhaps some redness, swelling or a small bruise for a few days.
- Aftercare guide
- Dynamic lines
- Lines that appear when your face moves, such as when you frown, smile or raise your eyebrows. Anti-wrinkle injections are designed to soften them.
- Anti-wrinkle or filler?
F
- Face-to-face consultation
- An in-person consultation. In the UK, anti-wrinkle injections are prescription-only and are prescribed after a face-to-face consultation with a qualified prescriber.
- Safety & standards
- Frontalis
- The broad muscle across the forehead that lifts your eyebrows. Relaxing it softens horizontal forehead lines.
- Anti-wrinkle injections
G
- GlabellaAlso called Frown lines, the 11s
- The area between the eyebrows, where frowning creates vertical lines. A common anti-wrinkle area.
- Anti-wrinkle injections
H
- Hyaluronic acidAlso called HA
- A substance found naturally in the skin that attracts and holds water. It's the main ingredient of most dermal fillers and skin boosters.
- Lip filler Under-eye skin booster
- Hyaluronidase
- An enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid. Practitioners can use it to dissolve hyaluronic acid filler if a result ever needs correcting.
- Anti-wrinkle or filler?
L
- Lip filler
- Hyaluronic acid filler that adds volume, shape and definition to the lips. Expect some swelling for a few days; results usually last 6 to 12 months.
- Lip filler
- Lip flip
- A tiny amount of anti-wrinkle treatment along the upper lip, relaxing the muscle so the lip rolls out slightly for a fuller look without filler. One of the additional areas.
- Anti-wrinkle injections
M
- Masseter
- The strong chewing muscle at the angle of the jaw. When it's overactive it can square the jawline and drive clenching and grinding.
- Masseter treatment Teeth grinding guide
- MentalisAlso called Chin dimpling
- The muscle at the tip of the chin. When it's overactive it can give the chin a dimpled, orange-peel texture, which anti-wrinkle treatment can soften as an additional area.
- Anti-wrinkle injections
- Mid-face
- The cheeks and the area beneath the eyes. Volume here naturally reduces with age, and cheek filler can restore it.
- Cheek filler
N
- NMCAlso called Nursing and Midwifery Council
- The regulator for nurses and midwives in the UK. Registered nurses must follow its professional Code, and anyone can check a nurse's registration on its online register.
- Safety & standards
- Numbing creamAlso called Topical anaesthetic
- A cream applied to the skin before some treatments, such as fillers and skin boosters, to make you more comfortable.
- Lip filler Under-eye skin booster
O
- Orbicularis oculi
- The ring of muscle around each eye. Its outer part creases the skin into crow's feet when you smile.
- Anti-wrinkle injections
P
- Prescription-only medicineAlso called POM
- A medicine that can only be supplied on a prescription from a qualified prescriber. The medicine used for anti-wrinkle injections is prescription-only in the UK.
- Safety & standards
R
- Registered nurseAlso called RN
- A nurse on the NMC register, accountable to its professional Code. Gwen is a registered nurse with 12 years in NHS paediatrics.
- About Gwen Safety & standards
- Review appointment
- A follow-up to check how your result has settled. After anti-wrinkle injections, Gwen books a two-week review and can fine-tune if needed.
- Aftercare guide
S
- Skin booster
- An injectable hyaluronic acid treatment that hydrates the skin from within to improve smoothness and elasticity, rather than adding volume. Best results come from a course.
- Under-eye skin booster
- Static lines
- Lines you can see even when your face is at rest. They often follow years of movement or volume loss, and may need a different approach from dynamic lines.
- Anti-wrinkle or filler?
- Swelling
- Puffiness as the skin reacts to treatment and the product settles. After filler it's normal for a few days, especially in the lips.
- Aftercare guide
T
- Tear trough
- The groove that runs from the inner corner of the eye towards the cheek. Hollowness here can make you look tired, even when you're not. For fine lines and crepey skin beneath the eyes, ask about the under-eye skin booster.
- Under-eye skin booster Free consultation
- Top-up
- A small additional treatment to perfect or maintain a result: for example, fine-tuning at a review, or keeping a filler fresh as it gradually softens.
- Making results last
U
- Units
- How the dose of anti-wrinkle treatment is measured. Stronger muscles, which men often have, can need more units for the best result.
- Anti-wrinkle injections For men
V
- Vitamin B12
- A vitamin that helps keep nerve and red blood cells healthy. A B12 injection is a quick top-up for people whose diet may be low in it, such as vegans and vegetarians, given after a short suitability check.
- Vitamin B12
- Volume loss
- The gradual thinning of fat and supporting tissue in the face with age, which can flatten the cheeks and deepen folds. Dermal fillers can restore it.
- Cheek filler Anti-wrinkle or filler?
Still curious?
No question is too small.
Bring your questions to a free, no-pressure consultation with Gwen.