Former NHS nurse Lynn Evans has had a career change and is now administering a cure for wrinkles. Jenny Needham reports.

IT was after watching a TV programme by Leslie Ash that Lynn Evans decided to change career. Ash, the actress who became famous for her overfilled lips – the trout pout – revealed how her life had become hell after she had silicone injected into her top lip and expressed her concerns that people setting up as practitioners had no qualifications for the job.

There’s no doubt this has been a problem in the past with “botox parties”

making the whole process into a big night out. “But I want my clients to have peace of mind, to be assured they will be getting a safe and professional service,” says Lynn, who has worked as a nurse in the North-East for many years, both in the NHS and the private sector.

Ageing is something that happens to all of us, but Lynn believes that fillers can benefit both a person’s looks and self-esteem. “Even if you’re 65, I can soften the wrinkles,”

she says. To this end she’s undergone extensive specialist training in Harley Street, London, in the use of Botox, the full range of Restylane dermal fillers, and now Juvederm, which incorporates a local anaesthetic so it’s not so painful.

To put patients even more at ease, before treating a client, Lynn always calls the consultant in Harley Street, where she trained and he will confirm whether the patient is a good candidate for filler treatments or not and also talk to the client as well.

“It’s just an extra safety layer, to put people’s minds at rest,” she says. “I pay extra for the service, but I am happy with that.”

Her company, Platinum Aesthetics, now offers the full range of wrinkle buster treatments in salons from Newcastle down to Great Ayton.

And there’s no doubt the 48-yearold mother of two is a fantastic advert for her services. She looks youthful and fresh faced. “I’m pleased with what I’ve had done myself, my lips and under my cheeks,”

she says. “The thing is to know when to stop: we all need to have some expression in our faces.”

Going into the dermal filler business was a big decision for Lynn, who had been a nurse for 31 years.

“But I’ve got that excitement back again,” she says.

As usual, there’s a full health assessment to do before treatment, just about everything except your inside leg measurement, in fact. But it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Lynn discusses the client’s needs with them and suggests the best way forward. She then takes a “before”

photograph and uses a pen on the skin to mark the injections sites. “It may take a few days to see the full effects as the muscle relaxes,” she says.

I had injections to my frown lines and to the muscles underlying my crows’ feet to relax them. Both areas are much smoother and I’ve lost that “cross” look from squinting constantly at my computer screen. My husband is content too – happy that I won’t be able to frown at him for some months to come.

We all need little lines and wrinkles to show expression and there’s no doubt that you can go too far with Botox and filler treatments: witness the increasing number of stars who are wandering around with totally vacant looks. But if you’re unhappy with the increasing number of crevices on your face, this is a quick and easy way to deal with them. Just make sure you find a well-trained practitioner.

RESTYLANE

1. Diminishes the appearance of frown lines on the forehead and the glabella lines above the nose.

2. Softens the harsh creases from the nose to the mouth.

3. Corrects lines at the corners of the mouth.

BOTOX

Relaxes the muscles lying under the skin. Facial lines formed by the pull of these underlying muscles will then diminish or disappear. It is used for facial line softening, especially forehead furrowing, crows’ feet, and frown lines. It can also be used for preventing excessive perspiration.

JUVEDERM

For more informatiom visit juvedermultra.co.uk ■ Platinum Aesthetics. Tel: 0779-667-8331; ptaesthetics.co.uk