Miss Sherina Balaratnam explains the principles behind dermal filler treatment at S-Thetics Clinic: from understanding how the face ages, to the injection techniques that deliver natural, lasting results.
Juvéderm is the world’s leading brand of dermal filler, and at S-Thetics Clinic it is one of the treatments Miss Balaratnam performs every single day. Not because it is the most requested, but because, when applied with surgical precision and an understanding of facial anatomy, it is one of the most effective tools available for restoring what time gradually takes away.
The philosophy is simple: fillers should look like you, just refreshed. Results that support your anatomy, not override it.
How the Face Ages – and Why That Matters
The changes that bring patients to the clinic are rarely dramatic. More often, they are incremental: a flattening across the front of the cheek, a shadow beneath the eye that was not there before, a sense that the face looks tired even when the person does not feel it.
“Patients will say to me, ‘My blusher doesn’t go on the way it used to.’ Or they’ll say, ‘I just feel like I look tired all the time, or unhappy — but I don’t actually feel that way.’ What they are describing is volume loss, but they don’t have the clinical language for it, and that is precisely why the consultation matters.”
Watch: Enhancing the Chin & Jawline | Subtle, Natural Facial Contouring | Dr Sherina Balaratnam
Miss Balaratnam discusses midface volume loss, the cheek scaffold, and why Juvéderm Voluma is her go-to for natural cheek restoration.
The underlying cause is a change in the skeletal platform: bone naturally remodels over time, and as the structural scaffold shifts, the soft tissue above it begins to follow. The outer cheek loses projection. The front of the cheek flattens. The result reads on the face as fatigue, even sadness – an emotional quality that is entirely architectural in origin.
Understanding this is the foundation of how Miss Balaratnam approaches every filler treatment.
Where Fillers Work – and Why Placement Is Everything
Dermal fillers can be used in almost every area of the face, but the logic of where and why requires a clear understanding of how one area influences another.
Watch: What Dermal Fillers Should Do | Dr Sherina Balaratnam
Miss Balaratnam walks through the full Juvéderm range and the facial areas each product is designed to address.
“I inject the temples every single day,” says Miss Balaratnam, “because that is where the lifting process starts.” Restoring volume in the outer cheek and lateral temple creates upward support that benefits the entire midface. From there, the treatment follows the anatomy: the outer cheek, the front of the cheek, and then, with Juvéderm Volux, the more structural areas of the jawline and chin.
At S-Thetics, the following treatment areas are addressed using the Juvéderm range:
- Temples: Juvéderm Voluma, used to restore volume loss and initiate the lifting sequence across the upper face.
- Cheeks (midface): Juvéderm Voluma, placed deep to restore projection in both the outer and front cheek, addressing the flattening associated with skeletal remodelling. Results can last up to 24 months.
- Jawline: Juvéderm Volux, used to define and sharpen the lower face with structural precision.
- Chin: Juvéderm Volux, used to improve projection and restore facial balance.
- Lips: Juvéderm Volbella or Volift, for soft, natural lip enhancement that preserves proportion.
Each product in the range is formulated for a specific depth and tissue type. Placing the right product, at the right depth, in the right anatomical location is where the difference between a natural result and an unnatural one is made.
The Appointment: From Assessment to Injection
Preparation begins before the first injection. Patients are asked to arrive with no makeup, hair tied back, and wearing black – all of which support accurate clinical photography at baseline and post-treatment.
Watch: How to Prepare for Your Facial Filler Appointment | Dr Sherina Balaratnam
Miss Balaratnam takes you through the full appointment process at S-Thetics Clinic, from skin preparation to injection technique.
“Marking of the skin is essential for me,” says Miss Balaratnam. “This is how I know exactly and accurately where to place my injection strategy.” The skin is first sanitised, then carefully mapped. The treatment itself is carried out in a structured, systematic sequence — what Miss Balaratnam describes as a “coded fashion” – with each injection point then gently massaged with precision.
The result of this method is consistency: treatments that are reproducible, accurate, and underpinned by the same anatomical rigour that shaped Miss Balaratnam’s 14 years in aesthetic medicine, preceded by seven years in NHS reconstructive plastic surgery.
What This Means for You
Choosing where to have dermal filler treatment is a clinical decision, not just an aesthetic one. The skill lies not in the product but in the practitioner: their understanding of facial anatomy, their injection technique, and their ability to see what the face needs rather than simply what the patient has asked for.
At S-Thetics Clinic, every filler consultation begins with a detailed assessment of your facial structure, skin quality, and the specific changes you are noticing. A bespoke treatment plan is developed before anything is injected. Because the goal is never to change your face. It is to support it.
→ Book your dermal filler consultation at S-Thetics Clinic
S-Thetics Clinic · Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire · sthetics.co.uk
Miss Sherina Balaratnam MBBS MRCS(Edin) MSc(UCL) is the founder and lead clinician at S-Thetics Clinic, Beaconsfield. With 26 years as a qualified doctor, a seven-year background in NHS reconstructive plastic surgery, and 14 years specialising in aesthetic medicine, her practice is defined by surgical training, anatomical precision, and a commitment to results that look entirely natural. She is a recognised authority in regenerative aesthetics and a published author in the field of aesthetic medicine.