Eyes Wide Open with
Dr Joshua Van der Aa
Hashtag Life Magazine met Dr Joshua Van der Aa at his Harley Street Aesthetics Clinic to discuss his latest signature treatment for eye rejuvenation, called InclinEyes™️. Spending time with this enthusiastic and genuine rising star has given us a new hope for the future of injectable natural beautification.
Meet the Rising Star of Harley Street
A rising star in the aesthetics world is hard to come by. They are hidden in a universe dominated by social media, an atmosphere tragically filled with misinformation, filters and manipulated lighting. Choosing an Aesthetic Doctor for your own facial rejuvenation is a confusing choice to make, and often driven by who posts the most substantial before & after transformations, rather than someone who will focus on giving you subtle, natural, and lasting beautification results.
Enter Dr Joshua Van der Aa, who early this year, rightly won the award for Best Social Media by a Clinic or Practitioner at the Aesthetic Medicine Awards (AMAs), a testimony to his constant efforts to correct aesthetic misinformation and promote healthy and natural facial rejuvenation practices.
Dr Joshua is a refreshing and bright talent, in his early thirties, who already owns and runs Dr Joshua Harley Street Aesthetics at 10 Harley Street, London (https://drjoshuavanderaa.co.uk). Having graduated from University Hospitals Leuven in Belgium, Dr Joshua chose to pursue his career in aesthetics in the UK, and moved to London shortly after completing his medical training. When I asked Dr Joshua about this, he simply told me that he always wanted to become an Aesthetic Doctor because he was fascinated with beauty, and the play of “light and shadows”.
A Network of Global clients
Dr Joshua enjoys the constant patient-centric focus to aesthetics, always ensuring that his clients leave his clinic feeling good instantly. At our first meeting, he told me he loves London because this is “the city where you meet people from all over the world”. Since starting his clinic on Harley Street, he has built a patient book ranging from celebrities to CEOs, country folks to city men and women, flying in from as near as Scotland and Switzerland, and as far as New York and Australia, just to name a few. He also travels regularly back to Antwerp to treat clients at Lotta Clinic. When he is not treating patients in his Clinics, he is busy researching new products, recording videos for his Instagram, and shadowing plastic surgeons and aesthetic doctors.
A Network of Fellow Practioners
Dr Joshua has partnered with notable aesthetic practitioners from the US, Europe, as well as fellow London-based doctors, such as Dr Ayad Harb (the “nose guy”), and Dr Steven Harris (the “master of lips”). He loves to shadow them in their specialised areas to share knowledge and break the spell of misinformation circulating in the industry. To this end, he always shares his experiences with the public, holding seminars and online teaching sessions, including short videos on Instagram on different topics, such as “Can I have fillers and then fly?”.
So what is the secret of his global success straight out of London? His clients know his work and they won’t go anywhere else!
The Signature InclinEyes Treatment
Dr Joshua has become particularly well-known for his flawless treatment techniques and spectacular attention to detail. In the past couple of years, Dr Joshua has been achieving amazing results in eye region rejuvenation. His most notable signature treatment is known as InclinEyes, but it is just one of the many facial aesthetic treatments offered at his clinic. He also enjoys treating clients for thinning hair with Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP). He also loves the results from his latest gadgets providing Co2 Laser Resurfacing, which he combines with Morpheus8, mirconeedling and Radio Frequency.
InclinEyes is a unique treatment that was specially developed by Dr Joshua to help individuals who have weakness or hollowness along their brow bone causing the effect of droopy or gaunt eyes. There is a major gap in the industry for doctors who are capable to treat this specific issue, and Dr Joshua is only aware of 1 or 2 aesthetic doctors in the US who are willing to offer similar treatments at their respective clinics. InclinEyes treatment uses a very specific Hyaluronic based dermal filler to achieve lifted brows, enhanced symmetry and subtly elongated eyes, what Dr Joshua refers to as the ideal “S Curve”, that gives people the more desirable almond-shaped eyes.
InclinEyes must not be likened with the infamous PDO thread lifts that gives the forced ‘fox-eyes’ effect, in ode to Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner (who have denied having PDO threads). PDOs are an invasive treatment involving the injection of rough edged surgical threads that pull the eyes upwards and outwards “on a hinge” and create tightness from the formation of scar tissue. This carries with it substantial downtime and significant risks that are mostly irreversible.
Transforming Results of InclinEyes
In stark contrast, Dr Joshua developed InclinEyes as a safe, sustainable, and minimally invasive solution. Through dead-set focus, Dr Joshua sought the perfect juxtaposition of internal anatomy and the external play of light and shadows. He achieved this through deep study into the anatomy of the eye and upper face, dedication to observing all his patients, and studying surgeons who perform brow lift operations to know exactly what happens at the bone level.
He found that through the use of a specific concentration of dermal fillers he could mimic brow lift results by adding volume to areas of weakness in a patient’s brow bone area and residing fat pads, and thereby manipulate how the light hits the eyes. The eye-changing effect can be seen in all the patient before and after photos above. The injection of dermal filler can be controlled according to what the patient needs and placed by Dr Joshua in one or multiple areas along the brow bone. Further, InclinEyes is completely reversible as Dr Joshua uses a dissolvable Hyaluronic Acid, and the result will be instantly visible with very minimal swelling. He will always ask his clients to visit him for a second session, to check for the symmetry and see if more filler is necessary. Overall, InclinEyes gives a lasting and natural result.
Exceptional Tear Trough Results
InclinEyes is just one of Dr Joshua’s treatments for the eye line. He has developed other complementary eye area treatments that can assist clients with issues such temple hollowness, eyelid laxity, or under eye darkness or hollowness, known as “tear-trough filler”. Dr Joshua calls these treatments InclinEyes+, since each of these treatments are capable of being added to the InclinEyes treatment, but can be a stand-alone treatment. For example, a client can be a great candidate for tear trough filler (see photo) and not necessarily need any filler added around the brow line.
Dr Joshua makes it clear, that there is no single treatment or ‘package’ of treatments that is a fit for all; each client is assessed by him at the initial consultation for what would create natural beauty.
It is possible that many of his clients will not be ideal candidates for InclinEyes. For example, the treatment does not suit people who have hooded eyelids, or excess laxity. He explains that fillers cannot lift skin and make it retract. Fillers can only create a support. Often those clients would be more suited to C02 Laser Resurfacing and Microneeling, or advised to go down the surgical route for an upper blepharoplasty to remove excess skin.
My Personal Consultation with Dr Joshua
Within a few minutes of meeting Dr Joshua for the very first time, I could tell how well he understood bone structures and facial expressions. We sat around his coffee table area on the top floor of 10 Harley Street, and while I did a lot of talking, I could tell he was diligently studying my bone structure, the shape and symmetry of my features, and the dynamic movements of my eyes, cheeks and lips, following every movement as I theatrically expressed disappointment with my deep frown line and droopy brows.
In my case, my frown lines had become deeper despite years of botox (sometimes too much botox), and my overactive eyebrows had progressively caused droopiness to my upper face. I also didn’t like the way my temples were slightly inverted to my cheekbones.
I optimistically asked: “Will InclinEyes work for me?” He simply replied, “No!”, then seeing disappointment in my eyes, he consolingly added: “Look, I love fillers, but we have to respect the limitations that these non surgical treatments have, and it is my job to be careful when pushing those boundaries because otherwise people can end up looking unnatural”.
Dr Joshua went on to explain to me precisely what he could do for my frown line and droopy brows. There was hope restored!
My Bespoke Treatment
Temple Filler
Firstly, we talked about my temples. He concurred that I had temple hollowness, caused by a loss of fat in the fat pad that sits at the outer sides of the forehead above the brow line. It occurs in most people through natural ageing process, but it can also occur from weight loss. These fat pads give an aesthetically pleasing and balancing width to the forehead but also support the eye shape by framing the brow inline to the brow bone. We agreed that he could add some dermal filler to the temple areas, which would even out the ideal “C curve” of my forehead, as well as give a slight ‘lift’ to the tails of my brow. I had definite excitement at this point.
Frown Line
That was just the beginning. Next, Dr Joshua addressed the elephant in the room, my horrible frown line. He acknowledged that it was deep! He suggested that the best way to tackle it was to combine a treatment of both Botox and dermal filler.
Firstly, the dermal filler would be a Hyaluronic based gel, but of a different consistency to the one being used for my temples. This is crucial because each area of the face requires a different thickness of dermal filler, with some giving volume only, and other thicker fillers providing a hinge or structural support to an entire area. Dr Joshua will always ensure he uses the right type of filler for that specific treatment no matter how minuscule the amount. For my frown line, the selected dermal filler would help fill in the deep ridge that had formed over the years, by creating soft volume. In the future, I could possibly need a top up since Hyaluronic filler does dissolve over time, but he said the results would approximately last between 12-18 months.
To prevent the frown line from getting deeper, Dr Joshua recommended anti-wrinkle injections for the forehead and specifically at the frown line area. For this, he will use Botulinum Toxin, aka Botox™.
This medication, once injected, lasts between 3-4 months, and would reduce the excessive muscle activity in my forehead. Injections of botulinum toxin block the nerve signals to the muscle in which it is injected. Without a nerve signal, the muscle is not able to contract. The end result is that overactive expression lines or wrinkles diminish in appearances. In my case, Dr Joshua isolated a specific large muscle in my forehead that pull inwards and downwards as I speak and express myself. To solve this overactivity in my forehead, Dr Joshua recommended certain areas he could treat with Botox, and those that he would not come near. He explained that it is incorrect for practioners to assume everyone can have multiple tiny injections of the the Botox medication all over their forehead (known as ‘baby botox’). Instead it is important to only inject the toxin into precise muscles that need to be immobilised. But he also noted that conversely its important to not entirely freeze the muscle responsible for giving the upper face its main movement, because that is when you end up looking permanently startled. I have been there!
With the treatment plan discussed, it was time for taking the Before photos! Dr Joshua is a firm advocate for showing his patient’s pre-treatment face for what it is. No filters, no manipulation of lighting or angles. He asked me to stand against the wall and positioned by face straight on, to the left side and then the right side. Before I could dare to say cheese, we were done and ready for the treatment itself. All in all the treatment of both fillers in the temple and the frown line, followed by Botox took about 10 minutes. We took a few After photos as well.
Whilst the Botox takes two weeks to fully kick in, I was so surprised when I looked in the mirror at the end of my treatment and saw the difference that 2 syringes of filler could make to my forehead. I couldn’t quite believe the symmetry and smoothness of my forehead, and remarkably my face shape looked more balanced to my cheekbones. I was excited to see the full effect once the Botox kicked in.
The Perfect Treatment
I messaged my sister the following day simply saying “I’m so happy! I finally have the forehead I have always wanted but never found the right doctor to make it happen”.
Writing this article a few weeks after my treatment with Dr Joshua, I can honestly confirm that the positive sentiment is even greater. I am so grateful to meeting Dr Joshua and experiencing his diligent care. Even though I thought I was going to see him about InclinEyes, I am so happy he saw the precise issue of my frown line and droopy brows, and had a different yet perfect solution! My very own signature treatment.
It is also amazing how a small amount of filler combined with Botox in the correct places, can make a substantial difference to the way one looks and feels as a consequence. The best part of my treatment with Dr Joshua is that no one can tell (aside from those reading this article) because the amount of filler added is so subtle and natural.
My final words are – Go see Dr Joshua! You’ll be so impressed and you won’t trust going anywhere else.
London Clinic
Dr Joshua Harley Street Aesthetics
10 Harley Street
London
W1G 9PF
Antwerp Clinic
Lotta Medical
Grote Pieter Potstraat 15b
Antwerp
2000
Website and Email
DrJoshua.co.uk
Info@drjoshua.co.uk
