At the core of my work, I am dedicated to enhancing our natural attributes and to staying within aesthetically natural boundaries. This personal ethos led me with a magnetic pull to learning from Dr. Tom Van Eijk and his Fern Technique. As the name implies, the technique adopts the organic structural pattern of a fern leaf as a guide for injecting. And though I didn’t succeed in encouraging Dr. Van Eijk to the Pacific Northwest’s abundance of fern-dappled landscapes for teaching, I instead ventured to his academy in Amsterdam. I just got back yesterday from a weeklong adventure there with my sweetie and I am excited to share and implement my learnings. 

I love gathering with other clinicians around our common interest in aesthetic injectables, and this opportunity gave me the chance to also do so with clinicians from all around the world. Despite being a world apart, the shared passion for this medicine can really bond a group of practitioners together; this is a thriving community and I am grateful to have a place. There were many opportunities for observing, hands-on work, and thorough immersion into this modality. 

The Fern Technique applies the same tool of hyaluronic acid filler but in a unique way. Rather than replacing lost volume, we instead strengthen and tighten by placing the product superficially in the skin. This technique becomes relevant because as we mature, our skin weakens, becomes looser and we develop lines, wrinkles, and folds. This weakening happens from sun damage, acne scarring, external pressure from habitual facial expression, and sleeping habits. We therefore use the Fern Technique to address lines, wrinkles, and folds secondary to skin weakening.

To determine if this treatment is for you, we’ll first check in about your goals. If there is an area of the face that you are interested in addressing, we determine if the area is the result of skin weakness. If so, I then use palpation to locate skin weakness and inject small amounts along the lines in a fern pattern. We get immediate skin strengthening, boost the skin, and soften lines. 

With filler, I haven’t felt fully equipped to address loose skin; typically, I recommend skin resurfacing treatments like microneedling and peels. While these sessions are effective in their own right, it is expansive and exciting to work with filler’s powerful properties to restore the skin. This treatment allows me to use the familiar tool of hyaluronic acid filler for subtle and natural-looking results. 

The Fern Technique can be applied to the entire face, but there are some areas in which the technique is especially suited. Skin laxity and lines around the mouth and leading up to the eyes are particularly good candidates for the treatment. This is a treatment suited to everyone who exhibits skin weakness, and can be a great preventative tool and initial filler experience.

My commitment to a lifetime of learning is another core force that drives my work. I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to step outside of what I’ve known, join a community far away, and revel in the wisdom there. I am delighted to have the Fern Technique available now to share with my Portland community.

Schedule a complimentary consultation any time to see what treatments are best for your goals.  Thanks for reading.

With love and gratitude,
Heather