What many non-vegan individuals don’t realize is that a vegan lifestyle extends beyond dietary specialization. To truly make sure you are cutting out cruelty, you also need to make conscious decisions regarding things like clothing, make-up and even aesthetic treatments as well.

Unfortunately, many aesthetic treatments involve animal testing or non-vegan bases in their ingredients. The good news is that there are still some treatments that vegans can explore without compromising their ethics.

To give you an introduction, here are some vegan-friendly aesthetic treatments:Mesotherapy

Many injections like Botox, dermal fillers and others have non-vegan origins. This could be through animal testing, egg-based ingredients and other concerns, so it can be hard to find an injection that matches vegan standards.

Mesotherapy is a series of injections to the middle layer of skin that provide rejuvenation much like any other injection treatments. The main difference is that the ingredients of this injection are antioxidants, amino acids and vitamins that are already present in your body.

This specific treatment is also widely used for fat reduction and body contouring, so it has more diverse uses than most other individual injections. For example, Botox and Juvederm are mainly used to address wrinkles.

All that said, it still can be risky getting injection treatments, so it’s always important to do thorough research to make sure that not only is the product you are receiving completely free of animal byproducts but also that it was never tested on animals either.

Facelifts and Lip Lifts

If you aren’t opposed to a more surgical approach to aesthetic treatments, facelifts and lip lifts are almost always vegan-friendly and require much less careful considerations than treatments like injections.

This is because these lifts involve surgical lifting and manipulation of the skin rather than any added substances that can be found in other therapies. Plus, lip lifts are a permanent alternative to lip fillers, so they are a more lasting and sustainable treatment in general.

One thing to keep in mind is that these treatments are performed under anesthesia which can make things a little more tricky. Virtually any anesthesia available will have been tested on animals, so if the use of it is a deal breaker for you, it could cause an issue.

Lastly, many physicians will also recommend fillers following the operation to provide the best results. While some fillers can adhere to vegan standards, they often do not and will take extra attention and research to make sure you aren’t slipping up in this area.

Laser Resurfacing

Some great news is that laser treatments are seen as an excellent alternative to many other aesthetic needs for vegans. They can help in reducing wrinkles, collagen regeneration and more.

There are even lasers nowadays that are appropriate to use on the most sensitive and delicate parts of your face, so it’s a great way to achieve a number of different results you may be looking for.

Best of all, laser treatments are typically long-lasting and provide sustainable results while some other treatments may require regular visits to re-do and maintain.

The only thing to be aware of here is that you may want to avoid any numbing cream that physicians provide since these are often tested on animals. Aside from this, though, you can feel fairly confident and comfortable in this area of aesthetic treatment.

Keep in Mind

Not all practices have the same ingredients or sources for their tools and substances, so a treatment at one practice may be completely vegan-friendly while another practice’s approach may not.

The best way to really make sure a treatment is in line with your needs is to ask the physician at the practice you are considering. If they cannot specifically tell you whether their treatments match your standards, they can at the very least inform you about ingredients and where they get their products from so that you have an easier time doing your research.

Dr. Sarah Bennett, a naturopathic physician at Natural Med Doc in Arizona, always urges patients to have an open and honest dialogue with their physicians beforehand:

“I and many other physicians always offer free consultations to make sure we are a good fit with our patients. Even if you thoroughly research a practice, the easiest way to get straightforward answers to your specific questions is to ask them up front before making any financial or personal commitment.”

Lastly, always be sure to look into the origin of a practice’s products to guarantee that no animal testing was done as well. Even if the ingredient list is perfectly vegan-friendly, there is always the possibility that it still isn’t completely cruelty-free.

In Summary

Making sure aesthetic treatments meet vegan standards can be difficult, but it definitely isn’t impossible!

By doing your research and seeking out treatments like mesotherapy, lifts and laser treatments will make it much easier to attain your goals while sticking to your values. Just make sure you have this open conversation with your doctor before settling on any treatment or practice, even if you’re confident in your research!