Tuesday, December 24, 2013

New Filler Tips

As women age, we lose our brow arch and our eyebrows may take a downward turn.

A clever, natural place to put a filler (Juvederm, Radiesse) that is becoming quite popular is the lateral brow.  Many women desire a lateral brow lift and know they can achieve it with Botox (Dysport, or Xeomin), but those only last 3-4mths.  For a longer lasting brow lift, one can place it in the lateral brow to achieve a youthful, attractive arch.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Would you please Yag my Sag?

We had a patient say "Please Yag my Sag today", when she heard that the NdYag laser can be safely used to tighten saggy loose skin, as well as lift the saggy neck, brow and forehead.

If you have heard of Ulthera, which is also used for this purpose.  In our office, we performed a split face study on a few patients where we compared our powerful Yag laser with the new Ulthera Ultrasound tightening for lower face and neck.  Yes, our sample size was small and not a true valid controlled study, but our before/after pictures showed the Yag-treated side of the patient's to be better in improvement (less wrinkling, and more lift) compared to the Ulthera side.  Our office published a split-faced study in 2006 comparing the Yag laser for tightening to Thermage with seven patients.  In addition, most people do not need anesthesia for Yag tightening and lifting, whereas these other devices are very painful and do require some at least local numbing and/or sedation.

While we do like Ulthera, and think it's effective, right now we prefer our Yag treatment for both tightening and lifting, because it takes half the time, less painful, less expensive to doctor and patient, and gives the same or better satisfaction per treatment.

We are currently studying the use of the Yag laser for vaginal tightening post-baby or for incontinence.  This is an exciting new treatment that is already popular outside of the United States.


Saturday, December 7, 2013

Botox news you probably haven't heard

Current literature supports that Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin last about the same, kick in about the same, and have the same rare side effects.  If you heard that one lasts longer, that is probably a myth started by someone who holds stock in one of the companies.  They are all equally safe when injected properly.

It is possible, the prices will vary with variation in manufacturer's cost, and the products come in varying concentrations so one unit of Botox is not equivalent to one unit of Dysport.

Some patients develop a resistance to the effects of one of the products, so that may be a time to try a different Brand.

Zinc and Botox...
Recent literature supports that zinc is needed for Botox (Dysport, Xeomin) to function well in your skin.  Considering many people may be zinc deficient, many cosmetic docs are advising their patients to try a zinc supplement for just a couple days before their treatment.

Don't overdo it with the zinc or you'll get diarrhea.

Take care in choosing your injector...
As a dermatologist,  I am biased to seeing a dermatologist, or another aesthetic board-certified physician or their well-trained experienced P.A. or R.N. in the same office.  Botox injection is not idiot-proof, for success it requires both an expert understanding of complex facial anatomy, which only medical professionals have, as well as an artistic edge which many aesthetic practitioners also have.

See ExpertInjector.org