There are a number of small non-surgical procedures, dermafillers and injectibles, that can be used to smooth the wrinkles and lines of the face with almost no downtime and make significant improvement in the face and you can appear years younger.
Botox
The term BoTox is short for Botulinum Toxin. Although this derived from the bacteria species Clostridium botulinum, there is NO bacteria in BoTox and there is NO risk of contracting Botulism. It is a very safe and therapeutic drug. Botox is a simple nonsurgical procedure that affects underlying muscles that are responsible for facial wrinkling. It is used for the crows feet, horizontal forehead lines, vertical frown lines between the eyebrows, upper lip, and neck banding. Tiny injections relax the muscles that form these lines and keeps them relaxed for up to four months. Results are dramatic and apparent in just a few days. There is no down time or recovery and you can return to your work and normal activities immediately following treatment.
CosmoPlast
CosmoPlast is a human collagen that is naturally occurring and forms a network of fibers that act as a filler. It is the primary component of the dermal layer. It provides the structure for your skin. Collagen replacement therapy is a safe nonsurgical treatment that smooths out facial lines and wrinkles by replenishing the natural collagen support layer beneath the skin. It is also used to enhance the lip area. It usually lasts 1-2 months.
These substances are made of hyaluronic acid which is the basic ground substance that holds cells together and is in the joint fluids. This particular molecule is one of the few molecules that is exactly the same in all mammalian and bacterial species. There is virtually no allergic reaction to this material. It is used much in the same way as collagen as a filler. The results tend to last somewhat longer in the neighborhood of 3-4 months. Again, there is virtually no downtime and most people can return to work and normal activity immediately following treatment.
Arti-Fill
Arti-Fill is a new product which just attained its FDA approval for permanent filling of nasolabial lines in November of 2006. This product is a suspension of microscopic methylmethacrylate beads (plexiglass) suspended in collagen. The methylmethacrylate beads stimulate collagen formation around them and thus creates your own scar tissue as a filler. This is shown to be a permanent filler. It will be available early in 2007. As a side note, Arti-fill was discovered during World War II because the windshields of fighter airplanes were made of plexiglass and as they shattered into small shards and were found in the skin of the pilots in this era. They found to be tolerated very well. Certainly, significant purification and modification of this original substance proved to be very well tolerated in most patients.
Silicone Oil
Silicone oil has been a controversial topic as an injectable soft tissue filler for many years. Silicone oil – Silikon 1000 is one of the first silicones that actually was produced and manufactured to be injected. Prior silicone oil products were much less viscous and were never purified or intended for injection into soft tissues. Significant poor outcomes were the result of improper technique and impure silicones that cast a bad light on silicone as a substance. Today with a purified more viscous silicone product (Silikon-1000) and using very small amounts in specific areas, the results have been extremely satisfying with very few complications. The body forms collagen and scar tissue around microscopic droplets of silicone forming a permanent filler. The best uses for silicone oil have been used for lip augmentation and AIDS lipodystrophy.
Laser hair removal has been popular over the last decade. It is effective for permanent hair reduction. The latest technology utilizes intense pulsed light (IPL) to diminish hair growth. The pigment that surround the hair bulb is intensely absorbed by the specific wavelengths of the intense pulsed light damaging the hair follicle. We are pleased to offer the Starlux – Intense Pulsed Light system from Palomar Lasers. This system removes unwanted hair from the body or face with much less discomfort than previous lasers used for hair removal.
The Iriderm laser is a specific laser used for telangiectasias (broken capillaries of the face). Broken capillaries tend to occur around the nose and cheeks and occur more in those with light complections. This laser is a very specific green light spectrum which has a special attraction for red pigments such as hemaglobin. This laser has been very effective in treating these fine broken capillaries on the face. After treatment, which lasts anywhere from 5-20 minutes, there a small scratch-type crusting that may last 3-5 days. Patients have no problems going to work or performing normal activities in a day or two.