Botox® and Derma–fillers
What is BOTOX®?
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BOTOX® is a purified protein that relaxes the muscles controlling wrinkle–causing expressions. BOTOX® has been safely used for many years for treating "crows feet", frown lines and forehead lines. BOTOX® gives a dramatic new look and youthfulness.
A small amount of BOTOX® is injected into the lines of expression relaxing the muscle gradually. BOTOX® begins working within 3–7 days and the results usually last from 2 to 6 months. Additional treatments can result in longer–lasting effects. BOTOX® can also be used to treat excessive sweating in the underarms or hands by blocking the action of the chemical transmitter.
The cost of BOTOX® will vary depending on the amount of BOTOX® used and the area being treated.
What are Cosmetic Fillers?
Facial lines and wrinkles are due to the gradual loss of collagen and ground substance and is one of the early signs of aging. No one is immune to the normal aging process but fillers such as Radiance and Restylane can help to soften your look and fill in those lines and furrows caused by smiling, squinting, frowning and facial expressions.
Your tissues sag over with the years and your lips lose their substance, giving a sad tired appearance. Cosmetic fillers help to fill and eliminate these affects of aging.
Radiesse (Radiance)
Radiance™ is a long lasting cosmetic filler made of calcium hydroxyappetite, which is a naturally occurring substance in the body. It is a non-surgical solution to soften facial lines and wrinkles, give fullness to the lips or eliminate fine lines around the lip, and fill in areas of scarring. The area to be treated is anesthetized with minimal discomfort to the patient. A skin test is not necessary prior to the procedure and there has been no incidence of allergic reaction. Results are visible with most patients getting 2–3 years of cosmetic improvement.
Restylane™
Restylane™ is an alternative natural cosmetic filler that also restores volume and fullness to the area being treated including lips, wrinkles, and nasolabial folds. Restylane is made of hyaluronic acid that is completely biocompatible and does not require skin testing and does not have the potential for allergic reactions. The results are also immediate and can last for 6 months or longer.
Juvéderm
Juvéderm gently smoothes wrinkles and restores bulk to the curves of the face. Acheive immediate, long–lasting results. Juvéderm allows immediate treatment. A touch–up after a few weeks helps to prolong the result. The effects of Juvéderm usually last 9 months. This effect varies depending on the types of skin, areas, amounts injected and the injection technique. In some cases, the effect may last for up to one year. The average life of Juvéderm in the lips is 6 months because of the high vascularisation of the lips.
Juvéderm is suitable for patients of all ages. It is also an ideal implant to prevent the development of wrinkles in fragile areas in young people and to smooth imperfections. In a session lasting a few minutes with a simple intradermal injection of Juvéderm, your doctor will smooth your wrinkles and imperfections. You will return to your social and working life immediately.
With a simple injection of Juvéderm without any preliminary test, minor imperfections and signs of ageing are softened very evenly.
Juvéderm fills nasal furrows and moderate or superficial wrinkles. Acting very naturally but not irreversibly, your lips regain their sensuality and your face retains its smooth curves. Juvéderm is also an excellent volume enhancer which when injected in to the cheeks.
Hyaluronic acid is a substance which is naturally present in the dermis and maintains the hydration of tissues, becoming absorbed slowly overtime. Injection of Juvéderm is a replacement source of this hyaluronic acid, which disappears gradually with age.
Juvéderm is a hyaluronic acid in the form of a transparent homogeneous viscoelastic gel which has four major benefits:
1. It is obtained by biosynthesis and is of non-animal origin.
2. It does not require any preliminary test.
3. The molecule is one of the constituents of the human body.
4. Its hyaluronic acid content is currently one of the most concentrated on the market.
SCULPTRA
Sculptra is an extraordinary substance that can be used for a variety of facial enhancements. Made of a natural substance already in your body, L- poly lactic acid, Sculptra leaves you face with a natural smooth and healthy look. Sculptra thickens the dermal layer of your skin, so it can lift and tighten your epidermis. when the epidermis begins to hang down, Sculptra can "pull" this sagging back into place. At the same time, bringing back the youthful thickness of the skin that is lost with age.
Sculptra does take several weeks to work and a minimum of three treatments are given, 3 – 4 weeks apart. Improvement after the first treatment is minimal but substantially improves after the third treatment. Patients with loose, hanging, or loss of volume in the mid-face, will improve, as well as patients that want enhancement of the jaw-line, cheek-bones, or chin. The main side effect is bruising because Sculptra has to be massaged in after each injection. The bruising dissipates over 5 – 10 days. Another side effect is small papules under the skin that can develop months later. These cannot be seen but can be felt by the patient. Massaging after each injection and daily massaging by the patient generally reduces this side effect but increased the bruising mentioned above. All in all, Sculptra leaves you with a glowing, beautiful, lifted and tightened younger feeling and looking skin.
What are the possible side effects?
All medications have some side effects. With BOTOX® and cosmetic fillers, some people notice temporary weakness of muscles, discomfort or slight bruising at the injection site. Some people also develop flu-like symptoms, but this is relatively rare.
Anaesthesia
Practitioners may offer local anaesthesia to make the correction more comfortable, by applying an anesthetic cream or by local superficial anaesthesia.