What's New In Cosmetic Surgery

There are some exciting new developments and innovations in the world of cosmetic surgery. We are happy to share and provide these new treatments and procedures. Let’s start with the new “fillers’ that rejuvenate your youthful appearance by restoring volume and naturally restoring a more rested look.

Sculptra

Sculpra is the first facial injectable that gives you subtle results over time. It replaces lost collagen, and gives you a more natural-looking appearance. (Collagen is a key structural component that keeps skin youthful looking and smooth. As you age, your body's collagen production decreases, and you may begin to see wrinkles.)

Sculpra is gradual and natural. It works gradually in a series of treatments (on average, three injection sessions over a few months) for a subtle, more youthful looking appearance. This treatment can last up to tow years.

Sculptra helps correct shallow to deep facial wrinkles, and folds that appear with aging by replacing lost collagen. The main ingredient is a biocompatible, biodegradable synthetic material that has been used by physicians for decades. Sculptra targets the underlying causes of the signs of facial aging. It begins to work within the deep dermis, where your skin’s structure is reinforced. The key is that Sculptra helps to replace lost collagen. This reinforced collagen structure provides a foundation that gradually restores the look of fullness of your shallow to deep facial wrinkles and folds that have depleted over time. In essence, Sculptra is different because it gradually and subtly corrects these facial wrinkles and folds. This can provide a refined, more youthful looking appearance that can last up to two years.

Sculptra is made from a synthetic material called poly-L-lactic acid, which is gradually and naturally absorbed by the body as it works to replace lost collagen. Poly-L-lactic acid has been used safely for decades in dissolvable stitches and as a facial injectable since 1999 in over 30 countries.

Sculpra is used for deep folds between the nose and the mouth (nasolabial folds) also called smile lines, the lines framing your mouth (marionette lines), and chin wrinkles.

Types of facial injectables

There are three types of facial injectables: toxins, traditional fillers, and collagen replacers.

Toxins

Toxins work by temporarily weakening muscles, thereby minimizing lines. They are typically used in the forehead. Results are visible in three to four days.

Traditional Fillers

Traditional fillers are liquid or gel substances such as hyaluronic acid or bovine or porcine collagen. They diminish lines, wrinkles, and creases by filling in the space beneath these defects. The results are immediate.

Collagen Replacers

Collagen replacers are used to diminish facial wrinkles by restoring the underlying structure of the skin.

In summary, Sculpra is a collagen replacer. It replaces lost collagen in the area of treatment. It can gradually give you a more youthful appearance without making you look like you’ve had work done. Sculpra offers long-lasting results can last up to two years. It does not contain human, animal, or bacterial components. It does not require allergy testing prior to treatment. It does not involve lasers or incisions. And Sculpra is absorbed naturally by the body.

(For Before and After pictures, go to www.sculptra.com)

Restylane® and Perlane®

Restylane® and Perlane® are cosmetic dermal fillers that add volume within the skin. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance in your skin. Its job is to help provide fullness and elasticity. Over time, skin loses hyaluronic acid. And as it diminishes, skin loses volume, increasing the chances for wrinkles and folds to appear.

Restylane® and Perlane® provide rejuvenating cosmetic beauty treatments for a natural, younger-looking you. Restylane® is the world's best-selling dermal filler. It is well tolerated, nonsurgical and long lasting (usually around six months).

Both Restylane® and Perlane® are both composed of hyaluronic acid. The difference is that Perlane® has larger gel particles and is intended to be injected deeper within the skin.

There's no stopping the aging process. Your skin is going to change with age. But the good news is, there's something you can do about it.

After treatment with Restylane® or Perlane®, the hydrophilic, or "water loving," nature of the hyaluronic acid molecules allows them to bind many times their own weight in water as they slowly break down. This process helps maintain volume for about six months.

Restylane® and Perlane® are FDA–approved for the treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as the lines from your nose to the corners of your mouth (nasolabial folds).

(For Before and After pictures, go to www.restylaneusa.com)

JUVÉDERM®

JUVÉDERM® injectable gel is a “next-generation” smooth consistency gel dermal filler that helps to instantly restore your skin's volume and smooth away facial wrinkles and folds like your “smile lines” or “parentheses” (nasolabial folds—the creases that run from the bottom of your nose to the corners of your mouth). It adds volume to facial tissue and restores a smoother appearance to the face. JUVÉDERM® comes in two formulations—JUVÉDERM® Ultra and JUVÉDERM® Ultra Plus. JUVÉDERM® is generally used for injection into the mid to deep dermis for correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds.

As we age, our skin changes. Over time, the natural volume of youthful skin begins to diminish as wrinkles and folds form. But, with JUVÉDERM® injectable gel, you don't have to just sit back and let it happen!

With JUVÉDERM® the injection process takes only about 15 minutes and results are immediate. Plus, JUVÉDERM® now has lidocaine in the syringes so there is less pain on the injections. Additionally, there’s minimal recovery or downtime. So you can step into your doctor’s office for treatment and step right back into your life. And now with the newest formulation of JUVÉDERM®, the effects of lidocaine take place in seconds, potentially reducing the need for further anesthetic.

Hyaluronic acid dermal fillers like JUVÉDERM® injectable gel offer a safe and effective nonsurgical option for smoothing facial wrinkles and folds. In fact, they are the fastest growing nonsurgical aesthetic procedure in the United States according to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. All dermal fillers are not the same. JUVÉDERM® hyaluronic acid (HA) filler is FDA approved to last up to 1 year. Our unique manufacturing process provides a high concentration of cross-linked hyaluronic acid for long-lasting results. It also creates a smooth consistency gel that flows easily into the skin and provides a smooth, natural look and feel—so everyone will notice (but no one will know)! Only JUVÉDERM® is so smooth—other hyaluronic acid fillers currently on the market are made of granular consistency gels.

JUVÉDERM® is a “next-generation” non-animal dermal filler that is made from hyaluronic acid—a naturally occurring substance that plays a vital role in hydrating your skin and replenishing its natural volume. No allergy skin tests are needed prior to receiving treatment.

Your healthcare professional will examine the soft tissue of your face to assess the depth of wrinkles and folds to determine your treatment. JUVÉDERM® injectable gel is available in two formulations—JUVÉDERM® Ultra for versatility in contouring and volumizing facial wrinkles and folds, and JUVÉDERM® Ultra Plus, a robust formulation for volumizing and correcting deeper folds and wrinkles. This allows your healthcare professional to better tailor treatment to your unique needs. They may even take pre-treatment photographs so you can see the difference after treatment!

Although anesthesia is not required, your healthcare professional may use topical or injectable anesthesia to numb the treatment area first. Your healthcare professional will ease the JUVÉDERM® injectable gel under your skin to augment, or fill, wrinkles and folds. Following the injection, your healthcare professional may gently massage the treated areas. The procedure is quick and easy. The injection itself usually takes only about 15 minutes.

With JUVÉDERM®, there is minimal recovery or downtime. For the first 24 hours following treatment, you should avoid strenuous exercise, excessive sun or heat exposure, and consumption of alcoholic beverages in order to help minimize the risks of temporary redness, swelling, and/or itching at the treatment sites. After the treatment, some temporary injection-related reactions may occur, including redness, pain, firmness, swelling, and bumps. Studies have shown that these are usually mild to moderate in nature and clear up on their own in 7 days or less. If you experience swelling at the injection site, you can apply an ice pack for a brief period. Your healthcare professional will tell you when makeup may be applied after your treatment.

You should see an immediate improvement in the treatment areas. Most patients need one treatment to achieve optimal wrinkle smoothing. And one treatment could smooth your lines and wrinkles for up to 1 year! However, results may vary and correction is temporary. Supplemental “touch up” treatments may be required to achieve and maintain optimal results.

(For Before and After pictures, go to www.juvederm.com)

Total FX Encore Laser

This is a revolutionary new machine that provides even deeper penetration, optimizing collagen remodeling, while reducing down time. Total FX provides total skin rejuvenation with just one treatment and affords minimal downtime. Compared to the non-ablative systems, Total FX laser allows a wonderful degree of tightening with a single treatment, along with surface cleansing of the skin.

A typical treatment session lasts between 30 and 60 minutes (the latter when treating all areas). Generally, the face alone can be treated in 20 to 25 minutes. Laser power settings are adjusted, depending on the area treated. For example, higher energy is used on the face because of the greater number of adnexal units (sweat glands). This results in more rapid healing. Lower energy settings are used off the face, where there are fewer adnexal structures. In these areas, you can perform much more aggressive treatments at lower energy levels At the end of five days, most of the superficial peel is gone in the typical patient.

Most of the brown spots — keratoses and the like — are greatly diminished, if not completely eradicated. But what is most exciting is that over the ensuing six months, there is a progressive tightening of the skin, not only of the very surface microfine lines and creases, but a very significant “shrink-wrapping” effect. This provides the skin with much greater elasticity. The initial collagen boost lasts about four to six months, and treatment can be repeated as early as three months for more aggressive tightening.

Generally, the goal is to achieve the desired results in a single treatment. Patients love the treatment, and especially the lasting effect…and the limited downtime. At first, they are happy. However,they don’t even see the full effect of the results for several months. This is organic treatment, whereby the collagen formation mechanism is stimulated. Patients are amazed by the eventual results.

Patient word-of-mouth has been the strongest marketing resource for Total FX. Compared to competing fractional resurfacing technologies, the Total FX laser can accomplish more in a single treatment than other lasers. Some other technologies are very effective, but require four to six sessions to achieve anything comparable to the Total FX.

Total FX can also be used to perform blepharoplasty, brow lift and treat rhynophyma, as well as many other incisional and excisional procedures.

(For Before and After pictures, go to www.aesthetic.lumenis.com)

PermaLip Permanent Lip Enhancement

One of the greatest challenges in plastic and cosmetic surgery of the perioral region has been the search for an exceptional solution to tissue augmentation. Past methodologies, both temporary and permanent, have met with disappointing results for both physician and patient.

Temporary solutions typically involve the use of commercially produced fillers or autologous fat, which can be unpredictable with respect to how long they last, and require repetitive treatments that are painful, repetitive, and costly.

Permanent solutions have relied on implants that may, due to their surface characteristics, promote tissue ingrowth. This may result in a restriction of movement and an unnatural appearance. PermaLip is the safe, definitive solution for permanent tissue augmentation. Perma Facial Implant™ is a patented, FDA approved device designed for tissue augmentation of the face and has undergone extensive clinical testing to ensure its safety and efficacy.

Perma Facial Implant™ is made of a soft, solid silicone elastomer using an injection molding process to produce a naturally contoured implant with a smooth, non-porous surface. The implant cannot rupture or deflate, and may be removed at any time. Perma Facial Implant™ is the answer.

This permanent lip enhancement is now being offer with PermaLip, a new soft silicone based implant. This procedure is performed in the office. It allows for a natural look. And although the look is permanent, it can be easily removed if needed.

Perma Facial Implant is a permanent alternative to repetitive, costly, and painful filler injections, and strives to overcome the potential complications of permanent injectable and solid implants. Perma Facial Implant is contoured, has a smooth surface to minimize tissue ingrowth, and is reversible. It is available in a variety of diameters and lengths to accommodate the uniqueness of each person’s tissue characteristics. Perma Facial Implant™ is composed of a material ideally suited for use in the facial tissues. Other implants that have been used utilize substances that can potentially cause “tissue in-growth” into the surrounding tissue—in a sense, scarring to the implant itself. This process increases the likelihood of restricted, or unnatural movement. This potential problem has been minimized due to the surface characteristics and the type of material used to manufacture the Perma Facial Implant™.

You should expect to be swollen and slightly tender post-operatively. Depending on the individual, there may be some bruising as well. The majority of bruising and swelling usually subsides after the first week. Discomfort is u Most discomfort, if present, usually resolves after 24-48 hours, although you will be sensitive to light or medium pressure for about 2 weeks.

Most discomfort, if present, usually last for only a few days, which will be alleviated by pain medication prescribed by your physician. There is really not very much bruising with typical cases, although this may vary from person to person. Some patients are more prone to bruising than others.

Please call Dr. Patt at 281.649.7170 for questions, more information, or to schedule an appointment.