Looking and feeling your best doesn’t always require surgery! Many of the most popular aesthetic procedures involve no more than a needle and a few minutes… and can keep you looking refreshed and timeless.
Injectables can be divided into three basic categories:
Agents like Botox and Dysport work by paralyzing a few small muscles in the face that, when activated over time, lead to wrinkles. By reducing how often these muscles crinkle the overlying skin, Botox softens wrinkles and prevents them from getting deeper. The effects usually last 3-6 months. It takes about 5 days from the time of treatment to be in full effect.
Commonly treated areas include:
• The Elevens
• Forehead
• Crow’s Feet
• Neck Bands
Botox can also be used to treat excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) of the armpits, palms and soles.
• The Elevens
• Forehead
• Crow’s Feet
• Neck Bands
Fillers are used to plump areas that have lost volume over time, or are added to the dermis (deeper skin layer) to smooth indentations. While many fillers have held the spotlight over the years – think collagen injections – the most commonly used fillers today are hyaluronic acid fillers, such as Restylane and JuveDerm. The effects of fillers usually last 6-9 months, and while results are immediately seen, the final effect is usually seen at 1 week.
Common filler treatments include:
• Cheek Plumping
• Temple Filling
• Nasolabial Folds
• Marionette Lines and Corners of the Mouth
• Jawline Sculpting
• Lip Augmentation (see below)
Sculptra is a type of filler that works differently from HA fillers, by inducing the subcutaneous tissue to regenerate, leading to improved volume. It is a sugar-based molecule that is hydrated and injected into the target areas. Because it induces natural tissue growth, it takes about 6 weeks for results to be visible, and it lasts up to two years.
Commonly treated areas include:
• Temples
• Cheeks
• Cheek Plumping
• Temple Filling
• Nasolabial Folds
• Marionette Lines and Corners of the Mouth
• Jawline Sculpting
• Lip Augmentation (see below)
• Temples
• Cheeks
When lips have lost volume and definition, plumping the lips can help restore the youthful, full appearance that many desire. Some people are born with lips that have a thinner shape, and wish to achieve a fuller look. In some cases, the corners of the mouth turn down at rest, and can make a person look sad if they are not actively smiling.
In all of these cases, hyaluronic acid fillers such as JuveDerm and Restylane can be used to plump the lips, improve definition, and give the corners of the mouth a natural lift. Small drops of the filler are injected into the lips to achieve the desired look, whether it be all-over plumping or precise definition. A softer filler, such as JuveDerm Volbella or Restylane Kysse, helps the lips remain soft and natural while giving added volume.
The procedure takes about 10 minutes to perform in the office, and the filler itself contains a numbing agent to help ease injections. While you will leave the office with a full, plumped look, the final result is seen at about a week, after swelling has reduced and the product has softened and settled. Lip color can be applied the next day, and strenuous exercise may resume the next day as well.
Kybella is an injectable solution used to permanently dissolve submental fat and treat double chin, improving the appearance of the lower face and the definition of the neck in profile.
The procedure is performed in the office and takes about 15 minutes. Depending on the size of the area treated, 10-20 shallow, quick injections are performed with a small needle under the chin. An ice pack and gentle compression wrap are applied immediately afterwards, and continued at home for the following 24-48 hours.
Final results are visible 3 months after treatment, when all fat dissolution has completed. Most people will benefit from a second or third treatment, spaced 3 months apart, to see maximum effect.
