WhyIs Botox Overhyped?

I don’t understand why Botox has become such a household term. We hear about so and so who gets Botox treatments. And who among us  is not familiar  the waxy, expressionless face of the Botox look?

Because of our clients, I  have been learning about all the different types of cosmetic procedures available, it seems like Botox is soooo passe.

Maybe I’m the only one who thinks it is passe. In her blog, 40 and Bitter,  Justine Bateman wrote a post called My Top 5 Anti Botox Heroes in Hollywood. Basically she despises the widespread use of Botox in the entertainment industry.  Now that she is off Botox, she claims that more men are flirting with her.

I am really confused about why people act like Botox is the only anti aging solution next to facelifts? There are so many alternatives that are much better

There are other dermal fillers that do not affect your facial muscles.  They simply fill in wrinkles. And some (like Fascian) even promote collagen synthesis.

But really,the quest to look  younger is not about choosing one injection over a another.  And it is certainly not about numbing your face muscles!

There are doctors out there who can make customized recommendations based on individual differences. I mean they didn’t get their medical degrees for nothing. They take into account your ethnic background, allergies, and a whole constellation of factors to come up with the best solution.

Some doctors will treat you like a work of art and bring out your natural  God given beauty. And others might resort to cookie cutter techniques and dry logic in trying to make you look younger.  Thanks to the later, we have a lot of funny photos of cosmetic surgery gone bad.

I hope this blog sheds some light on the fact that medical science has come up with many other alternatives besides Botox.

But more importantly, there are doctors out there who have the skill to create the best solution for you.

If you have not already done so, check out the sites (especially the videos) of

http://www.drpersky.com

http://www.maryleeamerian.com

http://www.foreveryoung.net

So keep smiling!

Going from “Frumpy” to “Knock Out”

Our client, Dr. Mary Lee Amerian is one of the doctors featured on the show, Ten Years Younger.  One of my favorite episodes is about Michelle. She is only 26 years old, but people thought she looked 35. She has acne scars and skin pigmentation which she was not happy with.

Dr. Amerian treated her with a glycolic acid peel, botox and juvederm.  It’s a little hard to say how much of Michelle’s transformation was due to this dermatological treatment, since she obviously had her hair and makeup done.

But the results are very natural.  And this really shows how these minimally invasive procedures can produce very positive outcomes.

Most of us think of overprocessed, overdone flamboyant women when we hear about these treatments.  But Michelle illustrates an average person who had these procedures done as subtle  and effective enhancements.

Getting these treatments done starting at an early age prevents the need for drastic procedures in later years.

If you are interested in seeing this clip, you can watch it here

Changing Your Opinion of Facelifts

Before I saw this video of Dr. Rahimi and his patented Tuliplift, this is what I thought of facelifts in general.

• Make people look fake & artificial, not to mention a bit shiny
• Chosen by the stereotypical, aging  socialite type

To me, the obvious answer to a face lift was a flat no.

But Dr. Rahimi has developed the Tuliplift procedure  that has actually made me think twice about my original opinion.

The Tuliplift is a mini face lift. This treatment addresses not only the face, but also the sagging skin in the jowl and neck area. Overall,  the results seem to be much better than a traditional face lift.

There is a logical reason for this.  Dr. Rahimi pulls three flaps of skin on both sides of the face along three different directions.

• horizontal
• downwards along the jaw area
• and upwards where the eye level is

The results are quite natural. Also whenever I look at videos of Dr. Rahimi’s patients, I’ve realized that they are just regular women who simply want to look younger. The woman in this video just wants to look younger for her kids.

This procedure is done with local anesthesia so that you are able to speak afterwards.  And the recovery time is only 7-10 days.

Fraxel on Extra TV

Fraxel laser is probably the hottest procedure in skin care at the moment. It is used for fine lines, deep lines and even acne scarring. Of all the various treatments that are available, it has the highest level of patient satisfaction.

The trend in cosmetic procedures is moving towards minimally invasive treatments, as opposed to “going under the knife.”

Dr. Persky is a lifechanging expert on Extra. Here he is performing fraxel repair on anchor lady, Marta Waller

Of course in considering any type of cosmetic procedure, it is quite helpful to learn about it by asking questions. Here are some frequently asked questions that Dr. Persky answers.  For the full list, click here.
1. What is Fraxel?
2. How is it different from other lasers?
3. How does it work?
4. How many treatments are required?
5. How long is downtime?

The New Age of Cosmetic Surgery

The field of cosmetic surgery seems to be undergoing a renaissance with all the new, less invasive procedures that are being developed.

Medical advances are now making it possible to stay looking young even as years go by.

Laser resurfacing of the skin addresses lines, damage from the sun and acne scars. Fraxel Repair is a laser treatment that uses carbon dioxide.  This is one of the most popular anti aging cosmetic procedures in the market.  It currently has the highest patient  satisfaction rating of all the various new treatments that are available.

Dermal fillers have been available for many years. They were first used in the 1970′s. Collagen injections gained mainstream popularity in the 1980′s. There were 2 types being used: Bovine collagen, which comes from cows and Bioengineered collagen.  Bruising, herpes and bacterial infections are some of the negative effects associated with bovine collagen. The downside to bioengineered collagen is that it is very expensive to produce.

New types of dermal fillers are now available to effectively fill deep and fine lines. The information behind these links are pretty interesting and worth the click.

Fascian

Fat Transfers

Radiesse

Juvederm

Cosmoderm and Cosmoplast Collagen

Restylane

Sculptra

Collagen Restoration

Collagen is the protein that keeps our skin firm.  Signs of aging occur when this deteriorates.  There are now procedures that stimulate the formation of new collagen.

Cool Touch Laser

Intense Pulse Light

Tuliplift

I consider the Tuliplift to be like a hidden gem among all the cosmetic procedures now available.  Traditional face lifts often produce a “pulled” or a “windblown” look. With the tuliplift, the skin along the side of the face is pulled in 3 different directions to avoid such results.

The procedure was developed by Dr. David Rahimi in Los Angeles.  If you look at the picture on the bottom of this page, you will see the petal shapes that are marked on the patient’s face. Each petal dictates a different direction in which the skin will be pulled.

Cosmetic Surgery- A Yes or a No?

A lot of us have seen pictures of regular people and celebs who have made plastic surgery mistakes.  For example I found this image on

http://www.awfulplasticsurgery.com

Pictures like these convince us  that surgery is a definite and resounding NO.

But think about this.  Yes, there are many people who come out looking awful after cosmetic surgery. This is obvious. What is not so obvious are people who look super terrific. It is unclear whether or not they had something done- right?

Take J-Lo for example. She is 40 years old. Today Yahoo featured this picture in their OMG 2 Hot 2 Handle section.  And  they said she is fit to be carved in marble.

I don’t know for sure if J-Lo had anything done.  All I’m trying to say is that ambiguity is a good thing when it comes to cosmetic procedures that are done well.

If there are ways to stay looking this good when you hit 40, then maybe cosmetic procedures are not such a bad thing after all. The trick though is to find the physician who is right for you.