Medical Aesthetic

What is botulinum toxin type A?

The cosmetic form of botulinum toxin, sometimes referred to as “Botox” by patients, is a popular injectable that temporarily reduces or eliminates facial fine lines and wrinkles. The most commonly treated areas are frown lines, forehead creases, crow’s feet near the eyes. Several other areas have been treated such as thick bands in the neck, thick jaw muscles, lip lines and gummy smiles.

Botulinum toxin is a purified substance that’s derived from bacteria. Injections of botulinum toxin block the nerve signals to the muscle in which it was injected. Without a signal, the muscle is not able to contract. The end result is diminished unwanted facial wrinkles or appearance.

Botulinum toxin can be used to:

• Smooth crow’s feet, forehead furrows, frown lines, lip lines and bunny lines

• Diminish neck bands

• Improve the appearance of skin dimpling of the chin

• Lift the corners of the mouth

• Soften a square jawline

• Correct a gummy smile

Dermabrasion

Minimally Invasive Procedure

Dermabrasion gives the skin a smoother appearance through controlled surgical scraping, most commonly used for dealing with facial scars and wrinkles.

What is dermabrasion?

Dermabrasion and dermaplaning help to “refinish” the skin’s top layers through a method of controlled surgical scraping. The treatments soften the sharp edges of surface irregularities, giving the skin a smoother appearance.

Dermabrasion is most often used to improve the look of facial skin left scarred by accidents or previous surgery, or to smooth out fine facial wrinkles. It’s also sometimes used to remove the pre-cancerous growths called keratoses. Dermaplaning is also commonly used to treat deep acne scars.

Both dermabrasion and dermaplaning can be performed on small areas of skin or on the entire face. They can be used alone or in conjunction with other procedures such as facelift, scar removal/revision or chemical peel.

If you’re considering surgery to refinish the skin, this information will give you a basic understanding of the procedure – when it can help, how it’s performed and what results you can expect. It cannot, however, answer all of your questions, as much depends on your individual circumstances. Please ask your doctor about anything you do not understand.

Common uses:

Dermabrasion can be used to treat scars caused by acne or other injuries, fine wrinkles, sun-damaged skin, rhinophyma and precancerous skin patches.

Laser Hair Removal

Hair Removal Procedure

Laser hair removal is a noninvasive technique that uses highly concentrated light to penetrate hair follicles and inhibit future hair growth.

What is laser hair removal?

Laser hair removal is a noninvasive technique that uses highly concentrated light to penetrate hair follicles. The laser light is absorbed by the pigment in the hair shaft in the follicle-generating heat which damages the follicle to inhibit future hair growth. Therefore, plucking hair before treatment reduces the efficacy of the laser treatment as the target is absent.

Because laser hair removal only affects actively growing hair follicles, it may take several laser hair removal treatments to provide significant hair reduction. Additionally, while laser hair removal effectively slows hair growth, it doesn’t guarantee permanent hair removal. Periodic maintenance treatments may be needed.

Is laser hair removal permanent?

Although laser hair removal reduces the number of unwanted hairs in a given area, it doesn’t get rid of them completely. When the hair grows back, they will be finer, lighter, and fewer in number. Most people require between four and six sessions, and occasional maintenance may be required.

How does laser hair removal work?

Laser hair removal uses laser beams to heat up and damage the hair follicles, which temporarily halts hair production.

Common treatment areas for laser hair removal:

Most commonly, laser hair removal is used to treat the face, body, legs, armpits and pubic area.

Microdermabrasion

Minimally Invasive Procedure

Microdermabrasion treatments use a minimally abrasive instrument to gently sand your skin, removing the thicker, uneven outer layer, and has many benefits.

What is microdermabrasion?

Microdermabrasion treatments use a minimally abrasive instrument to gently sand your skin, removing the thicker, uneven outer layer, and has many benefits.

This type of skin rejuvenation is used to treat light scarring, discoloration, sun damage and stretch marks.

What microdermabrasion can do:

• Improve age spots and blackheads

• Improve hyperpigmentation (patches of darkened skin)

• Exfoliate your skin, resulting in a refreshed appearance

• Lessen the appearance of stretch marks

• Reduce fine lines and wrinkles

• Reduce or eliminate enlarged pores

• Treat acne and the scars left by acne

Microdermabrasion helps to thicken your collagen, which results in a younger looking complexion. Collagen is a protein in your skin which is abundant when you’re a child and makes skin appear taut and smooth. Collagen production declines as we age, resulting in looser, uneven skin.

Spider Vein Treatment

Sclerotherapy

The most common spider vein treatment involves the injection of a solution into each affected vein, causing the vein to collapse and fade over time.

What is spider vein removal (sclerotherapy)?

There are effective, safe and relatively painless methods available for reducing spider veins. The most common spider vein treatment involves the injection of a solution into each affected vein, causing the vein to collapse and fade. Laser treatments are also available for the reduction or removal of spider veins.

What are spider veins?

In some women, spider veins—those small clusters of red, blue or purple veins that appear on the thighs, calves and ankles—become noticeable at a young age. For others, the veins may not become obvious until much later.

Causes of spider veins:

A number of factors may contribute to the development of spider veins in the legs, including:

• Heredity

• Hormonal shifts

• Occupations or activities that require prolonged sitting or standing

• Pregnancy

• Weight fluctuation

Chemical Peel

Minimally Invasive Procedure

A chemical peel uses a chemical solution to improve the texture and tone of your skin by removing the damaged outer layers.

Although chemical peels are used mostly on the face, they can also be used to improve the skin on your neck and hands. Sun exposure, acne or just getting older can leave your skin tone uneven, wrinkled, spotted or scarred.

A chemical peel is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve the appearance of your skin. The potential result of the chemical peel depends on the type of chemical and technique used.

What a chemical peel can improve?

• Acne or acne scars

• Fine lines and wrinkles

• Irregular skin pigmentation

• Rough skin and scaly patches

• Certain scars

• Sun-damaged skin

What a chemical peel can’t do:

• Treat deep facial lines or wrinkles

• Significantly tighten loose or sagging skin

• Remove deep scars

Dermal Fillers

Minimally Invasive Procedures

Injectable dermal fillers can plump thin lips, enhance shallow contours, soften facial creases, remove wrinkles and improve the appearance of scars.

What are dermal fillers?

Dermal fillers help to diminish facial lines and restore volume and fullness in the face.

As we age, our faces naturally lose subcutaneous fat. The facial muscles are then working closer to the skin surface, so smile lines and crow’s feet become more apparent.

The facial skin also stretches a bit, adding to this loss of facial volume. Other factors that affect the facial skin include sun exposure, heredity and lifestyle.

What dermal fillers can do?

• Plump thin lips

• Enhance shallow contours

• Soften facial creases and wrinkles

• Improve the appearance of recessed scars

• Reconstruct contour deformities in the face

• Decrease or remove the shadow of the lower lids

Dermal fillers can be very helpful in those with early signs of aging, or as a value-added part of facial rejuvenation surgery.

What dermal fillers can’t do?

For some patients, surgery such as a facelift, brow lift or eye lift may be the best approach. Minimally invasive rejuvenation treatments, such as soft tissue fillers, cannot achieve the same results, but may help delay the time when consideration of a facelift becomes appropriate. It is important to remember that dermal fillers are temporary treatments for facial aging and that ongoing treatments will be needed for long-term results.

Laser Skin Resurfacing

Skin Care Procedure

Laser skin resurfacing can reduce facial wrinkles, scars and blemishes.

What is laser skin resurfacing?

Laser skin resurfacing, also known as a laser peel, laser vaporization and lasabrasion, can reduce facial wrinkles, scars and blemishes. Newer laser technologies give your plastic surgeon a new level of control in laser surfacing, permitting extreme precision, especially in delicate areas.

What laser skin resurfacing can improve?

• Fine lines or wrinkles around or under your eyes, forehead or mouth

• Scars from acne or chickenpox

• Non-responsive skin after a facelift

• Aged or sun-damaged skin

• Liver spots

• Improve your complexion if you have yellowish or grayish skin tones

• Warts

• Birthmarks such as linear epidermal nevi

• Enlarged oil glands on the nose

How does laser skin resurfacing work?

It’s all about using beams of light. Your surgeon uses the laser to send short, concentrated pulsating beams of light at irregular skin. This removes unwanted, damaged skin in a very precise manner one layer at a time.

Laser skin resurfacing’s targeted approach means there are fewer problems with hypopigmentation, or a lightening of skin, for procedures such as laser acne scar removal.

The laser beam used in laser resurfacing will remove your outer layer of skin, called the epidermis. It simultaneously heats the underlying skin, called the dermis. This action works to stimulate growth of new collagen fibers. As the treated area heals, the new skin that forms is smoother and firmer.

Skin Rejuvenation and Resurfacing

Skin Care Procedure

Skin rejuvenation and resurfacing can be achieved in several ways, ranging from laser and light treatments to chemical peels and injectables.

What is skin rejuvenation and resurfacing?

Sun, skin disorders, aging and even heredity can all contribute to skin irregularities on the face and elsewhere on the body. These include textural irregularities like wrinkles and acne scars, pigmentation changes like freckles, sunspots or visible blood vessels. In addition, skin may lose tone, feel less firm and lose the healthy glow that is evident in younger skin.

Different treatment modalities are available to treat the different aspects of skin damage.

Laser resurfacing, mechanical resurfacing, chemical peels and injectable products can improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles of the entire face or those that develop in specific regions of the face, such as the upper lip and around the eyes. These treatments can also be used to address pigmentation disorders, such as sun and age spots, and they can be used to improve the appearance of acne scars or other skin conditions.

The specific type of treatment that will best address your concerns are determined after a consultation with your physician. Most skin treatments require a series of treatments and a multi-modality approach to achieving excellent results. Most importantly, the patient must be committed to protecting his or her skin going forward so that the results achieved will be longer lasting.

Tattoo Removal

Eliminate Unwanted Tattoos

Tattoo removal can be achieved in a number of ways, ranging from laser treatments, chemical peels, dermabrasion and surgical excision.

What is tattoo removal?

Tattoo removal can be achieved in a number of ways, ranging from laser treatments, chemical peels, dermabrasion and surgical excision.

Does tattoo removal hurt?

There is some degree of discomfort when getting a tattoo removed, although the pain is relatively manageable. Sometimes, skin numbing can be used to help make the pain more tolerable.

Tattoo removal healing:

It will take some time for the skin to heal after tattoo removal. Most side effects are temporary, with the most common reactions being redness, swelling, bruising, scabbing and tenderness. Most of the time these reactions resolve within a week.