Injectables FAQs
 

• What can I do to quickly refresh my face before the end of the year?
   

  A combination of Botox® and Restylane® can quickly take years off. Frown lines, forehead creases, crow’s feet, and even the bands in the neck can be effectively treated with Botox®. Botox® can also be used to improve the downward turned corners of the mouth or to arch eyebrows. There is minimal discomfort and it is incredibly safe and reliable. Restylane® can be used to fill the facial wrinkles around the mouth and add volume to the lips which thin with age. There can be minimal swelling, which resolves in a few days. The goal of both treatments is natural looking, refreshed version of you.
  
   

• How can I make my lips look better for the holidays?
   

  For many people a fuller and more sensuous mouth is high on their wish list. This can be achieved in two ways with Restylane® – both by enhancing (contouring) the border of the lips and by adding volume to create a pouting look. Often a combination of these two methods is used. Placing Restylane® along the border of the lips creates a more youthful and appealing look. Redefining this edge also prevents lipstick “bleeding” into the small lines around the lips.
  
   

• What is Botox®?
   

  Botox® Cosmetic is a natural purified protein that relaxes wrinkle-causing muscles to create a smooth, improved appearance. It consists of a few tiny injections, takes only a few minutes and makes one look and feel more relaxed and refreshed, and less stressed and tired. Botox® Cosmetic has the highest patient satisfaction rate of all cosmetic procedures. Botox® softens fine lines and wrinkles. It can be used almost anywhere on the face including the lines between the eyes (the angry elevens), lateral eyes (crow’s feet), forehead, nose, lips, chin, and neck.
  
   

• What can I do to control excessive sweating?
   

  When antiperspirants fail, try prescription Drysol (20% Aluminum Chloride). If this is unsuccessful, the next step is Botox®. Botox® decreases and often eliminates sweating under the arms as well as on the palms and soles. It is injected into the skin with a very tiny needle, thereby blocking sweat production. Typically, there is little discomfort and you can resume normal activities immediately. On average the results last 6 to 9 months, but may last up to a year. Many health insurance companies cover this indication for Botox®.
  
   

• Is there a longer lasting alternative to Restylane®?
   

  Fillers like Restylane® and collagen can be used to soften wrinkles, plump the lips and treat the dark circles under the eyes. Typically these products last between 3 to 9 months. A safe reliable alternative that lasts for 2 years or more is Sculptra®. It triggers your body to lay down new collagen, which fills wrinkles, soften the hollows of the temples, eyes, and cheeks and lifts the jowls. Facelift quality results can be achieved with a series of treatments.
  
   

• Are there any non-surgical alternatives to a facelift?
   

  Aging results in loss of soft tissue causing hollows in the temples, cheeks and around the eyes. This loose skin then causes wrinkling. Sculptra® is a filler that restores soft tissue. Known as the “liquid facelift”, Sculptra® works by stimulating the body to produce its own new collagen to create a fuller, more youthful appearance. It avoids the pulled look that can happen with a facelift. After a series of small injections, the results appear gradually over a few weeks and may last for 2 years or more.
  
   

• What can I do to make my hands look younger?
   

  As we age, our hands lose the soft tissue that keeps them full and firm, causing the blood vessels and tendons to look more prominent. Sculptra®, a filler that stimulates your own collagen production, restores a more youthful look. Sculptra® can be especially effective when combined with chemical peels that help to improve brown spots and skin texture, taking decades off this giveaway of age. In addition, Radiesse may also be used in a similar fashion to Sculptra®. Your dermatologist will determine which filler is the right choice for your hands.
  
   

• How does laser hair removal work?
   

  The hair removal laser emits very short pulses of bright light that are absorbed by pigment in hair. Laser light energy is converted to heat that damages the growing hair follicle. The damaged hairs fall out within a week. Permanent hair removal generally requires several treatments. Any area of the body can be treated. Blond, red or gray hairs typically do not respond as well as darker hair.
  
   

• How can I get rid of the ugly spider veins on my legs?
   

  Sclerotherapy is still the most effective way to treat superficial blood vessels in the legs. Tiny needles are used to inject a sclerosing solution that irritates and destroys the bothersome vessels. Up to 90% of the treated vessels may clear with a single treatment, however, it could take several treatments. Because people who develop spider veins are likely to get more as they age occasional touch up treatments every few years may be necessary to maintain beautiful legs.