Category: Injectable Fillers
Less Lip, Please
Like fashion, there are trends in our practice, too. For a time years ago, people wanted the puffiest lip possible, and many of them got what they wanted, even if the results were unnatural and overdone. These days, subtlety is everything, and the lips are a case in point.
Many of you, when you come to my office, are concerned that your treatments will be obvious. One of the biggest giveaways is the lip that is too full for the face.
My guiding principle has always been “less is more.” Much more. When it comes to restoring lips to their youthful state, this approach is essential. My method has three parts: Define, shape and add volume.
Lips tend to thin out and lose fat as we get older. To give them the appearance that they once had, or to plump lips that are naturally thin, I use dermal fillers in small specific ways to create subtle changes that provide maximum visual impact. The secret is balance. If any part of the lips is too fat or too thin, your entire face will look strange.
First, I define the edge between the top lip and the skin above it, beneath your nose. Then, to reshape and plump the upper lip, I make tiny injections in key spots. The upper lip should have variation across the lower border and a bow across the top.
For the lower lip, which typically has a uniform shape all the way across and a little extra volume in the middle, I look at all the angles. From the side, the lip shouldn’t extend out too far or appear puffy. From the front, there should be a touch of extra height.
A variety of lip injection options are available to you, and the results should last from several months to a year, depending on the type of filler that we use. We like to use the hyaluronic acid fillers Restylane, Restylane Refyne, Restylane Silk, Belotero Balance,Volbella and Juvederm.
The injections take only a few minutes, and you should be able to go back to your normal activities right after the procedure.
If you’d like to talk with us about your lips, or any other concerns, call our office today for a complimentary consultation.
See you soon.
The Skin Cycle: What You Can Expect, Decade by Decade
Your skin has a natural plan. With each year that passes, it undergoes assorted stressors, some that it has experienced before and some that are brand new. And it reacts to these changing stimuli in different ways, subtle and not-so. Unfortunately, while you may not feel any older, your skin has another story to tell. Aging plays tricks on its delicate composition. But do not despair–you have strategies at your disposal for warding off the first signs of attack. The trick: know what’s coming and take as many precautions as possible.
Here is what you can expect:
In Your 20s and 30s: Get ready. Hormonal changes may happen during this time, causing adult acne. We can treat it, though, with our Pulsed Dye Laser. Also, you may notice hints of wrinkles (yes, they begin early) and pigmentation. Botox and Dysport will help minimize lines, keeping them from setting and deepening. Catching them early is more effective than waiting until they are extreme. Fraxel DUAL and IPL will help reduce discoloration, brown spots and freckling.
In Your 40s: Your skin may begin to lose its luster, appearing dull and rough. Also, age spots may appear since the skin can’t repair itself as quickly or as completely as it used to. You may notice, too, that your skin doesn’t glow as much, since skin cell shedding begins to slow down. But, we can brighten and smooth out your skin with Clear+Brilliant, Fraxel DUAL and Fraxel Repair laser treatments. Your skin tone will look even, and wrinkles and pores will diminish. During your 40s, wrinkles may be deeper than they were before. Dermal fillers such as Restylane, Restylane Lyft, Restylane Silk, Voluma, Juvederm, Belotero and Radiesse, and neurotoxins, such as Botox and Dysport, are effective in reducing the appearance of these lines and folds.
In Your 50s and 60s: Subtle lines may have turned into deep wrinkles and previously taut skin may have begun to sag. Declining collagen and elastin levels cause your skin to become thinner and more fragile. As the underlying skin structure is less supported, the skin falls down and droops. We have many laser treatments that can work wonders to resurface skin and stimulate collagen production, which will help lift up and plump your skin, nonsurgically. The treatments will also help to brighten and lighten any discoloration caused by sun exposure or simple aging.
At all times of your life, remember to do what you can to preserve your skin’s natural beauty. Wear plenty of sunscreen (and not only in the summer), avoid the sun as much as possible, steer clear of smoking and cleanse and moisturize often.
Call our office for a complimentary consultation. We’ll help you look your most natural youthful best.
See you soon.
Treat Yourself Now: Schedule a Mommy Makeover
If it’s been about six months since you’ve had your baby, you may be feeling more like yourself. You may have lost most of your pregnancy weight and stopped nursing, you may be sleeping more, you may be back at work. But there may be a few cosmetic issues that have lingered, and really bother you. Most new moms aren’t prepared for some of the changes that their bodies will endure, but many of them are reversible.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding can take a toll on the skin and body, specifically the face and stomach. It is not uncommon for you to experience an array of conditions, including acne, acne scarring, melasma (darkened facial skin), cellulite, unwanted fat, unwanted hair growth, prominent facial blood vessels, loose skin, brown spots and stretch marks.
You may be feeling that you don’t have the time or the energy to address these issues right now, but your self-esteem and general well-being are important. A few simple cosmetic treatments can boost your overall mood more than you may imagine. Now, with a few holiday weeks coming up, you may find that you have some extra time to invest in yourself.
Here’s how I can help:
- For acne: pulsed dye laser, DermaFrac, microdermabrasion
- For melasma: Fraxel DUAL laser
- For cellulite: Cellulaze, Exilis Elite
- For unwanted fat: SmartLipo TriPlex, Exilis Elite
- For unwanted hair growth: Laser Hair Removal, IPL Hair Removal
- For facial blood vessels: Diolite (KTP532) laser, IPL (intense pulsed light), GentleWaves
- For loose skin: INFINI™, Thermage CPT, Exilis Elite, Fraxel lasers, laser wrinkle reduction
- For brown spots: Fraxel DUAL laser, IPL (intense pulsed light), Diolite (KTP532) laser, GentleWaves
- For stretch marks: Fraxel lasers, Infini
- For acne scarring: INFINI™, Fraxel lasers, pulsed dye laser, dermal fillers
Also, mark your calendars for our Two Days of Holiday Merriment on December 13 and 14. Check your email and our website for discounts and details.
Meantime, call our office to schedule a complimentary consultation. I’ll tailor a post-baby treatment plan just for you.
See you soon.
Recharge Those Eyes
When you really want to know how someone feels, you look into his eyes. They can often hold the answers to many mysteries. Unfortunately, they can be a lot more obvious about your age.
The skin surrounding your eyes, because it is so delicate, is at risk for a multitude of cosmetic problems that make you look older than you are. And, because this area is involved in facial expression, the natural movement of the skin causes lines and wrinkles to form over time. Crow’s feet, additional lines and wrinkles underneath the lower lashes, dark circles, hollowing, drooping lids and puffiness all contribute to a tired appearance. Perhaps you’ve tried creams that claim to tighten skin or cold tea bags and cucumbers that temporarily reduce fluid retention, but the concerns remain.
We offer a range of nonsurgical treatments that will help return a well-rested look to your eyes and therefore, your face. Depending on your individual needs, we can craft a personal plan that will help you look refreshed and more youthful, with minimal downtime and recuperation.
Take a look at some of our most popular eye treatments:
- Thermage CPT
- Botox
- Dysport
- Dermal fillers (Belotero, Juvederm, Restylane, Restylane Lyft)
- Fraxel Repair Laser
- Fraxel DUAL Laser
- Laser Wrinkle Reduction
- Clear & Brilliant
- Microdermabrasion
- GentleWaves Photomodulation
Come talk with us about how we can help. Call our office today to schedule your complimentary consultation.
See you soon.
Stop the Vanity: How to Improve Your Looks, Within Reason
All good things, taken too far, can become, well, not so good. Too much steak, too many luxuries, too much confidence. And in the case of cosmetic treatments, too much fiddling with your natural good looks.
The archetypical theme of “virtue turned to vice” can easily be applied to what we do. Moderation, as it is in so many other areas of our lives, is the key to success, and it is our personal mantra. Often, we find ourselves advising you to restrain from doing too much and instead, take the less-is-more approach.
So, how do you know when you have done just enough to enhance your appearance? Cosmetic treatments are a terrific way to refresh your look and can help you to feel younger, more vibrant and energized. They can be transforming, physically and emotionally. As you consider your options, it’s important to know why you are thinking about having a procedure done. If you are coming to see us because you have a specific concern about a specific area of your body, that is the optimal reason to have treatment. But, if you see this experience as a way to solve other issues in your life–ones that are not directly connected to physical appearance–then you might get those thoughts in order first.
We offer a unique, individualized and thorough consultation that will help us help you determine your reasons for coming to us. (Granted, we are happy to report, most of you seek us out for the very best reasons.) And, we will define for you the likely results so that your expectations are realistic.
So, whether you are a first-time client who is curious about Botox or dermal fillers, such as Restylane or Juvederm, or you are a returning client who wants to maintain a fresh and youthful glow, perhaps with a nonsurgical Facelift, or you are someone who is frustrated by extra pounds that diet and exercise can’t minimize and has decided to try SmartLipo Triplex, we can help you sort out your best options for improvement. Most important, we will trust our years of expertise and philosophy of natural good looks as we guide you along the way.
To find out more, call one of our offices for a complimentary consultation. Summer is a great time to devote to yourself.
Keep Your Hands Looking as Young as the Rest of You
Considering how much you use your hands, you may have forgotten to pay proper attention to them. Despite having a fresh face and youthful body, you could be giving away your age every time you wave hello.
But now, there is a solution. The FDA has just approved the use of Radiesse for hand augmentation. The dermal filler is perfect for plumping the hollow spaces that form on the backs of your hands, restoring volume and providing smooth natural-looking results. Radiesse is the first and only FDA-approved product for this use.
In one treatment, you’ll notice immediate improvement that can last a year or more. You may want to couple Radiesse with a laser treatment that minimizes the dark spots that often emerge on hands.
Radiesse injections have been used for years to treat deep lines and depressions around the mouth and facial wasting, or hollowing. It is a nonsurgical treatment that is bio-compatible and able to stimulate your body’s own collagen growth.
Call our office to learn more about how your hands can look as young as the rest of you.
See you soon.
Pout Perfect
You may have heard people say that when you smile, you look prettier than when you don’t. I think that this is true, particularly when your lips are as beautiful as they can be.
As a prime focal point on the face, one that conveys expression, the mouth area needs to be kept in optimal shape. With age, your lips’ delicate skin is subject to many stresses and gives in to factors including collagen loss, fat loss and sun damage. As a result, tiny crevasses form around the perimeter and frown lines appear on the outside corners. Also, the lips themselves lose volume, as do the chin and jawline, which come to look hollowed out. The well-defined curve to your upper lip, the “cupid’s bow,” is sometimes lost, too. In all, the effect adds years to your appearance.
We have ways, though, to rewind the clock. And they are easy, very easy. With no downtime and immediate noticeable improvement, our nonsurgical treatments will help to restore youthful fullness and contour to your entire lip area.
We offer hyaluronic acid fillers such as Juvederm, Restylane, Restylane Silk, Belotero and more to boost volume and shape. HA is already in our bodies and is FDA-approved for safe plumping of the lips. At our office, we are devoted to transformations that look entirely natural and know that less is so much more when it comes to dermal fillers, especially when they are injected into the lips. We strive for soft, supple and sexy lips that are natural in size and shape.
Each of these simple fillers will enhance not only your look, but also your confidence, which is our ultimate goal. Now that is something to smile about.
Please call one of our offices for an appointment or a complimentary consultation.
See you soon.
Back to School Means Back to You
The school bells are ringing again and for moms, the sound means one thing–extra time. With kids back in the classroom, why not devote a little attention to yourself this fall?
Whether you are a new mother enduring the lingering effects of pregnancy and breastfeeding or a seasoned mom who forgets to put herself first sometimes, you could be a candidate for our Mommy Makeover, a collection of treatments that will help you feel and look as terrific as you can.
It is not uncommon for young mothers to experience such conditions as acne, acne scarring, melasma (darkened facial skin), cellulite, unwanted fat, unwanted hair growth, prominent facial blood vessels, loose skin, brown spots and stretch marks. Experienced moms may feel that they look tired and worn.
Wherever you are in life, I will customize a specific plan that will address all of your post-baby or super-parent beauty concerns in a way that is easy to accomplish, convenient and stress-free.
Here are a few possible conditions and treatments for all mommies, new and not-so-new:
- For acne: pulsed dye laser, DermaFrac, microdermabrasion
- For melasma: Fraxel DUAL laser
- For cellulite: Cellulaze, Exilis Elite
- For unwanted fat: SmartLipo TriPlex, Exilis Elite
- For unwanted hair growth: Laser Hair Removal, IPL Hair Removal
- For facial blood vessels: Diolite (KTP532) laser, IPL (intense pulsed light), GentleWaves
- For loose skin: Thermage CPT, Exilis Elite, Fraxel lasers, laser wrinkle reduction, SmartLipo TriPlex
- For brown spots: Fraxel DUAL laser, IPL (intense pulsed light), Diolite (KTP532) laser, chemical peels, GentleWaves
- For stretch marks: Fraxel lasers
- For acne scarring: Fraxel lasers, pulsed dye laser, dermal fillers
Please call our office for a complimentary consultation. New seasons are a time for positive change, and we are ready to help you transform, physically and emotionally.
See you soon.
It’s All About Balance
Our approach to our work–and your face–is holistic. We don’t think of you as a sum of disparate parts, but as one person, one body, one face. So, we treat you with a keen eye directed at balance.
When we restore volume to your cheeks, we look at the position of your eyes. When we reduce fat in your abdomen, we take your hips into account. Nothing is done in isolation. Balance defines our work.
Take, for instance, the shape of the chin and jaw, which also changes with age and should not be missed when treating other areas of the face. Like other features, the chin and jaw lose volume over time and benefit from injectable fillers, instantly. Augmenting the chin and jawline can easily be done while redefining the cheeks with Voluma, Restylane, Radiesse, Juvederm or Perlane. In one visit, your lower face will look youthful and plump and shadows that can linger around the corners of the mouth will also be diminished. The effects are subtle, but transforming.
Call us for a complimentary consultation to talk about how we can infuse your look with new balance and beauty, without surgery and without anyone really knowing.
See you soon.
The Liquid Facelift: A Fast and Simple Time Machine
We love our collagen and elastin. But as we age, these structural proteins start to dwindle, and as they do, our faces lose their volume and bounce. Worse, wrinkles, lines and folds form, too, since the support behind the skin is no longer there to keep it stretched and firm.
You are probably not feeling so happy reading this. But, as you’ve come to know, we can help. Using advanced dermal fillers such as Juvederm, Radiesse, Restylane and Perlane, we can lift and contour facial features, restoring your natural fullness exactly where you need us to. Nonsurgical and virtually pain-free, this “liquid facelift” can reduce wrinkles, lines and folds, create a more rested and fresh look, and return your face to its curved former self.
Sometimes, we “lift” the entire face; sometimes, we target specific spots, such as bags under the eyes, marionette lines, sagging eye lids, jowls and flattened cheeks. We can even disguise bumps on the nose, a method that will keep you out of the operating room and free of anesthesia, recuperation and downtime.
The fillers that we use are made from substances that your body produces naturally. For more information about this quick treatment and its immediate results, call our office to schedule a complimentary consultation.
Meantime, use that sunscreen…and remember to reapply often.
See you soon.
Love Your Body with Speedy Summer Fixes
It may not yet be hot enough for the beach, and if you don’t love how you look in a bathing suit, that is good news. But why not love how you look? Why not embrace the season, the suit and your shape?
It’s time to stop hiding. Body sculpting is minimally invasive, safe and quick. With SmartLipo TriPlex laser treatments, we can remove fat from targeted areas of your body. You’ll see a reduction in inches, smoother and tighter skin and a highly defined new shape.
The treatment is done with local anesthesia in our state-of-the-art office, and is particularly effective for abdomens and waistlines–and for both men and women. You’ll see changes in your body that diet and exercise have failed to produce.
We can also reduce the cellulite that ruins any good bathing suit. With the Cellulaze laser, we smooth skin on the thighs buttocks, stomach, upper arms–anywhere where bumps and ripples appear. Despite your rigorous exercise, weight training and high-intensity workouts, cellulite sometimes sticks around. The Cellulaze laser attacks it where it begins, under the skin.
Finally, here’s a run-down of some of our other fast treatments for minimizing lines, wrinkles and folds:
- For crow’s feet and droopy brows: Botox and Dysport
- For tear troughs and hollows below the lower eyelid: Restylane, Juvederm and Belotero
- For sagging and shallow cheeks, temples and jawlines: Voluma XC, Radiesse, Perlane, Restylane and Juvederm
- For nasolabial folds: Restylane, Juvederm, Perlane, Radiesse and Belotero
- For thin and flat lips: Juvederm, Restylane, Restylane Silk and Perlane
Please call our office to schedule a consultation, and see you at the beach.
Last Dash to Summer: The Perfect Time for a Liquid Facelift
Many of you have beaten the calendar and been in to see me these past few weeks. But there is still time for a quick Liquid Facelift before summer officially begins this coming weekend. Among the top nonsurgical anti-aging treatments, the Liquid Facelift can offer instant results, plumping up your sagging spots and restoring a youthful contour to your face.
We use injectable fillers to take years off your temples, brows, upper eyelids, under eye areas, cheeks, mouth corners and jowls. No one is happy to see lines, wrinkles, sagging skin or just a tired appearance in the mirror. With expert precision and careful attention to your facial anatomy, we can erase your flaws, naturally and easily. Your recovery time will be minimal, too.
Here is how we do it:
- Define, lift, shape the cheeks…with Juvederm Voluma
- Erase forehead lines…with Botox or Dysport
- Balance the chin…augment with Radiesse
- Lift the mouth…reduce nasolabial folds and downturned lips to restore a youthful smile
- Open up the eyes…to perk up your entire face
- Elevate the brows…to create a rested appearance
- Reduce eye puffiness…to give structure to under eye area and compensate for bone loss, fat loss and thinning skin
Call our office this week for a consultation, before summer is in high gear. We’ll devise a special plan just for you.
