Injectables: Botox®, Dysport®, Facial Dermal Fillers

A Premiere Medi Spa for Botox®, Dysport®, and Injectable Dermal Fillers.

Visible signs of facial aging occur over time as a result of sun exposure, heredity, gravity and life style. Over the years, our faces lose their fullness, skin loses elasticity, and a lifetime of laughs and frowns become etched on our faces leaving permanent creases, lines, and wrinkles. Facial wrinkles and folds begin to show in part because collagen beneath the skin's surface starts to break down. Frown lines between our eyes can become particularly annoying, making us look angry or worried even when we are not. The so-called "dynamic" wrinkles are difficult to treat, and do not respond to typical wrinkle treatments, such as resurfacing and laser procedures.

Softening facial lines and restoring volume and contour can often be achieved non-surgically with injectable products. Facial injectables, including soft tissue augmentation injections, are safe and effective procedures for reducing fine lines and wrinkles, correcting the symmetry of the face and lips, or enhancing lips and cheeks without surgery. Physician administered injections are fast, and have little to no recovery time. Within days, facial skin will look naturally smooth and refreshed.

Injectables - Cosmetic Surgery Options

BOTOX® is a simple, nonsurgical, physician-administered treatment that can temporarily smooth moderate to severe frown lines, crow's feet, and the frontalis (forehead lines). Until recently, BOTOX®was the only treatment of its type approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

One 10-minute treatment—a few tiny injections—and within days there's a noticeable improvement in moderate to severe frown lines, crow's feet, and the frontalis. The improvement can last up to four months. Results may vary; however, in general, fewer injectections are needed after the second or third year.

Another use of BOTOX® Cosmetic is for facial and jaw line contouring and slimming. This is a convenient alternative to a complicated jaw bone reduction plastic surgery, because BOTOX® injections require no downtime and the procedure is safer, faster, and less expensive. The full slimming effect becomes apparent approximately two weeks after the treatment and the results can last anywhere from four to nine months.

BOTOX® Cosmetic is a purified protein produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium, which reduces the activity of the muscles that cause those lines and wrinkles to form over time.

BOTOX FOR CROW'S FEET

BOTOX FOR JAW LINE REDUCTION

Dysport® - On May 2009, and after years of anticipation, the U.S. FDA finally approved Dysport® for cosmetic use. Dysport® is now the only competitor to Botox® cosmetic in the U.S. Dysport® has been successfully used in Europe and the Americas for over 15 years, and has a proven track record of safety and success in the United Kingdom, Germany, and many other European countries. Like Botox®, Dysport® is administered via injections at the site of wrinkles and acts by temporarily weakening the facial muscles, which then smooth and soften the facial wrinkles and lines caused by excessive action of these muscles. The result is a face that looks fresher and younger.

Dysport® is made from the same active ingredient as Botox® (made by Allergan), Clostridium botulinim toxin type A. However, the manufacturing process of Dysport® is slightly different, resulting in slight differences in its clinical use for cosmetic purposes. For instance, Dysport may provide a little faster onset of action and has a greater 'spread' (giving a more 'natural' look) compared to BOTOX®. Botox®, on the other hand, tends to remain more localized, allowing for greater precision in the treatment area, but possibly requiring more injections in the course of a treatment. There are also claims and suggestions that Dysport® results might last up to a month or even two beyond that of Botox®. The unit dosage of each product is also different and accordingly different number of units have to be used to achieve comparable results.

Dr. Dishakjian, of the Medical Spa, has worked with both products and is fully comfortable using either product to his patient's benefit. Having alternative products to choose from is always beneficial for patients, as it enables the physician to choose the best treatment according to each patient's individual needs, previous responses to treatment, and patient expectations.

Restylane® - approved by the FDA in late 2003, is an effective, non-surgical facial treatment designed to slow and hide the effects of aging. Restylane® filler injections are composed of a clear hyaluronic acid-based gel that not only fills in lines and wrinkles in the face, but also adds moisture and lubrication to the skin, making it feel younger and more comfortable. Results are particularly effective around the mouth and nose and are shown to last six months or more.

Restylane® is administered in the doctor's office performed under local anesthesia and takes anywhere from a few minutes to a half hour.

Radiesse® is a safe, next generation dermal filler that volumizes the facial structure. Radiesse® treatment restores a natural, youthful look that may last for a year or more. Numerous medical studies have shown that Radiesse is a safe and effective treatment for filling and correcting smile lines, nasolabial folds, and wrinkles around the nose and mouth. Radiesse stimulates the body to produce new collagen, providing immediate, visible improvement of folds and wrinkles, and provides long-lasting and beautiful results.

Radiesse® is made of unique calcium-based microspheres that are suspended in a water-based gel and injected into the skin through a simple, safe, and minimally invasive procedure.

RADIESSE FOR NASOLABIAL FOLDS AND UNDER EYE HOLLOWS

BEFORE & AFTER GALLERY. Click here...

Juvéderm™ is a smooth consistency gel made of hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance in your skin, which helps add volume and hydration. Your physician injects Juvéderm™ under the skin to instantly restore your skin's volume and smooth away facial wrinkles and folds, like your “smile lines” or “parentheses” (nasolabial folds—the creases that run from the bottom of your nose to the corners of your mouth).

Sculptra® Aesthetic is indicated for the correction of shallow to deep nasolabial folds (smile lines) contour deficiencies and other facial wrinkles, which are considered to be the hallmark signs of facial aging. On average, three treatment sessions are needed over a period of a few months to produce gradual, subtle results that can last up to two years after the last treatment session. Patients who have undergone Sculptra® Aesthetic injections are described as not only looking younger, but also looking like themselves.

RESTORING FACIAL VOLUME AND FILLING FOLDS WITH SCULPTRA AESTHETIC

While the Sculptra® Aesthetic has been available in Europe for a decade and has been used off-label in cosmetic applications for a long time, the injectable facial filler received FDA approval for its cosmetic use only in 2009. The FDA approval of Sculptra® Aesthetic broadens the landscape of what plastic and cosmetic surgeons can offer to patients seeking long lasting and natural looking results from an aesthetic injectable. In fact, Sculptra® Aesthetic, previously marketed under the name Sculptra®, was the first product of its kind approved by the FDA for restoration and/or correction of the signs of facial fat loss, or lipoatrophy, in people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Sculptra® Aesthetic is a synthetic biocompatible (does not harm the body) and biodegradable (able to be broken down by the body) product. Hence, it does not require a skin test. Unlike most other facial fillers, Sculptra Aesthetic is a collagen stimulator; that is, it reshapes the face with the patient's own collagen. Sculptra® Aesthetic works by filling a wrinkle with small amount of PLLA beads, which gradually break down as the body produces its own collagen at the site of injection. No serious adverse events are reported with the dermal filler, except for occasional small bumps and lumps, which resolve on their own.

Fat Grafting or autologous fat transplantation or micro-lipoinjection, plumps up facial features using the patient’s own fat. Fat transfer to the face is a safe, natural, non-allergenic procedure designed to recontour your face or other areas of the body, and can provide definition to your cheeks and chin. It can also be used to correct facial deformities. Since fat transfer uses your own fat cells, allergic reactions are avoided. Long-lasting results have been proven to last about three years.

Fat transfer is performed in our facility using a local anesthesia on both areas affected by the procedure - from where the fat is taken, and the treatment site where the fat is re-injected. Using a small needle attached to a syringe, fat is removed from a donor site where your fat is most tightly packed, such as your abdomen or your buttocks. Read more about body contouring Fat Transfer procedure...

Questions About Cost or a Treatment?

You may reach our Los Angeles medical spa and clinic by clicking the "Contact us" button at the top of the page, or by calling 818-832-4500. Our receptionist will be delighted to assist you with any enquiries regarding cost, additional information, or scheduling a free consultation session with Dr. Dishakjian, a cosmetic surgeon and phlebologist.