Injectables and Fillers
Dr. Laverson explains the products used to enhance your beauty without surgery.
OK… now we’re going to have fun! It is so easy to look good these days, even without surgery. Dr. Laverson owns and operates the first and longest existing (over ten years) retail plastic surgery office in the United States, The Feel Beautiful Boutique in Carlsbad, CA. From this office, he has accumulated vast experience helping thousands to look better and more youthful with less invasive, non-surgical treatments. Dr. Laverson is masterful at many surgical techniques, but spends two days a week softening creases, lifting, and smoothing faces with Dysport, Botox, Restylane, Perlane, Juvederm, Radiesse, lasers, and other artillery in his beauty arsenal.
Biotechnology now provides many possibilities to improve your appearance and soften aging features without enduring the risk, expense, and recovery time associated with surgery. Most popular among these treatments are laser and other energy forms applied to shrink or resurface skin so it appears younger, and injectable products to diminish or eliminate facial creases, and to restore youthful contours. Always striving for your best result and for minimum risk, expense, and recovery time, these non-surgical methods have an important place at Feel Beautiful. Plastic surgeons are well positioned to perform and/or supervise non-surgical treatments because more than other providers, plastic surgeons know where the effectiveness of non-surgical treatments begins and ends.
Indications for injectable treatments are aging contours and/or displeasing facial furrows, creases, hollows, and/or scars. Two broad categories of products are available:
- Drugs that temporarily paralyze muscles. These agents are are injected directly into specific muscles beneath the skin. When the treated muscle isn’t working, it isn’t causing your skin to wrinkle. These agents treat DYNAMIC creases, those creases that are present with animation (facial expression);
- Fillers which are injected directly into the skin to lift the depressed area of the crease closer to the level of surrounding skin so the skin surface is smooth and appears more youthful. Fillers soften or eliminate STATIC creases, those which are present even without animation or facial expression. Fillers may also be used to create the illusion of “lifting” the face by filling and/or augmenting areas that have become depressed with age. Fillers are also used for lip, cheek, and brow augmentation.
Botox Cosmetic® or Dysport® are the most widely used products from the first category, and Dr. Laverson has used thousands of doses for since 1999 when his Carlsbad Feel Beautiful boutique opened. Botox Cosmetic® and Dysport® are indicated for the softening of DYNAMIC creases, e.g. those creases (or the component of the crease) that exist(s) only upon animation of the face. Note in the below photograph, courtesy of Allergan, Inc., that after Botox Cosmetic® treatment, there is no visible crease when she is relaxed. In younger adults, Botox Cosmetic® is excellent for complete elimination of these DYNAMIC creases, because by inactivating the underlying facial muscle(s), the wrinkles no longer occur. When properly injected, you will still be able to express yourself, but most patients acknowledge they feel (and appear) more relaxed, youthful, pleasant, and energetic.
Although the effect of Botox Cosmetic® and Dysport® only lasts three to six months, repeated use can prevent facial aging by avoiding progression of treated DYNAMIC creases so they will never become STATIC creases. Static creases are those which are present even without animation, e.g. facial creases that are visible even at rest. STATIC creases result from repeated animation of the face for many years, and deepen with advancing age. Botox Cosmetic® and Dysport® do not eliminate static creases.
The other category of anti-aging injectible treatments are contour and wrinkle fillers. These products are indicated for the filling of depressed STATIC creases, as well as smoothing the skin surface, lifting depressed scars, and/or simulating contours of youth. Popular products in this category include the hyaluronic acid fillers (Restylane®, Juvederm Ultra®, Prevelle®, Perlane®, Juvederm UltraPlus, others), Calcium hydroxyapatite (Radiesse®), Poly-L-lactic acid (Sculptra®), Collagen (Evolence®), polymethylmethacrylate beads with collagen (Artecoll/Artefill®), injectable medical grade liquid silicone, polyacrylamide hydrogel, and others. New products are being tested and marketed constantly in this category. Also used for filling deeper facial creases and hollows are fat cells taken from ones own body (fat grafting). The below pictures show before and after one milliliter of Restylane injected into the lines between nose and lips, called the “nasolabial” folds.
In summary, sterile injectable products such as BOTOX® Cosmetic, Dysport® , Restylane®, Juvederm®, Perlane® , Radiesse®, and others can delay the visible progression of facial aging without the expense, downtime, and risk of surgery. These are consistently safe and effective treatments when administered by a skilled and artistic professional. Lines of worry, concern, and creases of aging disappear or are softened resulting in a more youthful appearance of calm and rested beauty. Fillers can also be used to enhance volume of your lips, cheeks, and brow. These are excellent procedures for younger adults who want to present their best, prevent the appearance of aging, who are not ready for surgery, and/or to prepare for important social or professional events. Results are temporary, and of variable duration.
Cost estimate $200-$1500/session
Dr. Laverson will only recommend enough doses to achieve your desired result. YOU WILL NOT MAKE YOU LOOK FAKE OR SILLY, JUST FABULOUS!
Contact us now for complimentary no-obligation evaluation and possible treatment.