Fat Grafting
Q. As I get older the
circles under my eyes are getting deeper, my cheeks are
getting hollow and my lips are getting thinner. My skin
is still tight so I am not ready for a facelift. Is there
anything I can do?
A. You have probably
noticed a change in your appearance especially when you
look back to your high school or wedding photos. Your
concerns are very common. What you are noticing is a decrease
in the fullness of these areas of your face, which gradually
occurs as we get older. This is because the fat in your
face decreases and shifts position. The best solution
for your would be to restore the fullness in the areas
where there is hollowness by “fat grafting”.
This is a safe procedure which can restore the youthful
fullness to your face. Since we sue your own fat, you
don’t have to worry about your body rejecting it.
Q. I have always wanted
to have fuller lips but am not sure how I will look or
how big they should be. Is there a way to fill my lips
to see if I like the look?
A. Most patients
are concerned about how they will look with their lips
fuller. They are worried that their lips will look “too
big”. Collagen may be the answer for you because
it lasts about 3 months. It can gradually be added to
give you the look you like. Most patients are very happy
with this new look and wish to repeat it later or ask
for something more permanent such as fat grafting or Radiance.
Collagen is also helpful to soften other facial lines
such as the lines around the mouth and smile lines. And
now there is a human form of collagen which does not require
a skin test prior to use.
Restylane
Q.
I have some lines around my mouth and would like fuller
lips. I have had collagen in the past but it doesn’t
seem to last. Is there anything new for this problem?
A. There is a new FDA
approved product called Restylane. Restylane is a safe
and natural cosmetic dermal filler that restores volume
and fullness to the skin to correct moderate to server
facial wrinkles and folds such as smile lines. It can
also be used to add fullness to the lips.
Restylane is a natural substance that already exists in
the human body. It is a crystal clear gel, biodegradable,
and completely bio-compatible. There is no pre-testing
necessary and studies have shown that the average treatment
result lasts about six months or even longer. Restylane
has proven to deliver a longer lasting effect that traditional
collagen with virtually no risk of animal disease transmission
or allergic reactions. In our experience, Restylane is
softer and more natural, and the patients are very happy
with it.
Q. I heard there
is a new kind of laser for sun damaged skin that does
not cause you to lose time off work. What is it and how
does it work?
A. There is a new treatment to correct
sun damage, and other types of environmental damage that
occur to our skin over time. The treatment is called "Photo
facial" or Intense pulse Light. The Pulse Light is
different from laser in that there is very little, if
any, downtime. It can be used on the face, neck, chest,
hands, and any other area of your body where sun damage
has occured. It is excellent for removing unsightly sunspots.
It is also effective in correcting redness, rosacea, small
facial veins, and unwanted irregular skin pigmentation.
A series of five or more treatments are performed at three-week
intervals. Each treatment takes approximately 20-30 minutes.
For sensitive skin, a topical anesthetic may be applied.
After each session, you will experience smoother, healthier,
younger looking skin.
