Illegal fillers on the rise.

A simple Google search for “cheap cosmetic fillers” will show you results of many pages advertising fillers for half the price of any trusted certified professional.  The pages advertise cosmetic fillers that are sent to you and easy to use. Behind the “cheap” fillers is a dangerous lie that is costing more than expected.

The San Francisco Gate reported a story of a woman who bought inexpensive cosmetic fillers from the Internet and asked a friend to inject them. When the delivery arrived the box was post marked from Brazil. As soon as the woman was injected she felt a burning sensation in her cheeks. It took the women four months to repair the damage that the fillers had done and left her permanent scars from the draining of the supposed fillers.

The women story is not unique; there are several stories of women becoming blind after a non-physician injected the patients in an artery. There are also several reports of women having severe allergic reaction to injections. Many women don’t realize that when they are purchasing unapproved fillers from the Internet from foreign countries they are doing so illegally.

A visit to a licensed dermatologist to perform procedures like Restylane may cost from about $600 to $700 per syringe. Doctors will use multiple syringes sending a visiting to $1,200 or more.

Doctor recommends not purchasing any filler online.

For more information visit SF Gate.

Wrinkles be gone!

Our offices offers a full range of services designed to smooth away wrinkles and enhance the lips, including Restylane®, Artefill®, and Radiesse™ injections.

Lip Enhancement and Wrinkle Removal

Both permanent and temporary enlargements are offered through various injectables substances introduced comfortably under topical or local anesthesia. There are a variety of fillers that can erase the effects of aging by filling marionette lines, smile lines, forehead lines, crow’s feet, and other skin depressions.

Radiesse is composed of calcium hydroxylapatite, a naturally occurring component found in bone and teeth that appears to have no risk of allergy when used as an implant.  The procedure is performed with a small gauge needle injection after the application of a topical anesthetic cream. You'll begin to notice results on the day of the procedure, and effects typically last 1 to 2 years.

BOTOX® Cosmetic, a natural, purified protein that relaxes muscles, is also used to treat an aging neck. This injection dramatically eliminates deep frown and forehead lines and crow’s feet lines. Results last several months. There’s no recovery time and you can get back to work or participate in other activities immediately!

Artefill® is used to treat deep wrinkles, depressions under the eyes, depressed acne scars, and chicken pox scars. It can permanently eliminate unsightly lines and wrinkles, leaving the skin looking younger, radiant, and revitalized. Effects look extremely natural. Unlike prior approaches, such as collagen injections, the area is not overcorrected (not raised up much above flat skin level) The area injected is raised by the bovine collagen, which then disappears over 1-3 months. As this collagen (temporary) is disappearing, more or less simultaneously the patient’s (permanent) collagen is being produced to replace it

Juvéderm Juvéderm is a smooth consistency gel made of hyaluronic acid-a naturally occurring substance in your skin that helps to add volume and hydration for lip augmentation and facial expression lines. Studies show superior results of Juvéderm compared to collagen-based dermal filler. In addition, Juvéderm injectable gel is the first FDA-approved hyaluronic acid dermal filler that is proven to be safe and effective for persons of color.

Consumers satisfied with wrinkle-relaxers and body contouring.

A survey conducted by the ASDA found that consumers are most satisfied with wrinkle-relaxers, soft-tissue fillers and body sculpting treatments.

All three treatment categories received satisfaction ratings of 90 percent or above for the second straight year. And the ranks of those who declared themselves “extremely satisfied” increased significantly in all three groups.

Wrinkle-relaxers – Botox, Dysport and Xeomin – to soften facial lines and crow’s feet are at the top of consumers’ satisfaction list. Next are soft-tissue fillers – Belotero, Juvederm, Radiesse, Restylane and Sculptra – which smooth wrinkles and folds and add facial volume.

Satisfaction also is high with body sculpting. Options include tumescent liposuction, performed in an office setting under local anesthesia; cryolipolysis, also known as “fat-freezing;” laserlipolysis to remove localized, stubborn pockets of fat; and other non-invasive treatments – using focused ultrasound and/or radiofrequency – for fat and cellulite.
ASDS President Mitchel P. Goldman said body sculpting is popular “because it works so well.” The average liposuction patient in his multi-dermatologic surgeon practice has 2.3 procedures within two to three years. “Once they see how easy it
is – downtime is a few days, typically – and that the results are so good, they want it done on a different part of their body,” he said.
The procedures with the highest satisfaction ratings reflect the top reasons consumers say they turn to cosmetic procedures: to look “as young as I feel or better for my age,” to appear more attractive and to feel more confident.

 Find full article: bit.ly/1so2GWA

Time to start thinking of laser resurfacing

Laser Resurfacing is defined as the improvement of surface irregularities of the skin with lasers. These irregularities include wrinkles and acne scars.  Our offices provide the best in laser resurfacing. It is important to determine the most effective treatment for one's condition during a consultation because the same technology used for acne scars can’t be used for wrinkles so.

For the treatment of wrinkles the CO2 laser remains the most effective treatment available. The laser removes outer layers of damaged skin to reveal the underlying skin which is softer and smoother.

We use the Ulta Pulse Co2 which is the Rolls Royce of the CO2 devices. There is a very definite one month preparation with topical and oral medications; followed by a very specific after care regimen. Down time is 7 days for local areas; 10 days for a full face. Substantial results are seen early and even improve with time.

Fraxel is the most effective laser treatment for acne scars. It is non-ablative ( no removal of skin & no downtime ) so it is able to go much deeper than any of the ablative lasers  which needs to heal from hair follicles, there by preventing penetration of the laser light to the bottom of many acne scars. It is also the treatment of choice for white stretch marks. If you’re interested in any of these laser treatments call our office to book your consultation and find out which is the best option for you.

Avoiding weight gain after a fat removal procedure

One common concern expressed by our body contouring patients is how to maintain results after undergoing their fat removal procedure. This is a very valid concern.  Patients should understand if they gain significant weight after the procedure (liposuction or non-invasive fat removal), fat can be gained and deposited in new and unpredictable areas of the body, especially with liposuction.

A healthy, balanced diet and exercise plan is a must to maintain results seen from a treatment and to maximize the effect of treatment. Some important points to remember are:

1. If you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight.

2. Exercise alone will not do the trick. You must exercise in conjunction with and proportional to a decrease in the amount of food/calories consumed. Just because you run 5 miles a few times a week does not mean you can eat KFC every day and still expect to loose weight. The right exercise program will vary from individual to individual, but generally it will require anywhere between 30-60 minutes three to five times per week.

3. Drink plenty of water.  Avoid store bought flavored waters. If you must have flavored water, try adding some sliced fruit, cucumber, herbs (such as mint) or spices (such as nutmeg or cinnamon sticks), into your jug of water.

4. Watch your meal portion sizes. If you find this difficult (the food tastes so good or you are hungry when you serve the meal) try giving yourself half of your usual serving and then wait 20 minutes, you may find you are not hungry anymore. Decrease the portion size to an amount that lets you eat until you are not hungry anymore, instead of eating until you feel full.

5. Stay away from refined sugar, too much salt, fat and preservatives/additives. This means staying away from packaged, processed or fast foods. Try and prepare as much food at home that you can. Make meals ahead of time and store them in the fridge or freezer. Take a sandwich or salad to work instead of grabbing a burger in your lunch break.

Remember, this is a long term plan, not just for a month or two after your treatment. Stay active, stay healthy, stay hydrated, and make the most of your treatment, you deserve it!

Non-Surgical Fat Removal with Lipodissolve

Lipodissolve is best for treating areas that diet and exercise cannot budge. Localized fatty deposits, such as love handles, back rolls, belly fat, bra rolls or thigh fat can be bothersome and hard to completely get rid of on your own.  For these areas, Lipodissolve may be the right treatment solution for you.

Lipodissolve is a non-surgical, minimally invasive procedure which consists of a series of tiny injections of a fat-dissolving mixture. The mixture consists of 2 naturally occurring chemicals, Phosphatidylcholine and Sodium Deoxycholate, which are normally secreted and stored in the gall bladder and help with the digestion of fat. Once injected, these chemicals begin to break down and dissolve fat giving you a more contoured and toned appearance.

The first appointment will be a consultation to visually inspect the areas of concern and evaluate if Lipodissolve is the best treatment solution for you. The size of the area and the number of treatments required will be determined during this initial consultation. Keep in mind that Lipodissolve is only meant to treat small pockets of fat, and not everyone is a candidate. Often, the first treatment will be administered that day also.

After the treatment, it takes several weeks for the broken down fat to be cleaned up and removed by your body.  The success of the treatment varies from patient to patient with some seeing better or faster results than others. It may take a few months for results to become obvious, depending on the size of the area treated. The removal of fat is permanent as long as you do not gain weight.  It is therefore important to maintain a healthy life style post Lipodissolve treatment with plenty of physical activity and a healthy diet.

If you think you may be a candidate for Lipodissolve, we offer free initial consultations in both our Woodland Hills and Beverly Hills offices. Please call us to schedule your free consultation (310) 275-6400.

FLAT TONED TERRIFIC ABS IN MEN

These can now be achieved with Therma Sculpting fat reduction and the new ultra high energy Thermage® to tighten skin.

Now you really can get and stay hard. The gym is up to you, but that only tones muscle; it doesn't remove abdominal fat or tighten skin.