BOTOX®
BOTOX® is a therapeutic agent derived from the bacterium, Clostridium Botulinum; Also known as Botulinum Toxin Type A. The brand BOTOX® is produced in controlled laboratory conditions and given in extremely small therapeutic doses originally for the treatment of blepharospasm (eye spasm) and strabismus (misalignment of the eye). BOTOX® Purified Neurotoxin Complex is a vacuum-dried form of purified botulinum toxin type A, and is being investigated for several conditions associated with overactive muscle activity.
What Is BOTOX® Used For?
Other than for its intended purpose, treatment of blepharospasm (eye spasm) and strabismus (misalignment of the eye), this product has cosmetic applications as well. BOTOX® injections improve the look of fine lines and superficial wrinkles caused from every day facial exercises like smiling, frowning or squinting. If you find that the early signs of aging are becoming apparent or if your facial expressions are causing premature wrinkles to appear, then BOTOX® may be for you. BOTOX® is also used in the prevention of wrinkles by prohibiting you from making the facial gestures that cause wrinkles.
How Does BOTOX® Work?
Normally, your brain sends electrical messages to your muscles so that they can contract and move. The electrical message is transmitted to the muscle by a substance called acetylcholine. BOTOX® works to block the release of acetylcholine and, as a result, the muscle does not receive the message to contract. This means that the muscle spasms or movements that cause wrinkling stop, or are greatly reduced after using BOTOX®. Patients sometimes refer to the effects of the injection to their area of treatment as being "paralyzed".
What To Expect At Your BOTOX® Appointment
BOTOX® is injected with a micro-needle into the muscle(s) that your individual needs require. The most requested areas of treatment and complaint are the forehead and outer eye area. One to three injections are usually given per muscle. The company advises that patients report very little pain or discomfort associated with BOTOX® injections due the size of the micro-needle. After treatment, you will usually see the effects of BOTOX® within a few hours to three days. Care must be taken in restricting the amount of muscle movements in the treatment area while it "settles in".
In The Weeks Ahead
Maximum benefit is reached in one to two weeks. The effects last approximately three months thereafter from a single treatment of BOTOX®, resulting in the smoothing of your skin and the improvement of fine lines and superficial wrinkles in the area of your treatment. When the effects start wearing off, you will notice a very gradual fading of its effects. At this point you will return for your next treatment. BOTOX®, which has proven itself again and again in eliminating superficial lines and wrinkles. Patients report that during a course of treatment their lines "seem to disappear" and the skin regains its former smoothness.
Juvéderm™
As we age, our skin changes. It reduces production of a naturally hydrating substance, hyaluronic acid, which results in facial wrinkles and folds, like those “parentheses” lines around the mouth. Juvéderm injectable gel replaces the HA, bringing back volume to the skin and smoothing away facial wrinkles and folds. The first smooth-consistency HA gel, Juvederm is the only HA filler that’s FDA approved to last up to a year!
In the US, Juvederm injectable gel is indicated for injection into the mid-to-deep dermis for correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds and is generally well tolerated. Speak with our staff for more information on contraindications and possible side effects.
Restylane® and Perlane®
Restylane is the #1 selling dermal filler in the world. With over 1.4 million treatements in the US alone, it is the most-studied cosmetic dermal filler in the world and has natural looking results typically in one doctor visit.
The Restylane family of products includes Restylane and Perlane, both cosmetic dermal fillers that replace lost volume and restore youthful contours to the skin to smooth away moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds. While both products contain hyaluronic acid derived from the same biotechnical process, Perlane gel particles are larger and designed for deeper injection than Restylane. Your doctor will decide which product is right for you, based on an evaluation of facial wrinkles and folds. Both products are FDA approved and last about six months.
For all fillers, avoid using aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, St. John’s Wort, or high doses priot to treatment, as these may increase bruising or bleeding at the injection site.
As with all injections, some patients may experience discomfort. You might experience swelling, redness, pain, bruising, and tenderness, which can last up to seven days.
Dysport
Frown lines are "dynamic" — they happen because of the way a person's face moves. Because frown lines are created by facial movements, such as frowning or squinting, they may develop even in younger adults. Dysport is used to treat moderate to severe frown lines between the eyebrows in patients between the ages of 18 and 65.
Dysport is a purified formation that has been shown to deliver temporary improvements in moderate to severe frown lines, even with repeat treatments. So, the effect of repeat treatment with Dysport may be comparable to your first use!
With just one injection into each of five points between and over the eyebrows, Dysport stops the signal from the nerve to the muscles, utimately resulting in a reduction of muscle activity and temporarily preventing contraction of the muscles that cause forwn lines. The untreated facial muscles still contract normally, allowing you to freely show facial expression, such as laughing, in untreated areas. And with Dysport, there is little to no downtime after injection.
You should not be treated with Dysport more frequently than every 90 days. Our staff can provide information about possible side effects and contraindications.
ArteFill
Facial Wrinkles are a result of the natural aging process. Over time, the skin loses its abililty to repair itself as the underlying elastin and collagen break down. Heredity, UV exposure, and repetitive facial movement can all contribute to the development of facial wrinkles and folds.
ArteFill is the first and only FDA-approved non-resorbable wrinkle filler for the correction of smiles lines.
- Immediate, visible results with no downtime
- A simple, in-office procedure
- Excellent safety profile
- Results improve over the course of several months and stand the test of time
Q: What is ArteFill?
A: ArteFill is the first and only FDA-approved non-resorbable dermal filler for the correction of facial wrinkles known as smile lines that provides enduring wrinkle correction.
Q: How is ArteFill different from temporary dermal fillers?
A: Temporary dermal fillers are made of different kinds of natural or synthetic materials that are completely absorbed by the body over time and as a result wrinkle correction usually only lasts a few months.
Q: Why is ArteFill different from temporary dermal fillers?
A: ArteFill is a wrinkle filler that stands the test of time. The unique microspheres in ArteFill are not absorbed by the body and provide a permanent support structure your skin needs for long-lasting wrinkle correction.
Q: What process did ArteFill go through before it was FDA approved?
A: Artes Medical conducted clinical studies in the United States to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of our microsphere dermal filler technology. The data from our clinical trials were subject to a full and open review in a public hearing by an FDA review panel. During the review, we worked with the FDA to further enhance our manufacturing process and testing to ensure that ArteFill meets the highest quality standards. ArteFill was approved by the FDA in October 2006 after eight years of clinical study and review.
Q: How does ArteFill differ from Artecoll®?
A: ArteFill represents the next generation of this PMMA-based dermal filler technology. Its predecessor, Artecoll, has been available outside of the United States since 1994. However, only the enhanced Artefill formulation has been FDA approved as it meets or exceeds the rigorous safety, quality, and manufacturing standards required by the FDA.
Q: Does the FDA review the safety of wrinkle fillers after they are on the market?
A: Yes, the FDA reviews the post-marketing experience of all dermal fillers. All adverse events not included in the product labeling must be reported to the FDA. Since the launch of ArteFill in February 2007, there have been no significant differences in the product's safety profile as compared to the events reported during the clinical study.
Q: What is the long-term safety of ArteFill?
A: Artes Medical recently completed a follow-up study of patients from the controlled clinical study that began in 1999. These patients were followed over a 5-year period after treatment. Independent expert observers rated photographs of patient wrinkles at five years compared to before treatment and six months after treatment. The physician investigators of this follow-up study concluded that ArteFill safely maintains significant correction of smile lines for at least five years post-treatment. Results of this study have been submitted to the FDA as well as a peer-reviewed journal, which is expected to publish the results soon. No other dermal filler company has submitted a five-year follow-up study of its safety and effectiveness to the FDA.
Q: Are there any current studies being conducted on ArteFill?
A: Yes. Treatment has started in a new 1000-patient post-marketing study that will follow patients treated with ArteFill for a period of five years. Study participants will receive ArteFill injections into their smile lines at up to 25 leading dermatology and plastic surgery centers throughout the United States and Canada.
Sculptra
Sculptra is a synthetic injectable material known as “poly-L-lactic acid.” Poly-L-lactic acid is biocompatible (a material that does not harm the body) and biodegradable (able to be broken down by the body). Poly-L-lactic acid has been widely used for many years in dissolvable stitches, soft tissue implants, and other types of implants. No skin testing is required prior to use.
Sculptra is injected below the surface of the skin in the area of fat loss. Sculptra provides a gradual increase in skin thickness. Visible results appear within the first few treatment sessions.
Sculptra will not correct the underlying cause of the facial fat loss, but will help improve the appearance by increasing skin thickness in the treated area.
Results from a Sculptra injection are not immediate. At your first visit, it may appear that Sculptra worked immediately because of swelling from the injections and the water used to dilute the Sculptra. In a few days, when the swelling goes down and the water is absorbed by your body, you may look as you did before your treatment. Sculptra takes time to gradually correct the depression in your skin. Your health care provider will see you again in a few weeks to decide if you need more Sculptra injections.
Your health care provider will decide the appropriate number of treatment sessions and the amount of Sculptra you will need at each session. Patients with severe facial fat loss may require 3 to 6 treatment sessions.
Treatment results will differ for each person. In a clinical study, the treatment results lasted for up to 2 years after the first treatment session, in most patients. Touch-up treatments may be needed to maintain the desired effect.
The most common side effects with the use of Sculptra include injection-related side effects at the site of the injection such as bleeding, tenderness or pain, redness, bruising, or swelling. These side effects generally last, on average, 3 to 17 days. Report any side effects to your health care provider.
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