I was so pleased to see the Wall Street Journal’s article “Wrinkle Erasers for Starters” written by Laura Landro on October 14th.

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/111014/wrinkle-erasing-for-starters?mod=family-love_money

The information in this article was very well written, comprehensive and enlightening for those of you who may not know where to begin. With plastic surgery trends in the US falling, given the economy, men and women are turning to less expensive and less invasive procedures. This is my expertise. I live in the world of lasers and injectables. It is a great place to be, but it is often misunderstood. Fillers, whether they address simple lines and “localized” areas such as lips and tear trophs (the hollows under your eyes), or more “global” rejuvenation of the entire face; can achieve a natural, long lasting more youthful effect provided they are in capable, experienced hands. I have been teaching the art of dermal fillers to physicians and other health care professionals for three years. This experience reinforces my love for this art form with every class I teach. My personal favorite technique is the “Liquid Lift.”

For people just “dipping their toe” in the anti-aging pool, BOTOX is a great place to start. It is a simple procedure with minimal risk and a huge payoff. It is not permanent, but it has been well proven that if you use BOTOX over time you will not form as deep lines as others who have not used the “miracle toxin.” BOTOX treatment are completely customized to your needs, and therefore can vary in price. It would not be fair if a big muscular guy who needed twice as many units (how BOTOX is measured) paid the same price as a petite female with frail musculature. The only way to see how much BOTOX you might need is to get a FREE consultation.

FUZION classifies resurfacing in six phases. The simplest is a no “down-time” chemical peel that will just effect the superficial layers of the skin. “Phase One” is comparable to a “buff and polish” of the skin and is perfect before a big event. Deeper peels can resurface your skin resulting in up to thirty days of “shedding.”

“Phase six” is a fully ablative CO2 Fraxel Re:store laser resurfacing treatment. Laser resurfacing comes in many forms as well. I have many patients who come to me saying “I had a laser treatment.” Well, unfortunately, this tells me nothing. What we need to know is either the type of laser (i.e. Fraxel Re:pair or Re:store), or wavelength of the laser, i.e. 1064nm, 1440nm, 755nm etc. These numbers tell us what type of treatment you actually had. Some laser treatments can provide immediate results while others take up to six months to see results. It is a hard reality, but when the goal is to boost collagen, you must be patient. FUZION has multiple laser options to treat all ailments. We often recommend different laser treatments in combination to target both the surface and deep tissue.

Some people shy away from aesthetic and surgical procedures because they “don’t want to look fake.” Well, in my professional opinion, looking “fake” happens when procedures are inappropriately chosen. Meaning, the wrong procedure, with the wrong amount at the wrong time, in the wrong hands… An example of this is Sylvester Stallone’s mother. She had too much of the filler – I am assuming over-expanded autologous fat transfers, at the wrong time – she really needed a facelift. If your face has lost too much natural volume and the skin envelope is over expanded, it is more appropriate to surgically tailor the skin to the underlying anatomy than it is to over-fill that envelope and create a false, unnatural appearance.

Yes, plastic surgery is expensive, but in the long run, it is cost effective. I am not a plastic surgeon, but as an aesthetic provider who performs a lot of dermal filler procedures, it is only realistic that surgery makes a whole lot of sense. Surgical intervention must be discussed with patients who need more “help” than a filler can provide. Fillers can cost thousands of dollars each year. Surgical intervention is more money upfront, but will last significantly longer – upwards of fifteen years. I would recommend, for people looking to fight Father Time, that you seek out a full service aesthetic center, like FUZION where we are not limited to only one modality. FUZION’s Medical Director is Dr. David Goodkind a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with 26 years of experience. If you don’t have the luxury of living near us, look for centers with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with extensive experience in facial restoration.

Ms. Landro’s article in the Wall Street Journal quoted Dr. Glogau, a Dermatologist at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Glogau’s wrinkle analysis is quite accurate and easy to understand. ‘Skin problems emerge over decades, often starting with sun damage that may appear in the 20s, says Richard Glogau, a professor of dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco. People in their 30s and 40s might have what Dr. Glogau calls “wrinkles in motion” — lines that appear when they smile, which can often be treated with injectable fillers. By their 50s, people often have “wrinkles at rest,” or lines etched into an otherwise expressionless face. At this point, they may need a combination of injectable treatments and laser resurfacing, Dr. Glogau says.’ One area I would disagree with is that wrinkles that are not always responsive to simple injectable fillers and laser resurfacing, and it is not always age dependant. Genetics, environmental factors and lifestyle choices often dictates the necessary intervention over the age of the patient.

Aging is often difficult to bear, and intervening is a very personal choice, but knowledge can create clarity. We invite you to explore your options, surgical or not, at FUZION. Call us for your FREE consultation with our professional medical staff.