Archive for the ‘Cosmetic Injections’ Category

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What Makes People Look Older?

Monday, August 8th, 2011 by Staff Writer

what makes people look olderIt’s true that as we age, the years we’ve lived become obvious on our faces in the form of lines, wrinkles and general sagginess. The cause of these signs of aging can be quite varied and time can have different effects for different people. So, the question remains, what makes people look older?

A recent New York Times article delved into this question and distilled how people of differing skin types and colors show age in different ways.

For plastic surgeons, what makes people look older can be grouped into a “holy trinity” of changes. These include wrinkles and age spots, a general loss of volume and an overall sagginess of the skin.

Generally speaking, those with darker skin tones aged more slowly. As dark skin has more pigment in it, it is better protected against the aging effects of the sun. Dark skin also tends to be oilier and thicker, making it more resistant to the signs of aging. Additionally, round faces, as many people with dark skin may have, show the signs of aging more slowly that those with thinner faces as more youthful volume is preserved.

Another cause of what makes people look older is how, over time, the skin has lost volume and begins to droop. This leads to bagginess around the eyes and the appearance of jowls, among other issues. To correct loose skin around the eyes, eyelid surgery can be performed, while a facelift can diminish jowls in the lower face. If the skin has begun to slide down from the cheeks, facial contouring or augmentation can restore it.

Excessive frowning and other extreme facial expressions can add to what makes people look older, as well. These actions can cause lines to form in areas of the face like the brows and nasolabial folds, but both can be easily corrected. For forehead lines, Botox limits the movement of the muscle, causing the wrinkle to smooth out. In the case of laugh lines, injectable fillers can diminish their appearance, restoring a more youthful smoothness.

To learn more about combating the common signs of aging, we encourage you to contact Minnesota plastic surgeon Dr. Smith.

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Fat Transfer Procedure Achieves “Less Is More” Result

Monday, July 18th, 2011 by Staff Writer

fat transfer procedureAs patients usually desire a natural appearance when they undergo a procedure, plastic surgeons tend to employ a “less is more” tactic when performing a surgery or treatment.

Houston plastic surgeon Dr. Neal Reisman wrote in Culture Map that when it comes to plastic surgery, the “goal is not to appear different than we did when we were younger, but look as we did at an earlier time.” What causes these changes to the face is the loss of volume experienced over time and as an effect of sun exposure.

To remedy this looseness in the skin that results in lines and wrinkles, Dr. Reisman often recommends fat transfer procedures. By using the patient’s own excess tissue from a donor site (like the abdomen or thighs), your plastic surgeon is able to restore lost facial volume.

As an added plus to this fat transfer procedure, “stem cells and other nutrient cells combined with such transfers actually improve the circulation to local tissue.” While this will not replace a good skin care routine, it may help your skin maintain its healthy appearance for a longer period of time.

But what of those patients who lack sufficient fatty stores to undergo fat transfer procedures? Long-lasting facial fillers like Restylane are FDA-approved and can restore lost volume and vibrancy to the face. Dr. Reisman urges patients to be aware that while these treatments can have long-lasting effects, they are not permanent. Any filler that is not FDA-approved should be avoided to ensure your safety and an aesthetically-pleasing result.

For patients whose skin laxity is too poor to be corrected by a non-surgical treatments like an injection, the “less is more” rule still applies. For sagging jowls or the like, a full facelift may not always be necessary to achieve the desired result, Dr. Reisman says. A smaller operation, like a targeted “mini-lift” can leave the patient with beautiful results for seven to 10 years. These types of procedures can be completed with minimal anesthesia and recovery times.

We encourage you to contact us to learn more about diminishing the effects of aging with a cosmetic surgery or non-surgical treatment that focuses on your individual needs and aesthetic goals.

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Palin’s Jaw Surgery Creates Interest in Chin Augmentation

Monday, May 23rd, 2011 by Staff Writer

minneapolis chin surgeryFor Bristol Palin, what she called “corrective jaw surgery” actually gave her aesthetic improvements, as well, according to Us Weekly.

Though Palin said she underwent the procedure to help align her jaw and teeth, her appearance is now more streamlined. Palin said because of the surgery she looks more mature and has less of a “chubby little baby face.”

Women, as well as men, who wish to improve the projection of their chins actually have several cosmetic options. Though Palin said she chose surgery for medical reasons, the aesthetic improvements that can be made include permanent chin implants as well as more temporary options like fillers.

By augmenting the shape and projection of the chin, your facial features can be streamlined and harmony between your chin and other prominent facial features can be improved.

Chin augmentation with an implant can add projection to an underdeveloped chin. In this procedure, an alloplastic implant is placed in front of the jaw through an incision under the chin or inside the mouth.

For patients whose chin is only slightly underdeveloped, a dermal filler may be used to fill out its shape, though this is only a temporary solution.

In addition to these procedures to augment the chin, your other facial features can be modified surgically to improve facial harmony. These procedures may include other facial implants (like the cheeks or jaw), lip augmentation or rhinoplasty, to reshape the nose. Additionally, neck liposuction may create a more refined jawline and chin.

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Moderate Botox Users Experience Fewer Psychological Side Effects, Study Finds

Monday, May 2nd, 2011 by Staff Writer

minneapolis botox restylanePatients who receive excessive amounts of Botox or Dysport to minimize wrinkles may have more difficulty reading others emotions, found a  study in Social Psychological and Personality Science, according to WebMD.

Dr. David R. Neal, a psychology professor at the University of Southern California said that, “If you have a poker face because your facial muscles are paralyzed, you can’t read others emotions as well.”

Oftentimes, Neal said, we read the emotions of others by mimicking their facial expressions using a sort of “sixth sense.” Under the effect of too much botulinum toxin, the main component in Botox and Dysport, we lose that sense, he said.

Despite the decreased ability of some Botox users to read the facial expressions of others, Neal maintains that the effect is subtle and says patients need to weigh the aesthetic benefits with the possible psychological effects the treatments may have.

Conversely, the study found that patients who received treatments of the dermal filler Restylane did not experience a change in their ability to read facial expressions.

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Eyelid Surgery, Among Other Procedures, Highly Popular in China

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011 by Staff Writer

minneapolis botox eyelid surgery rhinoplasty nose surgerySince the industry began to grow exponentially a decade ago, more and more Chinese are choosing to spend extra income on plastic surgery, according to The New York Times. Only houses, cars and travel are ranked above plastic surgery as ways those in China choose to spend discretionary income.

The number of operations performed in China doubles every year and in 2009, China was ranked third in the number of procedures performed with more than two million. Ranked numbers one and two were the US and Brazil, respectively.

While plastic surgeries may often be thought of as an age-fighting measure, in China, the most popular procedure is actually eyelid surgery to increase the apparent size of the patient’s eyes. This surgery involves adding a crease in the eyelid to create what is called a double eyelid.

One such patient, 25-year-old Chen Xiaomeng, pictured, underwent the procedure and was pleased with the result and is now considering nose surgery. It may have been easier for her to undergo plastic surgery than it may have been in generations past since, “Cosmetic surgery is now accepted in practically every household,” Xiaomeng said.

Other popular procedures in China include rhinoplasty to build up the bridge of the nose, jaw surgery to lengthen and narrow its appearance, as well as facelifts and non-surgical wrinkle treatments like Botox.

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Plastic Surgery Favored Among More Americans

Monday, April 11th, 2011 by Staff Writer

edina minneapolis botox breast augmentationA new study published by the ASAPS shows that now, more than ever, Americans approve of cosmetic plastic surgery. The study, which was released this month, found that 51% of Americans regardless of income hold a favorable view of plastic surgery.

While the approval numbers vary somewhat between income levels—56% with an income above $75,000 approve while just 45% with an income between $50,000 to $75,000 approve—there is an overall 3% increase in approval from 2009.

ASAPS President Felmont F. Eaves III, MD credits society’s growing dedication to maintaining a good physical appearance and adds that, “As both traditional surgical procedures have been improved and refined, and new nonsurgical options have become available, aesthetic plastic surgeons have more to offer our patients.”

These popular surgical procedures include breast augmentations for women, eyelid surgery to reduce wrinkles around the eyes and rhinoplasty. Non-surgical treatments like Botox, injectable fillers and chemical peels, which all work to reduce fine lines and wrinkles on the face, are also highly sought after.

The survey also found that 67% of Americans would not be embarrassed if their friends learned they had undergone a cosmetic surgery, while men and women 18 to 24 were the most likely to consider a cosmetic procedure for themselves.

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Research Investigates Freezing Away Wrinkles

Monday, April 4th, 2011 by Staff Writer

botox edina minneapolisEarly clinical trials are showing success in producing the same wrinkle-reducing effect as Botox and Dysport, without employing the use of the botulinum toxin, according to U.S. News.

Though both Botox and Dysport are hugely popular non-surgical options for diminishing many facial lines and wrinkles, new alternatives are often being researched. This treatment, which is called cryoneuromodulation, “appears to have the same clinical efficacy and safety comparable to the existing techniques,” according to Francis Palmer, director of facial plastic surgery at the University of Southern California School of Medicine in Los Angeles, who co-authored the study.

Rather than paralyzing the underlying muscle to smooth out the wrinkle as Botox and Dysport do, this new method freezes specific nerves in the forehead using small needles. This stops the nerve from communicating with the muscle, which causes it to relax. The smoothing effect is almost immediate and lasts about as long as botulinum toxin-based methods—three to four months.

The procedure takes about 15 minutes to complete while the patient is under a local anesthetic. Patients said the level of discomfort was similar to that experienced with Botox.

Though you may want to jump at the chance to try this new wrinkle-fighting treatment, it is still in the early stages of trails and has only been tested on forehead wrinkles. In the meantime, Botox is known to beautifully treat forehead lines, frown lines and crow’s feet.

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A Surge Seen in Percent of Male Facelifts, ASPS Finds

Monday, March 21st, 2011 by Staff Writer

edina minneapolis facelift make breast reductionMore men than ever are choosing to undergo plastic surgery in order to look as young as they may feel inside, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. In new statistics published this month, the ASPS found that the number of cosmetic plastic surgery procedures chosen by men rose 2% from 2009 to 2010. More dramatically, however, was the increase in the popularity of individual procedures for the face and body, some of which saw rises of nearly 15%.

Of the more than one million cosmetic procedures men chose in 2010, a majority of the top 10 were surgical, a change in the previous trend toward non-invasive options.

Plastic surgeon and ASPS President Dr. Phillip Haeck said this is largely because “as you age and gravity takes over, surgical procedures that lift the skin are necessary in order to show significant improvement.”

The procedure that saw the greatest spike between 2009 and 2010 was the facelift, which saw a 14% increase. This procedure tones the sagging skin of the lower face to remove jowls and deep wrinkles.

Otoplasty, a type of ear surgery that decreases the size and projection of protruding ears saw an 11% increase. Though this jump was among adult men, this procedure is often performed on children, as well.

Two body procedures that saw the greatest boost were liposuction and male breast reduction. Both of these body slimming procedures aim to create a more masculine form through the removal of excess fat and tissue.

On the non-surgical side, injectable fillers and Botox, which treat many moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds saw increases of 10% and 9% respectively. This indicates that even with a greater spike in surgical procedures, some men still choose the non-invasive route, at least at first.

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Tax Refunds Turned into Cosmetic Improvements

Monday, March 14th, 2011 by Staff Writer

liposuction breast augmentation botox minneapolisAs tax season ramps up, refund checks are being sent out and, if the money isn’t going into savings, it’s likely to be used for an indulgence. For many, this means finally going in for a long put-off cosmetic surgery, according to abc15.com.

Plastic surgeons in the Phoenix area say they are seeing a dramatic uptick in the number of individuals who are coming in during tax season, using their tax refund check to cover all or part of a procedure.

Kristy Harris in Phoenix chose to use her tax refund to pay for part of her breast lift surgery and used some savings to cover the rest of the $8,400 procedure (cost based on patient-reported averages on RealSelf.com). The mother of two said that raising children took a toll on her body and she wanted to do something to help herself achieve a “different look.”

Another popular procedure for the breasts is breast augmentation, which costs approximately $6,600. This surgery can improve shapeliness and body proportion.

Liposuction remains one of the most sought-after body procedures and costs about $5,600. Liposuction is often performed to remove stubborn fat deposits nearly anywhere on the body.

Even if your tax refund check is a bit smaller than you would hope, non-surgical treatments are available at a fraction of the cost of surgery. The ever-popular Botox, is used to reduce lines and wrinkles on the face. Chemical peels are also non-invasive and remain one of the key facial rejuvenation treatments and work to reduce many skin imperfections like a dry, dull complexion, blemishes and pigmentation issues. Botox and chemical peels cost about $472 and $610 for full treatments, respectively.

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Botox Maker Looks to Topical Options

Monday, March 7th, 2011 by Staff Writer

botox minneapolis edinaIt’s certainly not news that wrinkle-reducing injectables like Botox and Dysport are seeing sales increases as the economy rebounds. It is noteworthy, however, what the companies are working toward in the wake of renewed consumer interest—topical versions, according to bnet.com.

Botox, produced by Allergan and Dysport, produced by Medicis, contain similar components of the botulinum toxin, which controls muscle movement when injected between the brows and diminishes glabellar lines and wrinkles. On top of this cosmetic use, botulinum toxin-based products have been used to treat excessive sweating and migraines and now the makers are taking the next steps in making their products widely available to those averse to injections.

So far, the news is good for consumers. The second phase in trials for topical Botox, which was completed in October, was successful. While no market date has been set for the topical version of Botox, nor for its Medicis-produced rival Dysport, needle-shy individuals can still test the possible effects of Botox by using Allergan’s Treatment Visualizer.

To learn more about injectable treatments as well as other skin care options, we encourage you to join the mailing list of Minneapolis based plastic surgeon Dr. Smith and to call to schedule a consultation.

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