Patients are often confused about what different techniques can actually accomplish. Here are the basics.By Claudia Pinto
Women come to Dr. Dawn Vincent all the time, anxious to get rid of their “11s” (what they call the lines between their eyebrows) or their “parentheses” (the lines around their mouths).
Vincent, a dermatologist with Belle Meade Dermatology, says people typically have no problem identifying what they want fixed. However, the explosion of non-invasive cosmetic procedures in recent years has resulted in confusion over what treatments will best address their issues.
Dr. Brian Biesman, executive director of the Nashville Centre for Laser and Facial Surgery, says a lot of times patients have heard about a new treatment and they’ll ask if it works. He says the answer frequently depends on what you’re using it for — a product meant to erase wrinkles is not going to cure sagging skin.
“Does a hammer work? Well, if you are trying to hammer a nail it works perfectly. If you are trying to saw something, not so much,” Biesman says.
HOW THEY WORK
We turned to doctors Brian Biesman and Dawn Vincent for a crash course on non-invasive cosmetic procedures, an anti-aging 101 if you will. Read on for an overview of how to effectively treat some common aging problems.
Sagging skin
Treatments: Thermage, Ultherapy
How they work: Both treatments heat tissue under the skin, causing it to shrink and stimulate collagen, which makes the skin on the face become tighter and younger looking. Ultherapy uses ultrasound energy. Thermage uses radiofrequency energy.
Staying power: It takes a few months to see the full effects. Results are expected to last about a year for Thermage and one to two years for Ultherapy.
Possible side effects: Temporary bruising, numbness, skin tenderness and swelling.
Cost: $3,000 to $4,000. Thermage is about $3,000 to treat the entire face. Ultherapy is about $4,000.
Upper face wrinkles
(Lines between the eyebrows, on the forehead and around the eyes)
Products: Botox, Dysport (injected)
How they work: Wrinkles on the upper part of the face are typically caused by muscle movement. Botox and Dysport work by temporarily weakening the muscle, reducing activity that causes lines to form.
Staying power: Results can be seen within a few days and last for about four months.
Possible side effects: Temporary swelling, bruising and drooping eyelids or eyebrows.
Cost: $300 to $400 per site, depending on severity.
Lower face wrinkles
(Wrinkles around the mouth and chin)
Products: Juvederm, Restylane and Perlane (injected). Why not Botox or Dysport? “You don’t want to limit muscle movement around the mouth,” Vincent says.
How they work: Juvederm, Restylane and Perlane are products known as fillers. They are gels that are injected into the skin to fill in wrinkles.
Staying power: Results can be seen immediately and last several months.
Possible side effects: Temporary swelling and bruising.
Cost: $600 and up depending on severity.
Dark sunspots
Treatment: Q-switched lasers
How it works: The laser’s light beam is absorbed by excess pigment cells and destroys them.
Staying power: Permanent
Possible side effects: Temporary swelling, a little bit of crusting that can last a few days.
Cost: $100 to $350 per treatment. It typically takes one to three treatments for desired results.
Volume loss
(hollow cheeks and sunken eyes)
Products: Sculptra, Radiesse, Juvederm, Restylane, Perlane (injected)
How it works: Sculptra is a poly-L-lactic acid that stimulates collagen growth. The rest are gels that are used to fill in areas of the face that have lost volume due to aging.
Staying power: Sculptra and Radiesse can last two years or more. The other products last several months.
Possible side effects: Temporary bruising and swelling. Sculptra and Radiesse may also cause small bumps deep in the skin.
Cost: $600 to $1,000 and up. Treating an area with sculptra or Radiesse can cost $1,000 and up, depending on severity. The other products run about $600 and up.
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