FACIAL COSMETIC SURGERY/OCULOPLASTIC SURGERY

Dermal fillers are excellent solutions for replacing volume loss in the soft tissue of the lips as well as for reducing or eliminating wrinkles or scar depressions. Now, a more comfortable injection experience is available with new Juvéderm XC.

April Witt says she always thought her lips were too thin.

“Then once I turned thirty, they just seemed to lose volume as well,” she confides. “My lips lost some of their definition.”

“As our skin ages, the dermis gradually loses its major constituents: ­collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid,” informs William P. Mack, MD, a board-certified ophthalmologist who is fellowship trained in eyelid and facial cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, “and this loss challenges the full, firm look of youthful skin. Dermal fillers are excellent solutions for reducing or eliminating wrinkles and scar depressions, and for replacing volume loss in the soft tissue of the lips.”

Thirty-one-year-old April says she was treated with a product called Juvéderm, a smooth consistency gel made of hyaluronic acid, which is ­a naturally occurring substance in the skin that helps add volume and hydration. According to its manufacturer, Allergan, Juvéderm is developed using a proprietary technology that results in a malleable, smooth gel that flows easily and consistently into the skin, rather than the granular consistency gel of other hyaluronic acid dermal fillers currently on the market. It is the only hyaluronic acid dermal filler approved by the FDA to last up to one year from initial treatment.

April remembers that while she was happy with what the dermal filler did for her lips, she didn’t like the additional anesthetic necessary to reduce the discomfort of the injections.

“I loved the results, but to be honest, I put off getting a second treatment because I just couldn’t again face the anesthetic dental block used to adequately numb my lips before the injections,”she admits. “So you can imagine how excited I was to learn that Juvéderm had come out with a new product that numbs the lips as they are being treated.”

In 2010, the FDA approved Juvéderm XC, which is formulated with the local anesthetic lidocaine. This formula provides patients with a more comfortable injection experience when compared to the non-lidocaine formulation.

April says she scheduled an appointment with Dr. Mack to try Juvéderm XC.

“I knew that any dermal filler is technique sensitive,” notes April, “and there are medical professionals who do not have Dr. Mack’s skill or training who will do these procedures.”

“My commitment is to provide my patients with safe and effective cosmetic options and to give them a refreshed, rejuvenated appearance without calling attention to the fact that they’ve had any procedure,” assures Dr. Mack.

April says she was thrilled with her outcome.

“The Juvéderm XC made a huge difference,” she observes. “With the dental block, there were still areas like the corners of my mouth that were sensitive, and my mouth was numb for a couple of hours afterward; I didn’t feel like I could eat or anything. But with the Juvéderm XC, the numbness was completely gone within twenty-five minutes. This was one hundred percent tolerable, with no downtime whatsoever.

“I would definitely do it again. I didn’t mind it at all, and no one would ever suspect that I had lip injections. Dr. Mack gave me a totally natural look. My lips now have a nice definition and just the right amount of volume; it’s very natural.”

ADDITIONAL USES

Patient Sally Roe says she knows first-hand how rejuvenating dermal fillers can be.

“I can tell you from personal experience,” she offers, “because I’ve had Juvéderm treatments for the laugh lines on my face ­and it really makes a difference! I had a treatment right before I got married, and it looks just great in pictures. Dermal fillers give you an immediate and wonderful result.”

Dermal fillers are being used more frequently, Dr. Mack notes, to help reverse the changes associated with aging, and he offers several treatment options that can last from six to twelve months. And because treatments like dermal fillers and BOTOX Cosmetic help restore the face to a more youthful appearance quickly, they can provide patients with a healthy, refreshed look in time for special events or summer vacations.

BOTOX COSMETIC

For Abby McLaughlin, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

“It’s really a misconception that mostly older people use BOTOX Cosmetic,” she relates. “I’m only thirty-five, and I’ve been doing it for several years.

“What many people don’t realize about BOTOX Cosmetic is that it’s an effective preventative measure against the signs of aging,” Abby explains. “What I want to do is a little early intervention to keep the wrinkles from getting deeper over time, ­like rewinding or pausing the aging process. So I’ve been getting BOTOX Cosmetic treatments, and I absolutely love it.”

“While we do see patients well into their seventies,” Dr. Mack explains, “we are seeing more and more patients in their twenties using BOTOX Cosmetic as a preventative treatment.

“One of the most commonly treated areas is around the forehead ­– the glabellar area between the eyebrows – which is a muscle system just like any other,” Dr. Mack continues. “If you work it consistently – frowning and lifting the eyebrows repeatedly – those muscles get stronger over time, and that contributes to deeper lines and wrinkles.

“ BOTOX Cosmetic treatments help decrease the excess movement of that area, keeping the face looking more youthful and refreshed as we age.”

Abby notes that since beginning BOTOX Cosmetic treatments, she often receives compliments on her skin, yet the best indicator of BOTOX Cosmetic’s effectiveness, she maintains, is that people are consistently surprised when they hear her age.

“I’m often told that I look a lot younger than I actually am, which makes me happy,” relates Abby. “To me, it’s just like working out and staying healthy. It’s part of preserving your youth, and I think that’s important to everyone.”

KNOWING THE FACTS

BOTOX Cosmetic is a nonsurgical, physician-administered treatment that can temporarily smooth moderate to severe frown lines between the brows, forehead, and crow’s feet. Treatments can last up to four months, and BOTOX Cosmetic is the only treatment of its type approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Abby acknowledges that even she was not aware of the full benefits of BOTOX Cosmetic treatments until she first began seeing Dr. Mack as a patient three years ago.

“I wasn’t very informed about BOTOX Cosmetic,”Abby confides, “but once I started talking to Dr. Mack about it, he educated me, and I felt very, very comfortable about it.

“As a patient and as a medical technician, this is a subject that I’m now particularly knowledgeable on,” she confirms.“The truth is, though, you can educate patients about the procedure, but it’s the actual experience of it – when patients learn how simple it is and are able to see the benefits for themselves – that really makes the difference.”

SPECIALIZED CARE

“What I like about BOTOX Cosmetic is that you can do it a lot or you can do it minimally,” Abby confirms. “I use it very minimally, and I appreciate the fact that Dr. Mack is conservative in his approach to the treatment.

“In my opinion, if you’re going to use BOTOX Cosmetic or dermal fillers, it’s important to go to a facial cosmetic specialist who is an expert in the anatomy around the eyes, which is a very important area. The fact that Dr. Mack is an oculoplastic specialist is paramount in my decision to have him perform my BOTOX Cosmetic treatments.

“People definitely want to look their best, and when you look good, you feel good!”

FHCN – Kris Kline