Injectables
Aug
Radiesse Injectable Gel
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Radiesse is a natural dermal filler composed of calcium hydroxylapatite (a natural mineral compound) that is combined with glycerine and cellulose to produce a soft and pliable gel-like material. Radiesse has been used in the body for multiple applications including cheek and chin implants and most recently for correcting deep wrinkles. Radiesse can be injected into the dermis of the skin to create a natural “scaffold” on which new collagen is laid down by the body. The result is a long-lasting implant comprised of the calcium microspheres and the body’s own natural tissue.
Radiesse is designed to give a longer-lasting correction to deep folds that remains soft and takes on the characteristics of the surrounding tissue. New soft tissue produced by the body gradually replaces the individual components in Radiesse over time. Although the original injected components gradually dissolve over two to three months, the benefits and youthful appearance produced by Radiesse injections can last 2-5 years.
Typical Radiesse treatments include: smoothing and contouring smile lines or nasolabial folds, marionette lines, acne scars, facial defects or recessions, frown lines, restoring volume in and around the cheeks, and providing modest enhancement or correcting asymmetrical features. Most patients treated with Radiesse should look for a correction that lasts around two years although some patients’ treatment will last three years or longer.
Safety
Radiesse has a long history of safe use as an implant material in a wide range of applications. Comprised of calcium and phosphate ions, calcium hydroxylapatite is durable and biocompatible; it also does not calcify or ossify in soft tissue. Thus, the long-term outcome is a soft, flexible implant. Because the adjacent tissues become
Because the material used in Radiesse is a safe and compatible mineral combination that is similar to the calcium hydroxyapatite found in your bones, there is little risk of allergic reaction and no pretesting is necessary to use Radiesse. Radiesse is FDA approved for vocal cord paralysis and urinary incontinence. All other uses are considered off label.
Possible Side-Effects
A mild localized anesthetic is normally used to minimize or usually eliminate the pain associated with this type of treatment. The numbing effects will wear off in 15 minutes to as long as a couple of hours depending on the anesthetic used by your physician. There is no pain reported afterwards. Some bruising and swelling may occur. Swelling will usually resolve within 24-48hrs and the bruising will usually clear up within 4-5 days. Although rare, c lumping, lumping, or granuloma formation can result when Radiesse is injected into the lips.
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Aug
Juvederm XC
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Take a look at the Juvederm XC ad, which I found in theNew Yorker Magazine, which (coincidentally) includes an article about treatment of wrinkles (“Face It: The Truth About Wrinkles”). The article does not mention Juvederm and hardly has anything at all to say about injection of gels into the skin. Do you think this ad is “fair and balanced”; ie, presents risk information that is “comparable in depth and detail with the claims for effectiveness or safety” as required by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act? FDA issues “notice of violation (NOV)” letters to drug companies when it feels that promotional pieces overly minimizes risk information. Should FDA send a NOV letter to Allergan, which markets Juvederm? “Promotional materials are misleading,” said FDA in a recent letter to Meda Pharmaceuticals regarding an Astelin promo piece (see “FDA Warns Meda Pharmaceuticals that Astelin Isn’t Approved as a Cure for House Cleaning!”), “if they fail to present information about risks associated with a drug with a prominence and readability reasonably comparable with the presentation of information relating to the effectiveness of the drug.” With regard to the Astelin promo piece, FDA noted “the only risk information contained on the sign (a disclosure of common adverse events) is presented at the bottom of the sign after the indication for the drug in extremely small font size and in a single-spaced format that makes this information very difficult to read.” Clearly, the Juvederm ad also presents risk information in hard to read “mouse typeface.” But let’s take a more scientific, quantitative approach. I compared the area devoted to risk information versus benefit information in both the Astelin and Juvederm ads. My thesis is that there is a similar quantitative de-emphasis of risk information in the latter as in the former and that Allergan should also receive a letter from the FDA.
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Jun
- We rewind back to 2008. It’s hard to believe that only two years . This is the second of a 3-part series by Dr. Hema Sundaram. She has worked diligently to dispel the rumors associated with the use and application of Botox Injections. People of Chicago and Chicagoland deserve to have the proper information concerning Botox and other Injectable Skin Treatments. More postings like this one will be incorporated into our weekly updates.
Enjoy-
As a dermatologist, it thrills me to see how happy Botox makes my patients, whether I’m treating them medically for excessive sweating or cosmetically for wrinkles.
Excessive sweating is no laughing matter. To those whose personal and professional lives, and clothing, it ruins, Botox often seems like a miracle. Take Jodie*, who told me that my Botox treatment of her underarms made her wedding day, and saved her dress. Or Peter, who’s 21 and told me that Botox treatment of his palms allowed him to hold hands with a girl for the first time in his life. We can certainly all live with wrinkles but, as I’ve written previously , cosmetic surgery is inspiring and uplifting if you use it to project a positive image and to balance how you look with how you feel. Anne, a recently widowed 53-year-old, was one of the first patients to visit me after I opened my private practice. The Botox and laser treatments that I gave her helped her to cope with the stress of her husband’s death and the toll it had taken on her appearance and self-image.
A recent Los Angeles Times article about the petition provides insight into how much Botox can improve the life of children with cerebral palsy. It includes an interview with a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Hank Chambers, who says that he’s given 20,000 Botox injections to cerebral palsy sufferers and never had a complication. Dr. Chambers speaks with authority in describing Botox as “a spectacular treatment” and avowing that it has “changed lives”, as his own son has cerebral palsy and has himself been treated with Botox.
Dr. Chambers comments that some doctors who are not expert in treating cerebral palsy might inject patients with doses of Botox that are much higher than recommended guidelines. Although this could cause problems with muscle control elsewhere in the body due to spread of Botox, Dr. Chambers also notes that children with cerebral palsy already have muscle control problems, so it’s difficult to determine the role, if any, of Botox.
On February 8, the FDA announced that it will be reviewing the safety profile of Botox and Myobloc, with particular emphasis on their use in large doses for children with cerebral palsy and similar conditions. The FDA’s statement that “reactions may be related to overdosing” and that “there is no evidence that these reactions are related to any defect in the products” seems to echo Dr. Chambers’ thoughts.
During a public teleconference following its announcement, the FDA’s neurology chief, Dr. Russell Katz, stated that this review involves “a relative handful of serious adverse events” in a patient population that is already “very sick” and confirmed that none of these is related to the cosmetic use of Botox.
The product labeling for Botox already warns that patients with pre-existing neuromuscular diseases may be at increased risk of significant side effects from regular Botox doses that would not cause problems in healthy patients. So what this seems to boil down to now is that the FDA and the drug manufacturers will discuss whether a warning should be added to the product labeling for Botox stating that some children with cerebral palsy could also experience significant side effects from Botox, especially if they are given high doses which might encourage spread of Botox to other parts of the body.
In other words, should childhood cerebral palsy also be considered a neuromuscular disease for the purposes of Botox product labeling?
The doses of Botox that are used for cosmetic purposes are so tiny that there should be no concern in any healthy patient. Over a million people have been treated with Botox for cosmetic purposes, and not one has ever been shown to have died due to this treatment. Like all the cosmetic surgeons I know, I already advise patients with neuromuscular diseases or other debilitating conditions not to have Botox for cosmetic purposes.
I am one of a small group of expert dermatologists and plastic surgeons across the country that serve as Principal Investigators for FDA studies of new cosmetic therapies. As a Principal Investigator, I know from first-hand experience how thoroughly the FDA evaluates any new therapy before approving its use in the U.S. – even a therapy like Botox, which was previously used safely for both medical and cosmetic purposes for many years in many other countries
I also know that the FDA continues to monitor these therapies even after approval, to ensure that the highest standards of safety and effectiveness are being met. In my opinion, our FDA is the strictest and most stringent in the world, and I am glad of that. I believe that American consumers are better protected than their counterparts anywhere else in the world.
I’m reassured to know that the FDA is keeping an eye out for the welfare of my patients. Besides FDA regulations, I have another rule that guides me in caring for the men and women who place their trust in me every day. I call it the “rule of mom”. Basically, I won’t treat my patients with anything that I wouldn’t feel comfortable giving to my own family (such as my mother) – and to myself. (After over twelve years in practice, some of my long term patients are practically family anyway!)
There are some treatments that have been approved by the FDA but still fail my “rule of mom” because I don’t feel their benefits outweigh their disadvantages, and I don’t offer them to my patients. The FDA explicitly states in its announcement that it is not advising health care professionals to discontinue prescribing Botox. Given this, along with the thousands of Botox injections I have administered with excellent results and no safety problems whatsoever, I have absolutely no reservations about continuing to offer Botox treatment for wrinkles and excessive sweating to my patients.
Perhaps also, when all’s said and done, Dr. Wolfe of Public Citizen not only misquoted his organization’s own petition but was also wrong when he asserted that “patients don’t have a clue”. Perhaps they do have a clue, and that’s why they’re not rushing, lemming-like, to condemn a treatment that the FDA approved as safe decades ago and that, since then, has saved innumerable men, women and children from intractable pain and suffering.
So, for now, let’s sit tight and put our trust in the FDA. And, by all means, discuss the petition with your doctor. I’d also like to hear from you if you have had Botox treatment (or if someone you know has), either for medical or cosmetic purposes. Has Botox treatment impacted your life, or the life of someone you know? And, if so, in what ways? How would you feel if Botox was no longer available or restricted in its availability?
Over the past decade, I have trained many physicians from throughout the country in the use of Botox for cosmetic purposes and for excessive sweating. I have lectured on these subjects at medical conferences and at educational programs for allied health professionals, and I will continue to do so. I believe that accurate, scientific education, training and communication are essential to optimize our understanding of Botox and other minimally invasive cosmetic procedures, as they continue to increase in popularity.
*Patients’ names have been changed to protect their privacy
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Jun
Botox Can Reduce Hand Tremors
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Millions of people suffer from the common but mysterious ailment known as “essential tremor” — the uncontrollable shaking of the hands, head or other body parts that occurs during voluntary movement. Here, one reader asks whether Botox is a good option for somebody with shaking in the hand.
Q.
I have essential tremor, primarily in my right hand, which makes writing either impossible or at least laughable. I visited a neurologist, who quickly rejected Botox injections and urged me to take Propanolol, saying that there were “no side effects at all.” During my visit, the only other people in his rather spare office were drug salespeople. Three of them! Are Botox treatments safe and effective? Thanks.
Jules D. Zalon, West Orange, N.J.
A.
Intramuscular injections of Botox, or botulinum toxin, may play a limited role in the treatment of wrist and voice tremors in patients with essential tremor. However, many patients with essential tremor not only have wrist tremors but also have shoulder, elbow and finger tremors.
As the number of muscles involved increases, the efficacy of these injections decreases. Furthermore, weakness in the injected muscles is a reported side effect. In a study from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, published in the journal Movement Disorders, injections of Botox into the muscles produced mild to moderate improvements. Interestingly, however, there were no significant improvements in functional rating scales.
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May
“American Idol” finalist and Oscar winning actress, Jennifer Hudson, has become the new face for Weight Watchers and she looks pretty amazing! Well done Jennifer for your determination, hard work and discipline. You look absolutely beautiful.
Hudson credits Weight Watchers and her baby son, David Daniel Otunga, Jr., for taking her in a new healthy direction. Hudson tracks her progress using the official Weight Watchers iPhone app and has praised the diet for its effects on her shape. ..
The singer and actress recently appeared on GMA to discuss her newfound weight loss.
“It’s about balance,” Hudson explained on the show, emphasizing her decision to “make better life choices, health choices, and just create a good example for him growing up.”
Hudson’s new Weight Watcher’s commercial highlights the Weight Watchers regimen.
The singer and actress also hired high-profile personal trainer Harley Pasternak for near-daily workouts. “Her middle, thighs, and butt are more toned than ever,” Pasternak told Us Weekly of his sessions with the Best Supporting Actress Oscar-winner. “She’s excited about her body.”
According to Liz Josefsberg, Hudson’s Weight Watchers leader, the “American Idol” finalist lost weight at an average of half a pound to two pounds a week, a very healthy and safe pace. Josefsberg explains that many Weight Watchers clients begin exercising while on the program, in an all-around shift towards a healthier lifestyle. “It’s not uncommon for our members to become more active. You can’t do one without the other. You change the way you eat and then you must become more active.”
Get Meso is a directory of doctors who provide cosmetic surgery, plastic surgery and fat removal procedures including Smart Lipo (SmartLipo), laser liposuction, cellulite removal, mesotherapy and lipodissolve.
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May
Jane Fonda recently had plastic surgery on her eyes and jawline and was very open about it on her blog. See Jane Fonda before and after pictures.
On her official website this week Jane, 72, wrote:
“Bob Evans complimented me on my new, short haircut and I said, “Thanks. I just had some ‘work’ done on my chin and neck and had the bags taken away from under my eyes so I decided it would be good to get a new hair cut so people will think it’s my new hair.” He thought that was so funny he actually toasted me for doing what he said he’d never heard anyone do before: admit they’d had work done. I was planning on blogging about it anyway so who cares? I’m writing a book about aging so I couldn’t very well NOT talk about it. It’s been 2 weeks. I was in front of the camera all day yesterday and was photographed at Eve Ensler’s luncheon 9 days after the procedure so, obviously, it went well. I swore in 2000 I’d never have anything done again but this year I got tired of not looking like how I feel and I wanted a more refined chin line like I used to have so I changed my mind. I’m still a little swollen but not much and what pleases me is that I won’t looked pulled or weird…or tired all the time. And my crows feet are still alive and well. I wish I’d been brave enough to not do anything but, instead, I chose to be a somewhat more glamorous grandma.”
Find information and doctors who provide cosmetic surgery, plastic surgery, medical weight loss and fat removal procedures including tumescent liposuction, Smart Lipo (SmartLipo), laser liposuction, cellulite removal, mesotherapy and lipodissolve.
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May
Thomas E. Young, M.D.
Laser liposuction and SmartLipo expert, Dr. Thomas E. Young of Young Medical Spa, has had successful results using Zerona to remove fat.
The Zerona Erchonia Laser Scanner uses five low level lasers to painlessly liquefy the fat cells in the abdomen and thighs without making a single incision.
“It will pass through the skin and hit the fat cell…it makes the fat cell open up a little bit,” said Dr. Thomas E. Young. “That lets the fat out and the body takes that liquid fat that came out of the fat cell and clears it out.”
Since the laser just “opens up” cells, Dr. Young says patients must undergo a post-op regimen that includes vitamins, increased water consumption, cardio exercise and a reduced-fat diet to get the best results.
Laser Liposuction Liquefies Fat. Watch Video
Dr. Young goes on to say that the procedure is only 80 percent effective. But Daneen Newsome is thrilled with her results. She went from a size 4 to a size 2 after undergoing the procedure.
“There is work on your end that you have to do, but if you do it, it’s well worth it,” Newsome said.
Still, not everyone is convinced. Dr. Eric Bernstein says he’s intrigued by the laser treatment, but that more research on their effectiveness needs to be done.
“I have yet to see a convincing peer reviewed controlled study demonstrating that it’s effective,” he said.
Zerona’s manufacturer says the treatment results in an average loss of 3.6 inches from the legs or buttocks. It costs about $2,500 for six sessions.
Thomas E. Young, MD is the owner and operator of Young Medical Spa located in the beautiful Saucon Valley area of the Lehigh Valley near Allentown Pennsylvania.
NBCPhiladelphia.com contributed to this story.
Related searches:
lipodissolve
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Mar
Many women are sensitive to the first signs of aging appearing in the hands. An easy way of diminishing this phenomenon is to have a filler injected Fillers are natural substances found in the body that help contribute to the very smallest structural elements that hold up tissues in the body. A filler can be quickly injected on the back of the hand and can last up to one year, filling up the space between the visible tendons and veins effectively. The filler can then be renewed at yearly intervals indefinitely. If light damage to the skin is also present, a series of laser treatments can very effectively make this damage go away or at least lessen significantly.
IPL for pigmentation can be combined with other IPL treatments for skin tightening and pigmented hair removal all at the same time, providing a simple but highly effective facial restoration. In fact IPL can be combined with many other procedures such as Botox for wrinkle reduction and or fillers for contouring and overall improvement in appearance.
Thank you, and I encourage you to leave comments or questions below. And Please fill out the form on the right to ask the Doctor any questions.
Article by Dr. William Evans, Your Med Spa Professional in the Chicago, IL Area.
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Mar
Botox is a simple quick way to get results you can see within days at a modest cost. Typically Botox is used to correct facial lines at and above the level of the eyes. Vertical lines between the eyebrows, for example, can be easily corrected with a few local injections and may be a good introduction to the use of Botox. From there, one could go on to injecting Botox higher on the forehead to correct horizontal lines and to injecting the corners of the eyes to decrease crow’s feet.
Botox can also be successfully used to arch the eyebrows, improve sagging corners of the lips, improve bunny lines around the mouth, and smooth out horizontal neck lines.
These procedures can be combined in different ways. Results last for several months and do require periodic reinjection to maintain the look. Or if you prefer to no longer work on one area of the face and to move on to another area, that can easily be done as the original area gradually returns to its pretreatment state.
Thank you, and I encourage you to leave comments or questions below. And Please fill out the form on the right to ask the Doctor any questions.
Article by Dr. William Evans, Your Med Spa Professional in the Chicago, IL Area.
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