BOTOX ISN'T THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE TO PLASTIC SURGERY
Is it possible to regain a fresh, youthful appearance without undergoing extensive plastic surgery that could leave you looking stretched and unnatural?
Face-lifts and aggressive chemical peels used to be the only options for someone desiring a more youthful appearance. Now there are much more sophisticated ways to relax facial muscles through noninvasive cosmetic procedures, thanks to several new methods that are relatively inexpensive, can be performed quickly in a doctor’s office and can often deliver immediate results.
“If a procedure is called invasive, it usually involves an incision of some kind,” said Mark McCune, an Overland Park cosmetic dermatologist. “Botox and fillers are invasive because they are injected into the skin, but they are considered minimally invasive. So I would put them into the same category as the newer light treatments that are now available.”
Botox (average price: $250-$500) remains the most popular cosmetic procedure in the Kansas City area, according to McCune, who has been injecting Botox since 1981. Botox is an injectable protein complex that blocks the release of a chemical that causes muscle contraction, smoothing out facial lines.
Treatments: Donetta Taylor, an esthetician with the Kansas City Skin & Cancer Center, demonstrates the application of a Vita-Silk Mask, a specialized rejuvenating product.
“Botox is a common request because it’s simple, it’s safe and it’s effective,” said Mark Cohen, a dermatologist with the Kansas City Skin & Cancer Center. “It makes people look more relaxed, but it can be an expensive habit, since the effect may last only four months.”
Fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm (about $450 a syringe) are a close second. As we age, the underlying structure of the face begins to sag. By injecting fillers, volume is created, so the face looks fuller and younger.
Betty Morales, 55, of Raytown started to see deep lines in her face, especially her forehead, about three years ago.
“My friends told me to age with dignity, but I wanted to look good,” she said. “Not like a 20-year-old, just better, without the deep lines.”
Morales tried Botox, then some fillers, and said it is the best money she has ever spent.
“It’s so different, it’s fantastic,” she said. “My face looks so much better, and it looks natural, not like a Barbie doll. I would never have surgery. This allows me to age gracefully.”
Although injecting Botox or fillers is a simple, 20-minute procedure, there could be complications. The injection site will sting and bruise, and there could be swelling if the lips are being augmented. If too much filler is injected, the area may look bumpy or lumpy. And because these materials are biodegradable, the procedure mus t be done periodically, every four to six months or up to a year, depending on the patient.
“I’m seeing a lot of special event procedures,” said Colleen Reisz, a dermatologist with Midwest Medical Specialists. “If you have a child getting married, or a high school reunion, it spurs a patient to investigate removing things that are bothersome. Older women just want to look better. They’re not trying to look younger.”
FROWN LINES: Treating frown lines between brows with Botox injections is the most common noninvasive beauty procedure, according to Mark Cohen, a dermatologist with the Kansas City Skin & Cancer Center.
Light procedures are the newest kid on the cosmetic block, with no cutting or injections involved. An intense pulse of light is directed at the skin to renew collagen production. “
A Fraxel laser blends the safety of noninvasive treatment with the aggressiveness of other lasers that destroy the skin’s surface,” McCune said. “The cost is about $1,000 per treatment if the full face is being done.”
Four to six treatments are required to get a good result, and there will be redness and swelling for about five days.
NEW TREATMENT: A relatively new chemical, Juvederm, is used to plump lips and to soften wrinkles and folds. The doctor would inject Juvederm near the patient’s lips.
Thermage is a tightening device that uses a radio frequency to heat the skin, causing collagen fibers to contract and shorten, which pulls the skin tighter. The cost is $1,500 to $3,500. A patient may feel moderate discomfort, and results can be fairly immediate or take as much as six months for maximum improvement, because not every patient’s body responds the same way.
Gentlewaves, a light therapy that takes about 30 seconds, effectively reduces fine lines around the eyes and costs about $40 a session. Eight procedures should give the desired result, followed by a monthly procedure to maintain that look.
Chemical peels ($100-$200) and microdermabrasion ($75-$150) are popular for improving skin texture. They are usually done in a series of two or three. Results are temporary, and side effects could include burning, itching and redness.
“The whole thing about cosmetic medicine is to look refreshed and relaxed,” McCune said. “No one wants to look like they’ve had work done. They just want to look better. And these procedures go a long way toward making that happen.”
THE LOWDOWN ON LASER
HERE ARE SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE HAVING THE POPULAR PROCEDURES
By PATRICIA ANSTETT
McClatchy Newspapers
For millions of Americans, extreme makeovers are, well, just too extreme. Scalpels, anesthesia, bruises and weeks of recovery are scary. Lasers, as well as heat and light devices, offer what many consider the right compromise to rejuvenate the skin; eliminate rashes, birthmarks and imperfections; remove hair; get rid of fatty tissue; and more. Here are some things to consider, when exploring this option.
ALL ABOUT LASER TREATMENT FOR SKIN
The machines: Once strictly industrial tools, lasers have transformed some areas of medicine, such as dermatology. There are dozens of different types, from cold, or so called low-level, lasers, to sophisticated, high-powered devices. Others use radio waves, heat or pulses of intense light. The energy and light work at the cellular level of the skin, changing pigment and other skin imperfections.
Possible uses: Skin rejuvenation, cellulite removal, hair, birthmark and tattoo removal, and improvement of acne and acne scarring, age and sun spots, skin irregularities, saggy, loose skin and facial and leg veins.
Who does the procedure: A doctor does not have to do the treatment, but be sure that whoever performs it is properly trained and supervised. Talk to the medical director at the center you choose about how he or she ensures safe, high-quality work.
Where it is done: Procedures are mostly done at doctor’s offices and other medical centers.
What it feels like: Usually not painful, the devices may be so bright that the intensity may be initially unsettling. It may feel as if someone snapped a rubber band against your skin.
Is it safe? Yes, though there may be redness afterward. Some machines automatically shut off to protect patients if the devices get too hot, or have a cooling spray that minimizes side effects.
Cost and insurance issues: Costs vary widely, depending on the problem and number of treatments. Sessions can start at $100 each and go up as high as several thousand dollars for a package. Insurance usually doe s not cover what it deems cosmetic.
BEFORE YOU GET LASER TREATMENT
Considering a minimally invasive laser or related procedure? Here are some important tips:
Play it safe. The American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery recommends that a person have performed at least 10 procedure s under the direct supervision of a specialist to assess his or her competency before being able to do it alone. (For other safety tips, go to http://www.aslms.org/public/patientsafetytips.shtml.)
Get answers. Is the staff comfortable answering your questions? If not, go elsewhere. If they won’t talk before a procedure, imagine how much they may dodge your questions if you are unhappy.
Ask to see follow-up pictures taken more than a year after a procedure; pictures taken immediately afterward may not give accurate results.
Request a patch test if you have sensitive skin.
Tell the doctor about any health issues you have, including a history of scarring.
O MAGAZINE SURVEY ON BEAUTY TREATMENTS
HAVE YOU HAD WORK DONE? WOULD YOU? HOW MUCH?
O, The Oprah Magazine recently ran a special feature: We’re Starting a Beauty Revolution! The special section was a guide to saying goodbye to feeling bad about your looks. It included a survey on beauty treatments.
23% have tried Botox
79% of those who tried it would try Botox again
18% have gotten a facial filler
61% of those who had a filler had it injected into the nasolabial folds (from the corners of the nose to the corners of the mouth)
67% say cost is what holds them back from getting a cosmetic procedure
92% of those who had plastic surgery had it to please themselves
86% of those who had plastic surgery would do it again
50% have a friend who has gone under the knife
59% wanted to get a procedure done after the success of a friend’s
Source: Survey of 3,487 respondents ages 20-90+ in a poll conducted on oprah.com; from the June 2008 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine
- Kathleen Leighton, Special to The Star