The holidays are all about people — family, coworkers, friends. There’ll be lots of meals and get-togethers and office parties to go to. There’s only one problem: you don’t feel that the person in the mirror looks like you. You’ve got sags, bags, and fine lines and wrinkles that simply don’t represent how young at heart you feel. Well, there’s good news. Cosmetic injectables can help you turn back the hands of time and get you looking your best come this holiday season.
Here at Eterna Vein & Medical Aesthetics in Puyallup, Washington, our expert team can help you find just the right combination of injectables to make you look your best, whether that be BOTOX®, Dysport®, or a range of dermal fillers. Let’s get started.
The 411 on Botox and Dysport
BOTOX (onabotulinumtoxinA) and its close cousin Dysport are injectable drugs made from purified botulinum toxin. The FDA approved their use for cosmetic procedures in 2002 and 2009, respectively, specifically for the treatment of glabellar lines (brow furrows) in adults ages 65 and younger.
Today, these injectables are used to treat all types of dynamic wrinkles, those caused by muscle contractions. Every time you make an expression with your face, your muscles pull the skin above along with them, eventually causing wrinkling around the eyes and mouth, as well as in between your eyebrows. The drugs temporarily relaxes the “expression” muscles so they can’t contract, which means they can no longer pull at your skin. Your face relaxes, and the wrinkles disappear. Don’t worry, though, you’ll still be able to smile and frown and look completely natural.
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAOS), most people see noticeable results within a week of the treatment. Side effects are minimal, and they usually disappear quickly. Your results will last approximately 3-4 months, at which time you can schedule another treatment.
One thing neither BOTOX nor Dysport can be used for, though, is fine lines caused by collagen breakdown.
The 411 about dermal fillers
Dermal fillers, unlike BOTOX and Dysport, are used specifically to treat wrinkles, sags, and folds resulting from collagen breakdown. They can also be used in areas like the lips, cheeks, and hands that lose their volume with age. Each individual product is one of a line used to treat slightly different areas.
Three products we use extensively are Juvéderm® Voluma™ XC, Restylane®, and Radiesse®. These dermal fillers are made from hyaluronic acid (HA), a naturally occurring gel-like substance. About half of your body’s HA is found in your skin, where it binds to water to help keep the skin soft and supple.
However, the aging process and exposure to environmental aggressors like the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, pollution, and tobacco smoke can deplete its levels.
Juvéderm Voluma XC is a gel used for deep injection in the cheek area, where it corrects age-related volume loss. It also augments the chin region to improve the chin profile in adults over 21.
Other Juvéderm products include Juvéderm Vollure XC and Juvéderm XC, gels injected into the facial tissue to correct moderate-to-severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds (the creases that travel from the corner of your nose down to the corner of your mouth). Juvéderm Volbella™ XC is used for lip augmentation and to correct perioral lines. All are designed expressly for adults over 21.
The line of Restylane products also smooths away facial wrinkles and folds. Restylane Lyft, Restylane Refyne, and Restylane Defyne all provide subtle lip enhancement; Restylane Silk smooths lines around the mouth; Restylane Silk adds both lift and volume to the cheek area; and Restylane Lyft helps reverse volume loss on the back of the hands.
Unlike the other fillers, Radiesse is made from calcium hydroxylapatite, a semi-permanent filler suspended in a gel that’s used to increase soft tissue. It’s also a collagen stimulator, meaning it induces your body to produce more of this structural protein that gives your skin strength and elasticity but whose levels decline as you age.
Radiesse and Radiesse (+) are used for smoothing moderate-to-severe facial wrinkles and folds, including nasolabial folds. They’re also used to add volume to the back of the hands.
With so many products, which are right for you? We can help you with that. Give us a call at 253-268-3400 to set up a consultation, and get yourself ready for a beautiful holiday season.