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Hydrafill & Juvederm: More details about this product

Juvederm Hydrafill is a non-animal based hyaluronic acid (which is naturally produced by our body).  It promises to be the next Big Deal in the facial aesthetics market thanks to the fact that it remains an effective facial rejuvenation for over 6 months. 

Here’s a summary in part from Inamed, the marketing representative for Juvederm:

• Juvederm is yet to receive approval from the U.S. FDA, but is approved and available in Europe and Canada (36 countries in total, as of last year).  In Europe the product is marketed under the name Hydrafill.  Why the differences in branding?  Inamed does not have exclusive marketing and production rights in France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Switzerland.
• Juvederm is a long lasting “stabilized non-animal based Hyaluronic acid dermal filler”.  In other words, it’s an injectible filler like Botox used for facial rejuvenation:  smooth skin, plump lips, remove smile lines, and remove wrinkles.
• There are three versions of the product: Juvéderm 30, Juvéderm 24, Juvéderm 18.  What are the differences?

  Thanks to the folks at the Aesthetics Beauty Centre in the UK, they explain:

  • Juvederm 18
    Used for filling fine lines and fine wrinkles. When injected into the superficial dermis, the fluid version, Juvederm 18, fills fine wrinkles such as crow's feet or peri-oral wrinkles.
  • Juvederm 24
    Used for forehead wrinkles and moderate furrows. When injected into the middle dermis, the dense version, Juvederm 24, effectively fills forehead wrinkles, glabellar lines, obvious mild to moderate nasal furrows and cheek wrinkles.
  • Juvederm 30
    Used for Shaping of Lips, deep folds and cheeks. When injected into the deep dermis, the densest version, Juvederm 30, fills deep naso-genian folds, returns volume to your lips, sculptures your cheeks and gives your face, its natural oval shape again

If any reader has more information about Juvederm, please do share your experience!

What are the benefits of Levulan photodynamic therapy?

I have no idea what to tell you.  What is Levulan other than an exciting sounding new skin treatment?  So, I decided to send a letter to the company that makes this product (Dusa).  Here's what I sent. 

Let me know if I left something out that you're interested in learning more about.  I'll post their response once it arrives.

I operate a blog that covers issues related  to cosmetic procedures and skin care. I  try to inform my readers about the latest products on the market for beauty  enhancement. I read today that your  company has announced some interesting results. From your press release:

After the initial 3-week period, patients received two additional full face IPL -alone treatments. Prior to each of these IPL -alone treatments, patients were assessed for signs of photodamage, which include global photodamage, fine lines, mottled pigmentation, tactile roughness and sallowness. After another 4 weeks, patients were again assessed for signs of photodamage.

Facial photoaging or photodamage is a common cosmetic problem seen in light-skinned individuals with years of significant exposure to the sun. Current treatments include photorejuvenation using laser and non-laser light sources, dermabrasion and chemical peels.

         

I think this sounds great, but here’s what I need to know  more about (and to share with my readers). What exactly is Levulan (aminolevulinic acid HCl) photodynamic therapy? Any information for consumers about this interesting advancement in skin care will be greatly appreciated.  Additionally, where are there resources to find out which providers offer this new technique

All I want for Christmas is a glycolic peel

Holiday gift giving at the top of everyone's mind (tomorrow is "Black Friday" - the top shopping day in the U.S.), I've heard from more than a few friends that this year's wish list includes cosmetic procedures. 

Most are interested in the less-invasive facial fillers on the market like Botox and Restalyn, but a few are seeking significant body changes like new breasts. Me?  I'm considering a glycolic peel to remove some fine lines in time for the New Year.

Rather than me try to explain what constitutes a glycolic peel, I'll let the fine writers of Shape.com explain:

Question:
My facialist suggest a glycolic-acid peel for my next visit, but I'm not sure exactly what it is. Is it expensive and will it burn?

Answer:
A glycolic-acid peel can also be referred to as the ""lunchtime"" peel. This light peel or superficial peel is administered by a physician or aesthetician. They swab on a solution that boosts your skins softness, smoothness, freshness and dewiness. If you're acne-prone, salicylic acid (a pore purging cousin to glycolic acid) may be used instead. Either way, this fruit-acid derived peel exfoliates dead cells, a process that already occurs naturally but slows down with age and sun damage. When these cells become stacked up, they can make skin look dull and lead to blocked pores and breakouts. Also, studies have also shown that continued use of glycolic exfoliation may speed up cell turnover and stimulate the production of collagen (the protein fiber that keeps skin from sagging and wrinkling). Glycolic-acid peels are performed at spas and salons (where the acid concentration is typically 20-3- percent) and in dermatology and plastic-surgery offices (where the 50-70 percent concentration packs more of a wallop). Glycolic peels cost from $50-$125 a pop depending on the spa or doctor's office you visit, may involve some slight stinging or tingling but can be performed safely on practically all skin types.

See: Shape.com
 

Omnilux LED treatment comes to the U.S.

I was digging around the FDA website and ran across the approval of a device called the Omnilux Revive.  OK, so the approval was in 2003, but I still can't recall seeing any mention of it prior to this discovery.  The article linked below confirmed that Omnilux is just entering the U.S. market.

My understanding is that Omnilux is a skin treatment offered by dermatologists as a form of light therapy. The LED light is a non-surgical alternative to addressing signs of skin aging (age spots, lines, wrinkles).

 
According to clinics operating in other countries (AU and the UK), the treatment process requires at least 6 treatments.  The first treatment takes 45 minutes, and additional treatments are typically 30-minute appointments.    It was described as "like lying on the beach in the sun for 20 minutes without the harmful UVA, UVB or infrared radiation."

Sounds interesting!

See:  Photo Therapeutics Establishes Direct Operation in USA

Cosmetic Treatment Expert on Botox...it's all about shadows & lines

My friends swear by Botox® injections to reduce facial wrinkles, especially frown lines, "crow's feet," and forehead furrows.  I haven't tried it, but it seems like a great alternative to extensive plastic surgery procedure such as a face lift.

And by now almost everyone has heard about Botox injections as a treatment for wrinkles.  (in case it's new to you, Botox is "Botulinum Toxin Type A", which was originally slated to treat neurological disorders).

As far as Botox treatments abroad, I ran across an interesting perspective from David Loh Surgery, a Singapore cosmetic surgeon.  He emphasizes that Botox is a question of Shadows and Lines.  In his own words:

With the above BOTOX and Fillers Techniques we do not obliterate all the wrinkles. Some of them are cheerful expressions. The aim, we cannot emphasize more, is to decrease harsh shadows across the face and to create a smooth continuous line running from ear to chin. The jowls are a give away on a person's "age", for example... The hallowed out temple area and overlapping of the double eyelids are another very telltale sign of aging.

Seems like a fair assessment of Botox....you agree?

Facial Fillers in Thailand

Restylane, Restylane Fine Lines, Perlane, Hylaform, Hylaform Plus, Juvederm are considered the new future of cosmetic dermal fillers. Restylane is the most highly purified form of hyaluronic acid gel on the market. Completely natural, biodegradable, non-animal derived, it poses no risk of rejection. It lasts longer than Botox. Six months is standard and a year is not unusual. Restylane Fine Lines addresses those finer lines of the upper lip. Other products are better for deeper facial contours like cheeks and chins.

Click here to see some before and after pictures of Restylane users.

In Bangkok, Thailand you can get this procedure at Bumrungrad Hospital. They give some information on what are the goals of filler materials. 
Fillers are materials that are placed into deeper lines and wrinkles. Filler agents typically are used for those wrinkles that are too deep to be treated with lasers. Most commonly filler agents are used for smile lines wrinkles, between the eyebrows, sagging cheekbones or to enhance the appearance of upper and lower lips. Acne, chicken pox and other depressed scars can also be improved.

Other locations in Bangkok:

Pichet Plastic Surgery Clinic run by Dr. Pichet Rodchareon , a board certified Plastic surgeon.

St. Carlos Integrated Medical Spa

Clinic Soi 1 run by Dr Witoon Wisuthseriwong, a board certified Plastic surgeon who has been practicing cosmetic surgery for over 30 years.

And lets not forget the Cosmetic Laser Surgery Clinic, who has a fun graphic on their web page.

Eyelid Surgery in the tropics

Today I was reading about Dr. Oscar A. Suarez, who offers eyelid surgery in Costa Rica, which he claims requires one day in the hospital and 7 days recuperation after the surgery.

This stimulated me to research this procedure....I found that eyelid surgery is conducted when patients want to address stretched eyelid skin that comes with aging.  The muscles around the eye fatigue, and fat accumulates.  So those "bags" we get above and below our eyes are not just due to lack of sleep (if it were only that easy to address!).  Sometimes these eyelid changes are more serious, interrupting a person's ability to see. 

Blepharoplasty can be done as a single procedure or in conjunction with other facial surgery procedures such as a facelift or browlift. Recovery time is suppose to be about 10 days. 

Since I'm new to this, would love to have anyone with eyelid surgery (or Dr. Suarez) experiences to share with our readers thoughts, opinions, comments. 

FaceliftMexico.com: 11 years of sending Americans to Mexico for Facelifts

For a bit less than US$8,000, FaceliftMexico.com offers a 10 day facelift package to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.  The firm has branched out past its original base of flight attendants, and has provided services to over 400 U.S. patients.  A former patient stated that it wasn't just the lower cost that attracted her to the services:

[She] was able to recover far from home and curious acquaintances when her discolored post-surgery face looked its worst. By the time she returned to Alabama, she was able to hide the remaining bruises with makeup, she said. "When I finally went out, nobody even noticed"...

I could not find other testimonials related to the services offered by the doctors affiliated with FaceliftMexico.com.  My frustration with the failure to locate more information probably highlights the information void that consumers face when exploring the benefits of using any of the international medical providers discussed in this blog.   And this is worrisome given that many patients share the same experience as this person who had surgery in Argentina: 

It was a leap of faith, because I must tell you there wasn't a whole lot of information available on the doctor

Seems like elective surgery should never be a leap of faith.