When to Consider a Botox® Touch-Up
Botox® can help you de-age your face, but the results don’t last a lifetime. Here’s when you should consider getting a touch-up treatment.
As you age, your skin loses essential components that make it strong, smooth, and elastic, and you end up with fine lines and wrinkles, deep creases, and sags. You could consider surgery to fix the problems, but a number of minimally invasive techniques can get the job done without the risks and downtime of surgical procedures.
At PNW Plastic Surgery, Dr. Leo Urbinelli and his staff offer a number of nonsurgical cosmetic procedures to reverse the early signs of aging and give you back the younger-looking skin you want. Keep reading to learn about five easy treatments to get you started.
Each of these five techniques approaches the problem from a different perspective, and you can mix and match to address multiple concerns.
Botox is a neurotoxin derived from the common bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Originally called onabotulinumtoxinA, it received FDA approval for cosmetic use in 1989 and was rebranded Botox Cosmetic to distinguish it from its medical uses.
Botox, and its close cousins Dysport and Xeomin, are used to temporarily reduce glabellar lines (the “11” between your eyebrows), crow’s feet (around the eyes), and forehead wrinkles. These are all considered “dynamic wrinkles,” those caused by muscle contraction from making facial expressions.
The toxins work by blocking the nerves that transmit signals for the facial muscles to contract. Without the signal and subsequent contraction, your face relaxes, and fine lines disappear. Results last for about 3-4 months, after which you can repeat the treatment.
Dr. Urbinelli also specializes in using Botox for medical conditions in adults and children, including for muscle spasms, migraine disease, and muscular torticollis (tight neck muscles).
While neurotoxins help dynamic wrinkles, they can’t help static wrinkles, those deep creases and hollows that form on your face for two reasons: Your body stops producing as much collagen, a protein responsible for your skin’s tautness and resilience, and you tend to lose some of your subcutaneous (below the skin) fat.
Dermal fillers are formulated to help static wrinkles. These gel-like compounds are injected under the skin to fill in the creases and restore a smoother and fuller appearance. The effects of most FDA-approved fillers are temporary (6-12 months) because they’re made from materials the body eventually breaks down and absorbs.
One common dermal filler substance is hyaluronic acid, a sugar naturally found in the body, and especially in the skin, that recruits and holds more moisture. The body tolerates it well since it’s a naturally occurring substance.
Dr. Urbinelli uses popular filler lines, such as Juvéderm® and Radiesse®, which address lines, creases, and hollows in the lips, cheeks, neck, and the backs of the hands by adding volume.
Fat grafting transfers fat from an area of the body where you may have too much (say, in your buttocks or thighs) to an area that’s fat-deficient (say, in your cheeks or breasts). Doctors have used this procedure since the 1990s to improve the cosmetic appearance of the face, hands, and other body parts by adding volume to the deficient area. This smooths out lines and wrinkles, and improves symmetry.
Facials come in many types. They can help exfoliate your skin, remove impurities, shrink pore size, and give your skin a radiant glow. Ask our aestheticians about which one is right for you.
Morpheus8 by InMode combines two technologies: microneedling and radiofrequency energy. The microneedling device uses rows of very thin needles to create “micro injuries” in your skin. The device then sends radiofrequency energy into the holes to destroy old skin and collagen cells and stimulate new collagen production.
The lines and blemishes contained in the old cells are destroyed along with them, and the new collagen builds up a layer of fresh and taut skin. The result is improved skin tone, contour, and appearance.
In addition to these treatments, PNW Plastic Surgery offers a line of medical-based skin care products. They’re designed to help you maintain your treatment results, as well as protect your skin from further damage.
Are you ready to put on a fresh, younger-looking face? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Urbinelli by giving PNW Plastic Surgery a call at 818-740-6142, or booking online today.
