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Liquid Facelift

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Submitted by Diamond Medical Spa and Vein

Believe it or not the “Liquid Facelift” is one of the fastest growing trends in cosmetic medicine. Many people are seeking a youthful look with less cost, no downtime, more safety, and less pain. There has been a growing appreciation for the physiologic changes that occur as we age. Bone loss in the face, production of more elastin than collagen, changes in fat distribution, UV damage, and loss of muscle tone are major contributors to aging. The acknowledgement by many cosmetic physicians that simply stretching the skin over aging facial bones does not make people look younger has led to revolumizing and retexturing techniques

First of all, what is a Liquid Facelift? It all started with the discovery by a dermatologist that a neuromodulator called “Botox” could temporarily weaken specific muscles in the upper face to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Subsequently, Botox brand grew to become the world’s #1 selling cosmetic medication. There are several other neuromodulators available on the market with slightly different characteristics, such as Dysport and Xeomin. Some have a short onset, meaning they work faster. One neuromodulators may last longer than others. As long as they are FDA approved and not shipped from another country, the product should be free of dangerous contaminants. The effects of neuromodulators are reversible for most people and there are few contraindications. The wrong placement is the most annoying complication which may lead to droopy brows or mouths. Most people are fearful of a frozen face appearance which is easily avoidable. If one considers having neuromodulator treatment of wrinkles or facial asymmetry, it is best to proceed slowly and not overdo it because a poor result could last three or four months or more. However, neuromodulators are very safe and effective in smoothing wrinkles

The next technique in a Liquid Facelift that has recently been shown extremely powerful in the antiaging pursuit are “fillers.” There are a long list of them and they have different properties for different uses. You may think of them in general categories of light, medium, and heavy. Although, there are crossover uses. The smaller particle to medium particle fillers are used in the lips, such as Restylane Silk, Bolotero, Juvaderm Ultra XC, Elevess, Hylaform, and Prevelle Silk (Captique). These products are hyaluronic acid (HA) which is a naturally occurring substance in our bodies. Some products have more HA than others. This is important because all of these products cause tissue swelling. It will dissipate over time. Some products have lidocaine in them to decrease injection discomfort. The balance is to have a fair amount of swelling and fairly long lasting effect. The most to hope for with lips is for the effect to last six months. If too much HA is injected or a complication occurs, these products can be dissolved quickly with an enzyme preparation.

The safest way to inject any filler is to use cannulas instead of needles. Products used to replace volume loss in deeper tissues are Radiesse, Perlane, , Voluma and Bellafill. Bellafill is cyanoacrylate in bovine collagen with lidocaine and may be used superficially or deep. It has the longest lasting indication and the best proven safety profile of any FDA approved filler. However, due to the long lasting effect it should not be used in the lips. Sculptra is a poly-L-lactic acid filler used in patients with severe fat loss, such as with HIV. Many of the fillers are approved for treatment of a single area, such as the nasolabial folds. However, physicians commonly inject other areas which is considered “off label.

The finishing step is to create longer natural eye lashes with a product like ‘Latisse.’ This medication was originally used by ophthalmologists to treat glaucoma and was found to have a side effect of growing eyelashes! A doctor patented the side effect and gained FDA approval to market it for the lash growing side effect! It finishes off the Liquid FaceLift available at Diamond Medical Spa and Vein.

With a bit of time and commitment, you can have what you once thought was not possible at Diamond Medical Spa & Vein, 3170 E. 53rd Street in Davenport. Call 563-275-4701 today to schedule a consultation. To view the amazing before and after photos and testimonials from satisfied patients please visit www.diamondmedicalspaandvein.com.

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