How do I get rid of wrinkles?
Proper home care regimen of topical vitamins, moisturizers with anti-oxidants and daily sunscreen use.
Regular botulinum toxin treatments can prevent and treat wrinkles.
Regular facials with topical vitamin or chemical peels or IPL facials or medical collagen induction therapy (CIT)
Ask Dr. Leaf and her staff which treatment options are right for you!
What is botulinum toxin?
Botox/Xeomin/Dysport - These are the brand names for basically the same product, botulinum toxin
Reasons to use botulinum toxin:
To help with wrinkles, stop excessive sweating (hyperhydrosis), and help with certain neck muscle disorders and migraine headaches. It is natural, easy, and quick to do the treatment. It is not permanent; therefore side-effects would not be permanent. Repeated use of Botox can prevent permanent wrinkles/creases that develop as we age. Continued use of Botox can smooth out wrinkles that have already developed. Depending on the depth of the wrinkles, there may not be complete "smoothing" of the wrinkles. If done properly, it will not look "fake".
Men usually need more units of Botox because their muscles are bigger and stronger. The bigger the facial muscle, the more Botox units are needed. Treatments usually last every 3-4 months, but with continued use of Botox, the muscles will get smaller, and treatments can sometimes be extended out longer (up to 6 months).
After Botox Treatment:
There may be some redness in the area; temporary bruising; headache lasting 24-48 hours. Do not rub the area injected for TWO HOURS after injection. Exercise the muscle injected for ONE HOUR after injection. It can take up to 2 weeks to notice the benefits of Botox. There have never been any worrisome or permanent side-effects with Botox injections. The price is based on how many units of Botox are used.
My face has a lot of dark spots, what can I do?
What is photodamage? This is the damage that we see on our skin from many years of exposure to the sun, wind and toxins in the air. The wrinkles and irregular skin color and texture are the damage that we see. There are several ways to manage this problem and usually, you will need to do maintenance treatments.
Daily home care regimen with vitamin C and other topical 'brighteners'. Daily sunscreen to prevent further darkening and new spots. Light chemical peel facial treatments to get at the deeper dark spots. Medical CIT, induces healthy skin and collagen growth. IPL photofacials. 1-3 treatments are needed and easy to do.
What are fillers?
Reasons For Filler Use:
To help get the plumpness back in the skin of the face, cheeks, lips, hands, and even the feet. Why do we need it? As we age, we lose the collagen in our skin layers. Collagen gives us the plumpness and fullness in our lips, cheeks, hands, etc. We also lose the elastic in our skin. This causes our face, hands and other body areas to look flabby, loose and bony. It also gives us more wrinkles, as the skin gets looser.
These fillers are made from Hyaluronic Acid – a natural substance that is found in all animals. It is in higher levels in babies, which is why they have such plump, smooth skin. We lose it as we age.
There are many different types of fillers. Dr. Leaf will help choose the filler that is right for you and the area that is treated.
The amount of filler needed depends on several things. First, the older you are, the more you will need to improve your facial structure. This is because the aging process has caused more loss of healthy collagen and elastin.
Second, certain health/metabolic and genetic issues, that are specific to you, can cause you to "age" faster. My rule of thumb - if you are in your 20's you will need 1 syringe, in your 30's you will need 2 syringes, in your 40's you will need 3 syringes, and so on.
My face looks tired and saggy. What can I do to look younger and more awake?
There are many treatments that can be done to improve the texture, color and overall appearance of your skin. Depending on the amount of aging, more than 1 form of treatment might be appropriate. When you come in for your consultation, we will discuss the best treatment options to give you the look you deserve.
Some of these treatment options include regular facials, a quality home skin care plan, medical collagen induction, regular IPL photofacials, or vitamin infusion facials.