Lasers and light-based therapies– (for hair removal, anti-aging and skin rejuvenation) have nearly become everyday tools for people seeking smooth, blemish-free or simply more youthful-looking skin. The terms laser and light-based therapies are often used interchangeably, however, there are crucial differences in how the technologies work and what they effectively treat. Here’s a breakdown:
Lasers
The term laser is actually an acronym that stands for “light amplification by stimulated emissions of radiation.” Ablative lasers safely injure the skin at first, but eventually creates a healthy healing/wound response that results in collagen production. By delivering a deep, single wavelength of energy, these are often used to remove deep lines or scars and typically require one session. Nonablative lasers do not damage the skin, which is a plus, but may be less effective and require multiple sessions. These are used to correct skin concerns and remove tattoos and hair by targeting the dark pigments in the hair, which eventually leads the hair follicles to become inflamed and disabled, and voila! Smooth, hair-free skin after a few sessions. Lasers do, indeed, emit radiation-yet in tiny amounts that are deemed harmless.
Light
Intense pulsed light (IPL) delivers a broader spectrum of light energy, unlike lasers’ single wavelength, and is a light source-not a laser. IPL is a strong, in-office treatment used for hair removal, discoloration, broken blood vessels and sun damage reversal. Another type of light therapy, light emitting diodes (LED) is a shallower, gentler treatment, ideal for collagen boosting and rejuvenating the skin. LED comes in a variety of colors, red for fighting acne, blue combat bacteria and yellow to reduce redness.
Dr. Bishara and The Paragon Plastic Surgery & Med Spa provide a wide range of cosmetic procedures to help patients look and feel their best. These procedures are designed to improve the appearance of the face and body through minimally invasive techniques that provide highly effective results. Many of these procedures can be combined in order to achieve your desired appearance. Please contact our office at (817) 473-2120 for more information or visit our website at www.MarkBisharaMD.com.
JUVEDERM ULTRA PLUS – INJECTABLE FILLER TREATMENTS
What is Juvederm Ultra Plus?
Juvederm Ultra Plus is hyaluronic acid which is a complex sugar that is identical to the hyaluronic acid your body makes. Because the Juvederm Ultra Plus is identical to the hyaluronic acid in your own body, it breaks down naturally.
How does Juvederm Ultra Plus work?
When Juvederm Ultra Plus is injected into or below the skin it lifts wrinkles, depressions, or scars, so that they are level to the surrounding skin.
Where is Juvederm Ultra Plus used?
Juvederm Ultra Plus can be used anywhere in the face (except for the hollows under the eyes (tear troughs), but it is best suited for deep wrinkles and to replace the facial volume lost due to the aging process. The ideal locations for Juvederm Ultra Plus are the smile lines or parentheses lines (nasolabial or melolabial folds), the marionette lines, to hide the jowls by replacing the volume lost just in front of the jowl (prejowl depression) and for lip augmentation (plumper lips).
Are there different types of hyaluronic acid?
Currently, there are two companies that make injectable hyaluronic acid. Medicis makes Restylane and Perlane, and Allergan makes Juvederm Ultra, Juvederm Ultra Plus and Juvederm Voluma XC.
Does Juvederm Ultra Plus work instantly?
Juvederm Ultra Plus works instantly to lift wrinkles, depressions, scars, and to restore the volume lost during the aging process.
How long does Juvederm Ultra Plus last?
The duration of Juvederm Ultra Plus varies from person to person, from injection site to injection site, and from visit to visit. There are three general rules with Juvederm Ultra Plus: 1. The closer you inject Juvederm Ultra Plus to the mouth, the faster the Juvederm Ultra Plus breaks down. 2. The more superficial you inject Juvederm Ultra Plus the longer it lasts. 3. There are no guarantees of duration when it comes to Juvederm Ultra Plus.
How many visits are there for a Juvederm Ultra Plus injection?
Unless you have had injectable fillers before, and know exactly what you want, there is usually a consultation to discuss your concerns and to educate you about your treatment options. Once the appropriate injectable filler has been determined for your concern we can do treatment at the time of the consultation.
Dr. Bishara provides a wide range of cosmetic procedures to help patients look and feel their best, including Botox and Juvederm. Many of these procedures can be combined in order to achieve your desired appearance. Please call our office at (817) 473-2120 to schedule your Juvederm appointment and ask about our weekly Botox specials. Please also visit our website at www.MarkBisharaMD.com and “LIKE” us on our Facebook Page- Paragon Plastic Surgery and Med Spa.
While sun damage doesn’t happen overnight, it can seem like it visibly affects the skin in a rather short period of time. The more the skin is exposed to the sun, the more the collagen and elastin in the deeper layers is broken down, giving less support to the underlying muscles and the skin’s surface. As a response mechanism, the skin tries to protect itself from the damage, in turn thickening as a means of regeneration.
Treat sun-damaged skin at home:
Peptides and vitamin A need to be used consistently to help strengthen the skin and improve its texture. Retinol is key since it sheds the top layer of skin and strengthens it from inside out. Use a Retinol regularly, because it keeps the skin in repair mode, creating new collagen and exfoliating the surface.
Free radical-fighting ingredients like green tea and vitamins C and E will help safeguard the skin from future damage.
Protection and maintenance are vital-once sun-damaged skin has been transformed, you don’t want it to regress. It is recommended to wear a sunscreen with ingredients that contain either physical or chemical blockers and broad-spectrum products, which provide protection from all UV rays. Also use antioxidants and a moisturizer.
Treat sun-damaged skin professionally:
Laser and light-based treatments, like Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and both ablative and nonablative resurfacing procedures, work to reinstate the skin. IPL can help eliminate brown and red spots on the face and body. A downtime-free treatment, although several sessions are required, IPL helps to rejuvenate the skin so that it looks younger and fresher.
Treatments that tackle sun-damaged skin, including chemical peels, can improve the skin, too. But, if not done properly, they can cause more harm than good. Acid-based peels buffer the skin, making it more sensitive to the sun.
Fractional lasers, like Fraxel, get rid of discoloration while improving the skin’s texture. Instead of employing light, fractional resurfacing lasers create microscopic wounds in the skin-as the skin heals, the sun-damaged areas scab and flake off, and collagen is purportedly increased.
Interval treatments will be needed over time, because nothing lasts forever- not even the results of lasers. Re-treatments every now and then will help maintain the longevity of your results for healthier skin. Please call our office at (817) 473-2120 for more information and questions on laser treatments and skin care. You can also visit our website at www.MarkBisharaMD.com. Dr. Bishara and The Paragon Med Spa provide a wide range of cosmetic procedures to help patients look and feel their best.
Health News– New cosmetic filler adds ‘plump’ to aging faces
DALLAS — Sixty-nine-year-old Ruth McKinnon works hard to keep her body in shape, but her lean face is the work of Father Time.
“I’ve lost the volume, and it makes me look much older than what I actually feel,” she said.
Cheek volume loss is natural as people age. A new cosmetic filler called Voluma was FDA-approved in October to temporarily plump up cheeks.
North Texas physicians are now beginning to use the product.
“A facelift will lift loose skin or loose muscle, but it doesn’t really add volume unless you add something to it,” explained Dallas dermatologist Dr. Lori Stetler.
She said Voluma is FDA-approved for the mid-face, and should not be used on the lips.
Voluma is made with hyaluronic acid gel, polysaccharide sugar that occurs naturally in the body. According to the Juvéderm website, “the most common side effects include temporary reactions at the treatment site such as tenderness, swelling, firmness, lumps/bumps, bruising, pain, redness, discoloration, and itching.”
As with all skin-injection procedures, there is also a risk of infection. Because the product requires a deep injection, it contains the anesthetic lidocain. Patients with an allergy to lidocaine should not use Voluma.
Results can be seen immediately after side-effects dissipate (not all patients experience side-effects).
Experts say most patients will need two or more syringes per treatment.
The product is designed to last for two years, longer than other fillers. That’s appealing to Jessica George, who just turned 40.
With a full-time job and two busy kids, she doesn’t have extra time to spend getting cosmetic treatments.
“I want natural,” George said. “I just want to look more youthful, get a few of those years back.”
Voluma has another advantage: It’s reversible.
“It’s dissolvable, so if for some reason you have a problem with it — the patient doesn’t like it, you end up with a little bump — you can put a little enzyme in to dissolve it, you’re done,” Dr. Stetler said. “Some of the other permanent fillers, you’re stuck with them.”
If a mistake is made with other products, patients must either wait for it to wear out with time or sometimes suffer long-lasting consequences.
“I was astonished at the difference,” Ruth McKinnon said. “It actually filled in the hollow area that I focused on every time I looked in the mirror.”
McKinnon underwent two treatments. Doctors say it’s better to under-estimate the amount of product needed at first, rather than overfill.
While McKinnon doesn’t want any extra plumpness on her body, she likes what a little extra volume does to her face.
This News brought to you courtesy of WFAA.
Voluma is now available in the office of Dr. Mark Bishara and The Paragon Plastic Surgery & Med Spa in Mansfield and Southlake, TX
Enhancing your appearance with skin rejuvenation and resurfacing
1.8 Billion was spent on skin rejuvenation procedures in 2012
If you want to improve the appearance of your skin, skin rejuvenation or resurfacing may be right for you.
Skin rejuvenation can be achieved in a number of ways, ranging from laser, light and other energy-based treatments to chemical peels and other non-ablative methods. The result is a smoother, clearer and more youthful appearance to your skin.
What can skin rejuvenation treat?
Skin rejuvenation is a treatment to resurface your skin, or to improve the texture, clarity and overall appearance of your skin.
Conditions that can be treated include:
- Static wrinkles: These wrinkles are visible at all times and do not change in appearance with facial movements.
- Dynamic wrinkles: These are expression lines that may appear as folds when the skin is not moving, and deepen with facial movements or expressions.
- Pigmentation: Freckles, sun spots, melasma, or other darkened patches of skin result mainly from sun exposure.
- Scars: As the result of acne or injury to the skin, scars may be rolling (a wavy appearance to the skin), pitted, discolored, or have raised borders.
- Vascular conditions: Blood vessels visible on the surface of the skin, vascular lesions that appear as tiny blood filled blisters or even a constant flush of facial redness.
- Loss of skin tone: Weakening of the supportive skin structure (collagen and elastin fibers) that results in a loss of skin firmness, or the development of cellulite.
Is it right for me?
While not as involved as surgical cosmetic procedures, skin rejuvenation is a medical procedure. You should do it for yourself, not to fulfill someone else’s desires or to try to fit any sort of ideal image.
Skin rejuvenation is an option for you if:
- You are physically healthy
- You don’t smoke
- You have a positive outlook and specific, but realistic goals in mind for the improvement of your appearance.
One of the most popular anti-aging procedures is skin resurfacing for many reasons. Please contact the office of Dr. Mark Bishara and The Paragon Plastic Surgery & Med Spa to see why. Visit us at www.MarkBisharaMD.com or call (817) 473-2120.
Cosmetic Surgeon Dr. Mark A. Bishara, M.D., serving Fort Worth, Arlington, and the surrounding area.
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