Answer:
Stick it. Suck. Nip it. Tuck it.
Question:
What can I do to look better without major
surgery and a long recuperation period?
by ANNE MOORE
Noninvasive cosmetic surgery might
be just what you’re looking for.
We’re all becoming more and more
interested
in being the best that we can be,
starting at younger and younger ages.
What’s all the fuss about? Well, for
one thing, more of us are reaching age 90
and above. That’s a lot of gravity! Then
there’s the loss of antioxidants to fight the
increased numbers of free radicals. When
left unchecked, or “free,” these radicals
damage cell membranes, proteins and DNA
and break down collagen. If that weren’t
enough, they release chemicals that inflame
the skin, thus causing aging and wrinkling.
All this the result of just hanging around.
Some statistics about our
quest for youth and beauty:
• The average age of patients having
cosmetic surgery (including breast augmentation)
is 41.
• Women had 10,500,000 cosmetic
procedures in 2005.
• Americans spent 12.4 billion dollars on
cosmetic procedures.
• The most effective product for the prevention
of wrinkles and sun damage and
to keep skin from looking older is – ta
da – sunscreen with SPF of 15 or more.
• There has been a 91-percent increase in
the numbers of men undergoing nonsurgical
facial plastic surgery since 2000.
• 71 percent of people considering
plastic surgery had household incomes
of $60,000 or less.
Local dermatologists and plastic surgeons
can enhance your looks with little
pain, not much down time and with immediate
results. These doctors can erase
wrinkles, acne scars, sun damage and more
without a single incision, using injectibles
such as Botox and soft-tissue fillers.
Dr. Kimberly Finder, well known for
The Liposurgery Clinic, also has The Face
Place for the very latest cosmetic procedures.
Radiesse, Restylane and Juvederm
are injected to add volume and fill folds and
deep lines in the face, while Sculptra is a
process used to regenerate collagen over a
period of time to add volume. Fraxel II has
replaced Fraxel I to resurface the skin.
Even newer is Plasma (PSR), which is an
alternative to laser. With Plasma the collagen
is heated with highly energized nitrogen gas
but without the surface exposure and the risks
of using a laser. With the use of some medication
in the process, recovery is less painful.
Dr. Finder says there will be peeling of the
skin over the period of a week, but after that,
fresh new pink skin will appear.
At The Face Place, you can have the
fatty pads under the chin reshaped and contoured
with her minimally invasive tumescent
anesthesia liposurgery technique. At
her Smooth Solutions facility, Dr. Finder
specializes in laser hair removal and microdermabrasion
procedures. She believes
many people don’t realize how freeing it is
not to have to pluck facial hair, shave underarms
or wax legs or bikini areas any more.
Dr. Bonnie Furner practices general,
cosmetic and surgical dermatology. She
seeks to give you a “more youthful, refined
look and help you regain self-esteem and
confidence.” In addition to facial rejuvenation,
using Botox and Restylane or
Juvederm fillers, you can have areas of your
skin treated with the intense pulsed light
called photorejuvenation to get rid of brown
spots and more. Or you might want to permanently
remove excess or unwanted hair
and refresh your skin with chemical peels or
microdermabrasion. Of course, you can
obtain the usual type of treatments for acne,
rosacea, skin cancer and other dermatological
afflictions here as well.
Dr. Laura Bennack is the medical
director at Radiance Medspa San Antonio,
where you can obtain a plethora of services
ranging from Botox and dermal fillers, to
body contouring, to vein or hair removal,
skin tightening, massage therapy, lashes and
makeup. A couple of cutting-edge dermal
fillers — Cosmoplast and Cosmoderm —
are said to offer longer-lasting results than
some other fillers. In addition, the Silk
Peel, which uses a wet, diamond-tipped
apparatus (not crystals) for microdermabrasion,
and the Syneron elos photofacial technology
are said to get really good results
when used on the hands, back and chest
areas. How about some semi-permanent
eyelash extensions bonded to your own
lashes? Or anti-aging hormone therapy?
Dr. Vivian W. Bucay specializes in cosmetic
dermatology. She uses CO2 and
Fraxel lasers to resurface the skin, stimulate
production of collagen and tighten the collagen
bundles and the Gemini laser for elimination
of blood vessels, brown spots, veins
and such. Even though a painless office
procedure, she advises there are some preand
post-operative care requirements. but
results can last 15 years or more. She
administers Lipodissolve injections, which
contain soy lecithin, medically proven to
reduce cholesterol, increase metabolism and
enhance liver and cellular functions. These
injections are “a safer alternative to surgical
liposuction in fat and cellulite reduction.
Lipodissolve breaks down fat cells and dissolves
them into a liquid that is then eliminated
through natural bodily functions.”
Dr. Bucay is a national trainer for Botox,
Juevederm and Restylane product use. She
strongly believes in the use of topical creams
and medications containing antioxidants and
collagen boosters. Check her Web site for a list
of products she recommends.
Dr. Elizabeth Hughes Tichy and her
father, Dr. Philip Hughes, provide just about
any type of minimally invasive cosmetic procedure,
for any area of the skin, for any age
patient at their dermatology offices. Using
the most current fillers, they can plump up
and fill out skin folds, lines, furrows and hollows.
And they have ways to make these procedures
a lot less painful. Juvederm, containing
hyaluronic acid, requires no skin test, is “smoother” to inject into the very sensitive
lips and lasts for about nine months.
Sculptra, sometimes called a “liquid facelift,”
is used for volume in the cheeks, producing
the “lifting” effect. It is said to last two
years or more. Radiesse, recently FDAapproved
filler that lasts 12 to 18 months,
causes some swelling, but after about two
hours produces immediate improvement.
Radiesse is not to be used for lip treatment or
enhancement.
Sweat a lot? Think Botox. Yes, it’s true — at Hughes and Tichy, if the prescribed topical
medications don’t work on your sweaty
palms and underarms, Botox injections can
help you chill out for up to a year at a time.
And there’s more. Unsightly or painful veins
are treated by laser or injection. Unwanted
hair is removed from almost anywhere with a
low-energy laser. Shaving bumps, warts and
scars can be treated here as well. After a
diagnosis as to cause, there’s treatment for
certain types of female baldness.
One other very important service
offered here is pediatric dermatology and the
treatment of port wine stains and hemangiomas.
The doctors caution: Early therapy
is crucial for the best results. Early means
right after birth for port wine stains and right
after hemangiomas start to develop.
Dr. Robert Gonzalez has left behind his
long term in emergency rooms to move to
the Quality of Life clinic. Here, in addition
to Botox and fillers, laser hair removal, sclerotherapy
for veins, massage therapy and an
aesthetician straight from Beverly Hills to
give facials, he’s excited to provide bioidentical
hormone therapy. Dr. Gonzalez says
after blood and vitamin levels and other tests
are run, he can prescribe hormones especially
for the individual that are prepared by a
compounding pharmacy. He’s thrilled when
his patients have more energy and wellness
and regain their vitality.
You can have those pesky spider veins
around your face and legs treated by injection
(sclerotherapy) or with a laser. Just ask
your dermatologist or the doctors at Veintec.
