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Secretive About Botox

Although an estimated 2.6 million Americans receive Botox treatments every year 75% of patients are secretive about it. In Britain, secrecy about treatment runs high as well, with 72% of women and 81% of men not saying a word about their treatments. Usually, when complimented on their improved appearance, patients make up a cover story, sometimes attributing their sudden youthfulness to the use of a sunblock or a moisturiser.

In a recent survey in southern California, plastic surgeons estimated different percentages to the level of secrecy. The average estimate is about 45%.

Dr. Edward Domanskis, a plastic surgeon in Newport Beach, estimated it to be from 60% to 70%. Dr. Ashkan Ghavami, a plastic surgeon in Beverly HIlls, approximated it to be about 60%. Dr. Val Lambros, a plastic surgeon in Newport Beach, guessed it to be from 30% to 40%. Dr. John Di Saia, a plastic surgeon in San Clemente and Anaheim, reckoned it to be less than 10%. And Dr. Michael Persky , a plastic surgeon in Encino, made an educated guess at about 15%, with 99.9% for celebrities.

Doctors are asked to keep the treatments a secret. Patients ask doctors to only call them on their mobile phones within a certain time frame. Women might only come for treatments while their husbands are out of town on a business trip to allow for enough time for the bruising to heal. Some of these women get all their treatments done all at the same time. Others spread them out; for instance, lips one month, Botox the next month, and so on.

Sculptra, a new, slow-acting dermal filler, is especially popular with secretive patients. During their research, the manufacturers learned that a certain population wanted gradual, rather than a sudden improvement in their appearance. Consequently, doctors usually ask patients if they would prefer a slower transformation in their features. With Sculptra injections, it may take from 6 to 10 weeks for the full effects to show. For secretive patients, this is a perfect solution. However, the effects of Botox and other even fillers are also easy to hide. According to Dr Val Lambros, “If you fill nasolabial folds it’s pretty easy to hide, but more advanced uses of fillers in other parts of the face, like around the lower lids can bruise and be harder to hide. Of course the chance of bruising is higher the more you want to avoid it.”

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Sculptra Long Lasting

The popularity of facial fillers has been growing exponentially in recent times. To combat wrinkles and loss of facial fat, patients turn to facial filler injections that have little to no recovery time. Sculptra is touted by aesthetic patients and physicians as being the “longest lasting facial filler”.

Sculptra is a dermal facial filler that can be injected directly into the skin of the face to rejuvenate the skin, that leaves it looking younger and healthier. Poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) was approved by the FDA in 2004 and is the main component in Sculptra. This component is a synthetic biodegradable polymer that has been proven to be safe and effective in surgeries for 20 years.

Sculptra was approved by the FDA in 2009, and is considered to be a biostimulator, unlike other types of facial fillers. Sculptra not only stimulates the skin tissue, but rebuilds it when it starts to degrade. Other facial fillers plump up the tissue temporarily using an absorbent filler material. The PLLA activates an immune response when Sculptra is injected in the facial skin that causes the white blood cells to gradually absorb the PLLA particles. This particular process leads to collagen and fibrosis buildup at the site where Sculptra has been injected. This formation of new collagen is a slow acting process, therefore it may take up to four to six weeks to notice visible results.

The slow process of forming new collagen is what causes Sculptra to have longer lasting effects than other fillers. Other types of fillers cause temporary but immediate results, that plump up the skin to eliminate wrinkles. Eventually the effects dissipate and the injections have to be redone. Sculptra, on the other hand, is considered to be a “tissue volumizer” that fortifies areas of the face where the skin has lost fat.

Patients that use Sculptra see varying results with the product, however results can be expected to last from one to two years. There have even been instances where the results have lasted for up to three years. The long lasting effects of Sculptra is due to the safe absorbency of the poly-L-lactic acid formula, the ability to stimulate skin tissues that have degraded, and the gradual buildup of fresh collagen around weak tissues.

After getting a Sculptra injection, the patient should take extra care of their skin, by avoiding the sun as much as possible, and keeping the skin clean and well moisturized.

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Different Types of Dermal Fillers

There exist a few kinds of dermal fillers on the market, all of which have the same intention: to decrease the signs of aging. The only realDermal Fillers differences among them are how long they take, what they are made of, and how they work.

Collagen

Collagen is an injection, thus making it a rather soft product. Because it is based on humans, there are hardly ever any negative reactions and it usually sits well with anybody who takes it. The primary advantage is the fact that it has lidocaine in it, meaning the process is less uncomfortable for a person, making it a good choice for those who fear pain. On average, the product will remain good for up to six months, though it must be refrigerated.

Hyaluronic Acids

Restylane and Perlane are two examples of a non-animal based hyaluronic acid Dermal Fillers. The former product will typically last upwards of six months, where the latter product seems to last a little bit longer than that since it is a bit of a more robust product. Captique, another similar product, will normally last upwards of four months. Juvederm, on the other hand, is a new product of its kind that has been proven to last even longer: upwards of twelve months. Like collagen, it is a soft product that injects with ease.

Hylaform is another type of this product, though unlike the others, it is avian based. It is quite similar to Restylane except it does not last quite as long. However, it does come in numerous different levels of concentration for the purposes of property tailoring for a different level of wrinkles.

Semi-Permanent Dermal Fillers

Manufactured by BioForm, Radiesse is a product that of which is greatly compatible with people due to the fact that it contains a natural body substance: calcium hydroxyapatite. Though it may take multiple injections before the desired result is achieved, when this occurs, it should last upwards of two years. The natural body substance functions as a way to increase the production of new collagen. However, included with this advantage is one drawback: It causes a little bit more pain and bruising than that of other methods.

Manufactured by Sanofi-Aventis, and equally as compatible as the previous mention, Sculptra comes delivered within a vial. Ideally, one would reconstitute the substance at least three hours prior with lidocaine and sterile water. Since the water is used, the results will not be immediate, though it should occur within two days afterwards. Because the final product contains lidocaine, it will not be quite as painful as other methods, though this is a method requiring future injections at least a full month in between. This may last upwards of two years.

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