Is That My Mother in the Mirror?

Sooner or later “it” happens. You are feeling good. Maybe like you did in your 20s, and then BAMM, you walk past a mirror and wonder why your mom is looking back at you. It’s then that you start to wonder about dermal fillers or Botox to help restore a more youthful appearance to your face.

Fillers

Whether it’s a set of parentheses that has parked itself around your mouth or a row of wrinkles creeping across your forehead, fillers can subtly correct many of the severe lines that have imbedded themselves on your face throughout the years. Fillers also plump lips and add contour to age-related volume loss.

It is no wonder filler injection is one of the top non-invasive procedures performed by plastic surgeons in the United States. My patients are handed a mirror immediately after the injection. Why? Because we love to hear them say “Wow!” They can’t believe the results are that immediate and dramatic.

JUVÉDERM® the brand of filler used in our practice, is hyaluronic acid with lidocaine (a numbing agent) to keep you comfortable for a period of time during and after the procedure. It is a safe, natural, off-the-shelf product with few allergic reactions.

Fillers have a high patient satisfaction rating because it is cost effective with no downtime and very much a “what you see is what you get” procedure; results last from two to 18 months depending on the area of the body injected as well as the metabolism of the patient. The procedure is repeated because your body ultimately absorbs the filler.

Even sensitive areas underneath the eyelid can be filled and plumped to create a smoother appearance. But I caution patients: a very skilled professional must do this procedure due to the thin, delicate skin around the eyes.

In fact, for all patients interested in fillers and/or Botox, I strongly urge you to have a buyer beware mindset, especially for Botox injections.

Botox

Botox itself is an incredibly safe product. It has been around since the 1970s and is among the post popular cosmetic procedures in the world. The problem is, a lot of health care providers are doing the procedure and they lack the precise hand and aesthetic eye of a trained plastic surgeon.

Botox temporarily paralyzes the facial muscles that cause wrinkles, such as in the frown area, crow’s feet and forehead — the three primary areas treated in our practice. It targets the underlying problem, which is the muscle action, stopping the skin from moving in the selected areas.

An injection lasts between two and four months, usually requiring three to four visits to my office per year. It softens the lines and wrinkles and, with regular use, keeps them from coming back.

Botox is also FDA-approved to treat chronic migraines, acting in a similar way to block the release chemicals involved in headache pain. You can learn more about Botox for migraines at the American Migraine Foundation website.

Many happy and youthful looking patients come to our practice regularly for Botox, both women and men.

Click here to learn more about Dr. Motlagh and the Plastic, Reconstructive & Cosmetic procedure options at CVPH.