Anti aging

BOTULINUM TOXIN – BOTOX

Botox treatment consists in the infiltration of a biological toxin, the botulinum toxin type A, for the aesthetic treatment of facial wrinkles caused by the contraction of facial muscles. Botox acts by interfering in the communication between nerves and muscles in the affected area (motor end plate), producing muscle relaxation, which causes the smoothness of furrows and fine lines.

It is a simple intervention, i.e. just applying a superficial injection of very low dose of botulinum toxin, resulting in the disappearance of crow’s feet, forehead wrinkles, and wrinkles between the eyebrows, the slight elevation of the eyebrows, and thus restoring a youthful appearance to the face.

Anesthesia is not needed, and it is performed in 15-20 minutes depending on the area to be treated. Therefore, the patient returns to normal activities immediately. Results are definitive after 15 days. However, two small adjustments are required over the time in order to achieve and maintain the desired results. It can be used as a single treatment in young people with incipient wrinkles or in combination with other therapies in older people.

Since it is a simple and a routine intervention, it does not involve many complications. Nevertheless, some of them may be related to the puncture or toxin migration, which will be explained and detailed by the surgeon.

How is it applied?

Very low doses of botulinum toxin type A are superficially applied by intramuscular injection with a very thin needle.

Which fine lines and facial wrinkles respond best to the treatment?

Expression lines and wrinkles that best respond to the treatment are those caused by the activity of specific muscles during facial expression (frontalis, procerus and corrugators that frowns, and orbicularis around eyes and mouth).

Can it be applied at any age?

Yes. It can be used as a single treatment in young people with incipient wrinkles, or as a complement for optimizing surgical eyelids (blepharoplasty) and face (face lift) treatments.

In advanced age people, it can be applied in combination with other therapies such as fillers or chemical peeling.

How long is the treatment?

The application of botulinum toxin can last between 15 and 30 minutes, depending on several factors. After that, it will require small adjustments.

How long does the effect remain?

Botox maximum effect is reached between the day 15th and the third month after the application. Its effect remains approximately 6 months after the first application, and may vary depending on the patient.

An abusive use of Botox may decrease its effect, so it is important to follow your doctor recommendations. In next treatments, stability can be achieved by performing reminder treatments annually.

Is hospitalization required?

No. This treatment is performed in the consultation. It is a very simple treatment that does not require anesthesia, thus hospitalization is not necessary.

How is the recovery process?

There is no down time or recovery time for botulinum toxin injections. The patient can return to the daily activities immediately.

What advantages does it offer?

Disappearance of crow’s feet, forehead wrinkles, and wrinkles between eyebrows, slight elevation of the eyebrows, and thus restoring a youthful appearance to the face.
It is applied without anesthesia; there is no need of down time.
Allergy test is no needed.
It can also be applied on neck and neckline.
It is a safe procedure; any associated systemic complications have been reported.

When are the results visible?

Results are visible between the third and fifth day, and they are definitive in fifteen days.

What side effects can I have?

Small bruises may appear; however, they will disappear over the course of days. Bruises can be hidden with makeup.

When is it contraindicated?

It is contraindicated for pregnant women, anticoagulants treated patients, and those with coagulopathies. However, the surgeon will evaluate each case.

How many sessions are needed?

In many cases, small adjustments are needed after the first session. Six months must pass between the first two sessions, eight months after the third session and, finally, an annual session as maintenance.

Can complications occur during the procedure?

It is a simple, routine intervention. Although complications may occur, they are rare and usually minor (mild pain and ecchymosis at puncture site).

Where can Botox be applied?

Botox is indicated for the treatment of wrinkles between the eyebrows and crow’s feet. Nevertheless, your doctor will determine the possibility of application in other areas.

DERMAL FILLERS

It is a filling technique for hollows, wrinkles, skin folds, lips, and other signals of aging, by using hyaluronic acid, injectable collagen or own fat. They are also used in recessed scars or asymmetries.

Injectable collagen: ultra-purified dermal bovine collagen of type I, or human, that is used for soft tissue augmentation, correction of contour defects of soft tissues and facial wrinkles.
Own fat: by lip injection. It is usually associated with other aesthetic procedures. It is used to fill deep hollows, and soft tissue augmentation.
Hyaluronic acid: it is a biologically pure, biodegradable and non-allergenic polysaccharide. It is used for the treatment of wrinkles and defects in soft tissues, similarly to collagen. Nowadays, this is the most used treatment.

Dermal fillers technique is a simple procedure, very useful for young patients with early signs of aging. This technique does not require hospitalization or anesthesia. Generally, patients can return to normal activities immediately.

Treatment duration is between 15 minutes and one hour, depending on the areas to be treated. Results are evident, but continuous treatments are required to obtain long-term results.

Substances used during the process are reabsorbable; meaning that they are elements that can be metabolized and excreted by the body. Although rare and minor, complications associated with the injection or with the type of filling may occur, which will be explained by your surgeon.

Is it applicable to all ages?

Dermal fillers can be very useful in young patients with early signs of aging, or in older patients as a complementary therapy in facial rejuvenation surgery.

How many sessions are needed?

Dermal fillers are temporary treatments for facial aging, so continuous treatments are required to obtain long-term results.

Is hospitalization required?

No, it is a fast procedure that can be performed in the consultation. However, the efficacy and safety of the technique require a specialized, well trained doctor with deep understanding of the facial anatomy in order to recommend and inject the appropriate filling for each patient.

How is the recovery process?

It may be different for each patient and type of filler used. Generally, patients can return to most of the daily activities immediately. During the first 24-48 hours, it is recommended to avoid intense physical activity to minimize the risk of swelling and bruising.

How long is the procedure?

Between 15 minutes and 1 hour. It depends on areas to be treated.

Can complications occur during the procedure?

It is a very simple intervention so, usually, there are no complications. In any case, the patient may suffer temporary discomfort such as acne-like skin rashes, asymmetry, pruritus, bruising, bleeding from the injection site or swelling.

When are the results visible? and how long do the results last?

Results are evident immediately, and they will remain between 6 and 18 months depending on the filling substance and the patient.

What will be evaluated in the initial visits with your surgeon?

In any kind of aesthetic treatment, communication with the surgeon is essential. In the first visit, characteristics of the area to be treated and patient’s expectations will be evaluated in order to obtain the best possible result.

PEELING

Peeling is a technique used to smooth wrinkles, reduce skin spots, and improve the texture and appearance of the skin by means of exfoliating superficial layers of the skin.

There are three methods for performing this technique:

Mechanical (dermabrasion): it involves a high-speed abrasive surface stone or sand down material.
Laser: it removes superficial layers of the skin by thermal vaporization.
Chemical peeling: it uses chemical products to remove superficial layers of the skin. The most used are: alpha-hydroxy acids (superficial), trichloroacetic acid (TCA, intermediate-depth) and phenol (the deepest one).

Chemical peeling is the most used technique currently. The superficial chemical peeling eliminates fine wrinkles, skin spots, and acne; the intermediate-depth one clears superficial wrinkles, extended pigmented lesions, and active acne; and the deepest peeling eliminates the most marked wrinkles, scarred acne, and circumscribed pigmentation.

The injury level in the treated area will vary depending on peeling depth. The superficial peeling produces only a slight reddening; the intermediate-depth does a greater peeling and redness; and the deepest one causes intense reddening and desquamation.

In case of superficial and intermediate-deep peelings, general anesthesia is not required, and therefore no hospitalization. Although it is a safe, simple and routine procedure, there are some minor adverse reactions, such as infection and delayed healing, which will be explained in depth by the surgeon.

What advantages does the chemical peel offer?

It can be performed at any time of the year, any type of skin, and on any part of the body.
It is fast, simple and painless.
Anesthesia and hospitalization are not required.
It achieves a more luminous, uniform, compact and elastic skin.

What different kinds of chemical peels exist?

There are three types of chemical peel, depending on the treatment depth:

The superficial peeling is suitable to smooth fine wrinkles, skin spots and acne in patients who do not want or cannot afford a visible peeling, since it only produces a slight redness that disappears in several hours. It can be applied at intervals of fifteen days.
Intermediate-deep peeling is appropriate to erase superficial wrinkles, extended pigmented lesions, and active acne. A greater reddening and a more visible desquamation may occur; peeling off dry skins. It practically does not alter the normal social life. The procedure only requires a single session. Treatment can be repeated after six weeks.
Deepest peeling is recommended to eliminate the deepest wrinkles, medium-high grade photoaging, cicatricial acne, and circumscribed pigmentation. Skin intense temporal reddening appears during 3 or 4 days, and an intense desquamation for a maximum of about 10 days. Normal social life can be altered for about a week. The procedure only requires a single session. Treatment can be repeated again after eight weeks.

Is hospitalization required?

Hospitalization is not required since anesthesia is no needed.

Who is candidate for this treatment?

Those who experience facial aging due to sun exposure, hyperchromias (skin spots), acne, keratosis, skin flaccidity, small wrinkles, stretch marks, scars, open pores, etc.

When is it contraindicated?

This procedure is contraindicated in the following cases:

If a surgical intervention has been performed in the area to be treated in previous four months.
If the patient has certain pathologies. For this reason, your doctor must complete your medical history.
If a graft has been performed in the previous four weeks.

In any case, your surgeon will evaluate your clinical situation at the time of the initial visit.

Does the intervention have any kind of risk?

Peeling is a very safe procedure, but it must be performed by a qualified plastic surgeon with certified experience.

There are some risks, such as infection, abnormal or delayed healing, developing of another skin tone; although they are scarce.

LIPOFILLING OR LIPOSCULPTURE

Facial Lipofilling or facial liposculpture is a surgical procedure aimed to increase the facial volume and shape its contour by repositioning the fat previously obtained by liposuction. It is a three-phase process:

Fat tissue is obtained by a small localized liposuction of certain areas, such as abdomen or hip.
The fat tissue obtained is then purified.
Grafting is performed. The procedure is done with purified fat cells obtained in the area to be treated.

It is a procedure frequently associated with other interventions, such as lifting or blepharoplasty. It also produces skin rejuvenation, because fat tissue (previously obtained) contains stem cells implicated in the rejuvenation process. It is also commonly associated with the cervico-facial facelift, since it helps to recover the lost volume associated with aging. It is carried out by replenishing the fat tissue in malar and temporal regions.

Who is a candidate for this treatment?

Patients willing to recover the lost volume by aging, or correct the defects originated from traumatisms, pathologies, or previous conditions.

Is hospitalization required?

It is an intervention usually performed under local anesthesia, so hospitalization is not usually required. In some cases, general anesthesia may be required. The doctor will evaluate the patients need according to the type of intervention.

Which advantages can I achieve compared to other interventions?

It is one of the safest aesthetic procedures, with greater recovery capacity, and lesser risk of complications.

It is a minimally invasive process. Advantages are evident due to remarkable improvements obtained in volume and skin rejuvenation. Most importantly, results are permanent.

How long does it take to reach the final result? Are new interventions required?

Although the obtained fat is treated by different procedures in order to improve its capture rate in the recipient bed, fat grafts survival is around 70%. Post-surgical inflammation decreases during the first 3 months, and a part of fat is reabsorbed. We consider that, from this time, the results will be definitive and permanent. No more lipofilling sessions are usually needed in the facial area.

How is the postoperative period?

It can be considered a moderate process. It will be necessary to wear a compressive belt in the area where liposuction is performed. Swelling or bruising may appear in the grafted area. No visible scars are produced.

After the intervention, it will be necessary to continue the treatment prescribed by the specialist, which require taking antibiotics and analgesics.

Does the intervention have any kind of risk?

If it is carried out by a qualified plastic surgeon with certified experience, usually there are not complications associated to the surgery. However, as any surgical procedure, there are some risks. Occasionally, improper handling of fat may cause that the injected tissue does not survive. Placing too much fat tissue can also lead to complications.