Early in life, we can’t wait to get older. Teenagers think of adulthood as freedom. It’s true that being an adult can be liberating, but aging can definitely have its disadvantages particularly when it comes to the toll it can take on our skin.
Ironically, the day we look into a mirror and see Mom staring back at us usually becomes the day we change course when it comes to aging. We would love nothing more than to be younger, or at least look younger. The reality is there’s no mystic fountain of youth. We just have to suck it up and accept looking older, right?
Not necessarily, says Daniel Di Cesare, MD, the medical director and board-certified dermatologist here at Orange Coast Dermatology. Think cosmetic injectables. In this blog, Dr. Di Cesare gives you the lowdown on five popular FDA-approved injections that can create the appearance of younger, smoother skin.
Cosmetic injectables are minimally invasive treatment options which use prescription medications that are injected beneath your skin to mimic the body’s natural toning and firming agents. These proteins, known as collagen and elastin, dwindle as you age.
The goals of cosmetic injectables are to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles and replace elasticity and suppleness. Think of it like stealing the skin you enjoyed when you were younger.
At about now if you’re thinking, “Yes, please,” you’re in good company. In fact, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, in 2020 alone providers performed more than 13.2 million minimally invasive cosmetic procedures for women and men in the United States. More than 4.4 million of those procedures used Botulinum Toxin Type A injections.
Here at Orange Coast Dermatology we offer our patients two different Botulinum Toxin Type A injectables – Botox®, one of the most recognized and consistently popular minimally invasive procedure available, and Xeomin®. Both Botox and Xeomin treat frown lines and wrinkles by relaxing the muscles that allow facial lines to form in the first place.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of Botulinum Toxin Type A to treat moderate to severe frown lines between the eyebrows in 2002. Botox quickly became popular with patients and physicians alike and has consistently been the top minimally invasive cosmetic procedure ever since.
Depending on your custom treatment plan the Orange Coast Dermatology team can perform your Botox injections in as little as 10 minutes. Over the next several days after your treatment Botox relaxes the muscles in the injection area, preventing the muscles from contracting and more importantly, creating a smoother, natural appearance.
Xeomin treats facial lines and smooths out wrinkles just like Botox. The biggest difference is that unlike Botox, Xeomin does not need to be refrigerated before use, and that its only ingredient is Botulinum Toxin Type A. No additives are included.
Another category of cosmetic injectables, called soft tissue or dermal fillers, use ingredients like collagen stimulators or hyaluronic acid to replace volume loss as well as to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Fillers can be used alone or in combination with Botulinum Toxin Type A injectables. Fillers typically take a little longer to perform as the provider needs to inject the filler a little bit at a time and then massage it into place to produce a natural appearance.
Juvéderm® is the brand name for a family of versatile dermal fillers that contain hyaluronic acid, which pulls in water molecules which can be used to add volume and smooth out wrinkles. Juvéderm can address a wide variety of issues such as to plump up your lips as well as to restore contours to your cheeks and to fill in the nasolabial folds to get rid of those annoying marionette lines.
Similar to Juvéderm, Radiesse® is used to plump up or add volume to the skin in the lower face, however, it contains calcium hydroxylapatite or CaHA which produces long-term benefits by stimulating collagen and elastin production. This cosmetic advance makes Radiesse the first and only CaHA cosmetic injectable treatment in the United States.
Restylane® is another dermal filler in Orange Coast Dermatology’s toolbox. Restylane can be used to add volume and to smooth out moderate to severe facial folds and wrinkles. It can also be used to plump up lips for patients over 21.
If you are concerned with the appearance of your skin and want to recapture a more youthful appearance, make an appointment at Orange Coast Dermatology. Schedule your initial consultation over the phone, or book online today.
