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Radiant Life strives to educate patients on aging gracefully. These articles, pulled from the July/August issue, are designed to help your patients feel better about themselves by enhancing their self-esteem through aesthetic procedures.

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Self Esteem by Design? by Lindsay Haakenson

It’s a question as old as aesthetic enhancement itself:

Can Plastic Surgery Really Build Your Self Esteem?

If you’ve been thinking about your self-esteem, you may think twice when considering the expectations for body perfection set up by the media. It may be perceived that supermodels or ladies who are a size two have high self esteem, but all people may struggle with their sense of self esteem. There is uniqueness in every body shape and size. This uniqueness can translate into its own sense of perfection when you are satisfied with yourself, as a being. It’s the sense that you know you have excellent qualities. It’s the substance of self-pride and self-respect. It’s the glow of a positive attitude that you have about yourself- an overall feeling that you are successful. It is the intimacy you share with yourself and the world around you.

Then, there’s the little stuff. You may be bothered by misshapen breasts, a protruding body bulge, or sagging wrinkled skin. Any of which may inhibit your self-esteem.

Plastic surgery is designed to improve the appearance of a bothersome feature. The goal is not to achieve perfection, but to artistically and technically create an enhanced appearance. In fact, plastic surgeons screen patients to be certain that the candidate is not overly concerned or preoccupied with a specific bodily feature. People who perceive an imperfection in an exaggerated manner are not usually candidates for plastic surgery. They may be referred to a specialist to identify if they have body dysmorphic disorder- a disorder that is characterized by a person’s inappropriate concern about a troublesome feature that adversely affects their life. On the other hand, the outcome of plastic surgery has been known to enhance self-esteem for those who are concerned about an undesirable feature in the proper perspective.

Case In Point

The popular Rosenberg self-esteem scale and Female Sexual Function Index was used to study nearly 100 women who have breast implants between the ages of 21 and 57. Though this is a small number compared to more than two million women who have breast implants, the outcome of the study has been promising. The study, led by Cynthia Figueroa-Haas, a clinical professor at the University of Florida, was meant to identify the study participants who experienced a change in self-esteem and sexual perceptions following breast augmentation. Despite the fact that some women did not experience a change in sexual perception or self esteem, the overall results were impressive, as follows:

Average self esteem scores rose more than 4 points to 24.9 on a 30 point scale.
Average sexual function increased by more than 4 points to 31.4 on a 36 point scale.

This case point demonstrates that plastic surgery patients may experience enhancements in several ways. Let’s explore some of the other value added benefits that people who have had plastic surgery may uncover.

Self Satisfaction: Plastic surgery patients may experience that they have more self-confidence, happiness and an increased sense of well-being.

Career Success: Some plastic surgery patients have indicated that plastic surgery has enriched their career, lending an impression that they are valuable participants in their respective field.

Carefree Sensation: Being relieved of perceived imperfections, some plastic surgery patients feel a lift from inhibition, allowing them to experience greater depths in intimacy.

Social Status: Some plastic surgery patients have found that they are well-liked through the investment that they made in themselves which now shines through in their rejuvenated appearance.

In the end, there is no standard for perfection when it comes to beauty in life. Beauty is the reflection of you. It is all of the unique qualities that you possess. It is the intimacy that you share with yourself and the world around you. There can be nothing greater than being content with you!

A Shot of Confidence: rolling back the clock with injectables by Christine Russo

If you make a mental note of your facial appearance each year, you’ll probably notice that some of the first wrinkles that appear on your face are those caused by movement. Add to this the slowed skin renewal process that occurs throughout adulthood, the risk of other wrinkles and skin folds is unavoidable in time. In fact, chilling winds, sun exposure and air pollutants all penetrate healthy skin; increasing the risk of wrinkles and skin folds. An improper diet and lack of physical activities, as well as certain medical conditions, hormone changes and stress, contribute to facial wrinkles and folds. Soon, all of these factors can leave a blueprint on your face which may be disconcerting, including:

Wrinkles caused by lifting your eyebrows
Facial creases caused by furrowing your eyebrows
Lines caused by eye squinting
Static wrinkles and skin folds not caused by facial movement

Now for the solution to prevent and treat facial lines, wrinkles, creases and skin folds- Injectables and Facial Fillers! If you use injectables before your wrinkles are fully evident, you’ll be less likely to suffer from dynamic wrinkles (those caused by movement) because injectables are neuromuscular blockers that weaken the ability to cause wrinkles. Many women start injectable treatment plans in their thirties for this reason. If you are concerned about static wrinkles and skin folds, facial fillers can alleviate these strains. There are several advantages to injectables and facial fillers, including:

Immediate results that are significant.
Comfort in knowing that injectables and facial fillers do not involve significant downtime. There may be some minor swelling or bruising for a few days which can be masked by makeup.
Conservative costs that are very reasonable, allowing you to return for maintenance treatments.
A 15-minute time obligation that is not very discomforting at all.

The List of Possibilities

Botox^® and Dysport^®: For thirty year olds and up, Botox and Dysport significantly reduce crow’s feet, wrinkles on the forehead, and between the brows. The results last for up to six months at a reasonable cost of $12-$18 per unit.

Restylane^®, Juvéderm^®, Perlane^®, Hylaform^®, Prevelle Silk^® and Captique^®: For women and men in their mid-thirties and over, these hyaluronic acid fillers soften facial folds. The products may last anywhere from three to nine months or more, depending upon the filler type and extent of aging. For example, Juvéderm Ultra^® treats minor to moderate wrinkles. Juvéderm Ultra Plus^® allows for both contouring and volumizing for deeper facial folds and wrinkles. Juvéderm Ultra XC^® and Juvéderm Ultra Plus XC^® include lidocaine to ease the discomfort from the injection. The cost is up to $600.00 or more per syringe for all types.

Radiesse^®: For people in their mid-thirties and up, Radiesse is a hydroxyapatite filler that treats nasolabial folds, marionette lines and the cheeks. Radiesse may last from one to one and a half years for the cost of $600.00 -$800.00 per syringe.

Sculptura^®: For the baby boomer group, some in Generation X and above, Sculptura is a biocompatible synthetic poly-L-lactic acid filler that improves facial creases, hollowed cheeks and sunken eyes. Three to five sessions may be required to achieve results that can last for up to two years at $1000.00 per vial.

Cosmoplast^® and Cosmoderm^®: For those in the mid-thirties and up, Cosmoplast (for slight damage) and Cosmoderm (for deeper damage) treat frown lines, crow’s feet, forehead lines, smile lines, vertical lip lines, marionette lines, lip border and select scars. These fillers are derived from human collagen. The results last for up to four months at a cost of about $500.00 per syringe.

Zyderm^® and Zyplast^®: Zyderm and Zyplast, derived from bovine (cow) collagen, treat facial wrinkles, lip borders and scars. The advantage of these two fillers is that they offer the quickest results with the shortest downtime. This treatment requires an allergy skin test. The results last three to four months and cost roughly $500.00 per syringe.

Fat Injections: For baby boomers and beyond, your own fat may be transferred by injection to fill in skin folds, improve facial creases and lift sunken cheekbones. The procedure may need to be repeated to provide results for more than three months time. By the same token, the results may last a lifetime for $2,000.00 to $4,000.00 per treatment.

How Injectables and Fillers Work

During the procedure, your aesthetic professional will cleanse the treatment area. Then, he or she will estimate the appropriate amount of the filler or injectable necessary to achieve your goals. The number of units, syringes, or vials required in treatment depends upon the degree of aging. For example, a person with moderate wrinkling on the forehead and between the brows may require 20-25 units for the glabellar wrinkles (frown lines) and 25 – 30 units of Botox for the forehead, which would be half a vial of Botox together. Injectables and facial fillers involve a sophisticated technique to treat the precise location for optimal results.

For Botox and Dysport, injections are placed in key locations to alleviate the muscle strain that is causing the contraction that appears as a wrinkle.
For facial fillers, injections of the facial filler are distributed through an access point at the edge of the skin fold.

Following the procedure, an ice pack may be placed on the treatment area for a few minutes. You may return to normal activities following the procedure, but will be provided a list of precautions to follow in the hours after the procedure.

It’s important to note that not all wrinkles can be treated by injectables and facial fillers. To treat such wrinkles, you may wish to consider microdermabrasion or chemical peels for mild to moderate wrinkling. For late stage moderate or severe wrinkling, laser skin resurfacing is an alternative. These three treatment options speed up the skin renewal process to thwart off wrinkles. Maintenance treatments are usually required, but people are generally comfortable with this because of the rewards.

Millions of people receive injectables and facial fillers to relieve the signs of aging. The end result is often not only an improved appearance, but expressions of youthfulness, radiance and beauty. Consider injectables and facial fillers to take a refreshing look in your mirror. Your reflection can be most satisfying!

Know The Facts About Facial Rejuvenation: by Lindsay Haakenson Facelift

Chances are, you focus on preserving the beauty and radiance of your skin every day. If you have been, you’ll have likely added a glow to your face. You have probably kept up with facials, microdermabrasion and/or chemical peels to brighten your skin, reduce pore size, as well as improve fine lines and wrinkles. You may have embarked on laser skin resurfacing for advanced aging signs. Perhaps, you’ve even taken advantage of Botox Cosmetic^® or Dysport^® to experience significant postponement and improvement of forehead lines, crow’s feet and wrinkles between the brows. You may have also maintained an enhancement by reducing your skin folds and deep facial creases through Restylane^®, Juvéderm^®, or Perlane^®. You might have selected Radiesse^®, Sculptura^® or fat injections for your smile lines and lifting your cheeks.

But, what about facial sagging and lines that injectables, facial fillers, chemical peels and lasers cannot treat? It may just be the right time to consider a facelift. In fact, you’ll want to schedule a consultation now to be prepared for the upcoming holidays. Facelifts and variations thereof can be a noteworthy enhancing change, especially for the holidays and years to come, as follows:

Lifts cheeks for a high cheek appearance.
Significantly improves facial sagging of the mid and lower face.
Smoothes wrinkles that are caused by excess skin.
Softens facial creases around the corners of the mouth and from the bottom of the nose to the lip corners (smile lines).

Delicacy and Simplicity

Interestingly enough, facelifts today can be quite delicate and simplistic. This is true from the standpoint of the technique and from recovery.

Mini Facelift: There are a variety of mini facelifts to choose from, offering subtle changes and the postponement for the need of more invasive facial plastic surgery later on, including: the traditional mini facelift, the thread lift and the silhouette lift. All of which may be performed in an hour or more, while you are comfortably relaxed under local anesthesia. Recovery time may be as little as a few days or as much as a week, depending upon the extent of the procedure. People generally return to most normal activities within a few days. As well, the techniques used in a mini facelift vary among plastic surgeons, including:

Traditional Mini Facelift: The mini facelift involves the use of a shorter hairline incision when compared to a traditional facelift. During the procedure, your skin and underlying superficial tissue may be repositioned to tighten and lift the skin into a natural, improved location.
Thread Lift: The thread lift procedure involves the use of cogged threads that are inserted through a hairline incision and slipped down to your treatment area so that the thread can be used to lift your skin.
Silhouette Lift: The silhouette lift involves the placement of a pliable implant under the cheekbone to lift your mid and lower face as well as build volume in your cheeks.

The artistry and scientific expertise that goes into a mini facelift technique makes this procedure enticing for many of you in your 30’s and 40’s. The results often last three to five years time.

Traditional Facelift: There are primarily three types of traditional facelift procedures that may be used to create a dramatic change. The traditional facelift procedure is usually performed under general anesthesia. The procedure is completed in two or more hour’s time, depending upon the extent of the surgery. Recovery may take up to 14 days, but people usually do not mind since the benefits last about ten years.

Short Scar Lift: There are several types of short scar lifts. Generally, a short scar lift means that a smaller incision is used to lift tissues causing smile lines and to tighten a moderate amount of saggy skin. This technique often works well for people in their 40’s.
SMAS Lift: Also known as the superficial musculoaponeurotic system lift, the SMAS lift focuses on treating your deeper facial tissue layers through a hairline incision located in the temporal scalp area. This lift works well for people in their late 40’s to 50’s with moderate aging signs.
Deep Plane Lift: The deep plane lift focuses on lifting your skin, underlying tissue and muscles through a hairline incision similar to the SMAS lift. The deep plane lift offers a dramatic improvement for severe mid and lower facial sagging, as well as wrinkles and skin folds.

The Final Details

The facelift may be the only procedure you need to reshape your facial features. Sometimes, though, you may become interested in other facial plastic surgery procedures.

If you have neck bands, redundant skin and/or fat, investigate the neck lift which is commonly performed in conjunction with the face lift.
If you have excess skin and fat deposits above or under your eyes, you may wish to undergo blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) to enhance your eyes for a youthful appearance.
If your eyebrows have furrowed and your forehead is wrinkled beyond the repair offered through Botox or Dysport, consider a forehead lift that can take away that furrowed, angry, tired look.

There are many ways to complement your face. In fact, the costs can be small compared to an investment that will help you recapture your youth for an enhanced appearance that can

reshape your life.

Love Your Lips

While you’re thinking about facial rejuvenation, don’t forget your lips! Whether for a sweet kiss, luscious lips or a beautiful youthful appearance, lip augmentation has become increasingly popular for women and men. Lip augmentation may be performed to improve your lip lines, create fullness in your lips and reduce wrinkles around your mouth. There are a variety of techniques that offer temporary or permanent solutions, depending upon your need:

Facial fillers such as Restylane^® and Juvéderm^® offer a temporary treatment, but people do not typically mind maintenance treatments because of the reasonable cost and lack of discomfort associated with the injections. Restylane is a hyaluronic acid filler that lasts for approximately six months, while Juvéderm is a hyaluronic acid filler that may last up to a year.
Collagen therapy such as Zyderm^® and Zyplast^® can improve the lip border for three to six months.
Fat injections involve the transfer of your fat to your lips. The success of this treatment is highly technique driven. The longevity in the results varies among plastic surgeons.
Lip implants are removable implants that can be permanently placed under the skin of the lips to add volume and lusciousness.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow:
Sick of shaving? Wasting your time waxing? Painfully plucking each little hair? Well it’s time to stop living in the past and start welcoming a more permanent solution to getting rid of unwanted hair. Say goodbye to shaving cream, electrolysis and smelly yellow wax because laser hair removal is taking over the market. If you are sick of being in that hairy situation, it would benefit you to take some time to read about the advantages of laser hair removal, and what you can expect from treatment.

The fact of the matter is that women do not want hair on their body unless it is on their head or eyebrows. It is not very likely that you will hear a woman talking about how she is planning to grow her leg hair out this month. Nope, women are seeking laser hair removal in droves for the upper lip, chin, under arms, legs, and bikini line. Laser hair removal is even becoming more popular among men. I don’t know about you, but I have never heard anyone talking about how attractive it is when a man has a forest of hair on his back. So, why not banish back hair completely? If you do, you’ll be like many other men because the back area is the most popular area for men to be treated with laser hair removal. Yet, no matter where the hair is, laser hair removal can usually take care of it.

The Laser Advantage

Convenience when compared to shaving, electrolysis and waxing.
Saved time because you don’t have to return for treatments more than every 12 weeks
Very low on the discomfort scale, particularly when compared to waxing or electrolysis, because a numbing agent is applied before treatment.
Damage prevention for surrounding skin.
Costs that are comparable or less expensive than other methods.

How Does It Work?

Simply put, laser hair removal uses a laser to destroy all hair follicles down to the root at once. More than one treatment is necessary to address hair that develops at different stages. The three stages of hair growth are anagen, catogen and telogen. Since the hair removal process works best when hair is in the anagen stage, we will focus primarily on that stage.

When your hair follicles are in the anagen stage, they are actively growing and contain more pigment, thus making it more susceptible for the laser to sense. This stage can last anywhere from a few months to a few years. Typically, hair will grow one centimeter every 28 days. In order to obtain the longest term results, it is best to destroy hair follicles when in the anagen stage.

Laser pulses make contact with the skin in the areas where there is unwanted hair. The laser beams deep within the skin to get rid of the hair follicle itself. Each pulse helps to thin out the hair or remove it completely. Note: whether the hair is completely removed or just thinned out may depend on which stage the hair is in. People who receive only two or three treatments will notice that the hair does grow back. Over time, hair growth will be less, thinner, and the treatments will consume less time. This is because not all hair grows at the same time. When the hair is dormant, or not growing, the laser will not reach it.

Typically, procedure time is not very long, but it depends on the amount of hair you want removed. For example, treatment under the arm takes approximately 15-20 minutes. Other areas such as back and legs can take longer. Before going in for your visit, it is best to shave the area you are having treated. This is primarily due to the smell that will occur once the laser hits the hair.

It’s important to note that laser treatment is not appropriate for certain people with skin conditions or those who are taking Retin-A, Accutane, beta-carotene, photosensitive drugs, or using self tanning or tanning products, waxing or depilatory creams. People who are pregnant, have pacemakers, or have metal screws in the treatment area are not candidates for treatment either.

What to Expect After Treatment

Luckily there is no downtime after treatment. Since the procedure is non-invasive, once it is complete you will be fully functional. Of course, you’ll want to be certain to gently cleanse the area with mild soap when necessary. It is possible that after treatment you will experience reddening or mild swelling around the hairs that were treated. This usually goes away within a few hours. In the most rare of cases, swelled bumps, ingrown hairs, or an allergic reaction may occur which goes away in a short amount of time, but should be reported to your aesthetic professional immediately. In some cases, antibiotic or topical ointments may be required in the days after treatment. The use of sunscreen with zinc is recommended following treatment. Patients should refrain from tanning, exercise and Jacuzzi use for 24 hours following the procedure. Patients must refrain from waxing and depilatory cream use after laser hair removal. It is also possible for the treatment area to become lighter or darker for a short period of time.

The Cost

The average cost of hair removal is surprisingly affordable, especially considering the amount of money you would spend in the long haul on razors, shaving cream, waxing and other hair removal products. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the average cost of laser hair removal is just over $400. This obviously varies, depending on the location of the treatment area and the amount of hair you want to have removed. For example: smaller areas such as your bikini line, under the arms and upper lip can cost approximately $250. Other factors include the amount of treatments you need and your skin type.

Suppose you spend $20 a month on razors, shaving cream and waxing. After just one year that amounts to $240 a year on just getting rid of hair. Consider next that you will be shaving for at least 40 years of your life. That totals to $9,600 you will pay in your lifetime on just shaving.

Not only are you spending a lot of money but it is also hours upon hours probably adding up to weeks of your life.

Even if you spend half that amount of money on hair removal supplies, it is still a significant amount when a much simpler solution is out there. Look into the benefits of laser hair removal. Why waste time and money when you do not have to? Take your investigation of laser hair removal to the next level. Visit your aesthetic professional and ask about laser hair removal today.