Each year, the American Society of Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), one of the most respected professional associations, publishes statistics on the demand for services. In 2016, the most popular areas in non-surgical cosmetology included injection and laser techniques: botulinum therapy, hyaluronic acid injections, laser hair removal, laser skin rejuvenation, as well as photorejuvenation, microdermabrasion and others.
In our article we will talk about the most popular methods of "beauty medicine".
Injection techniques in cosmetology.
Injections are popular primarily because they allow you to get the desired result without surgical intervention. The types of injections vary depending on the depth at which they are performed: from the superficial layers of the skin to the deep muscle layers. The duration of the effect also varies: from several weeks to several years.
Let's characterize the main injection techniques used today in cosmetology.
Botulinum therapy
This is the introduction of drugs made from botulinum toxin produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. Its action blocks the transmission of nerve signals to the muscles, causing them to relax. Initially, botulinum toxin therapy was used to treat disorders associated with spasms, such as tics, and later began to be used to smooth wrinkles.
Indications for the use of botulinum toxin in cosmetology are facial wrinkles: in the corners and around the eyes, on the forehead, in the corners of the mouth, nasolabial folds and changes in the oval of the face. Wrinkles of medium depth are smoothed with the help of botulinum toxin, reversing a series of age-related changes.
The procedure is not performed if the patient has inflammatory skin diseases, bleeding disorders, or has been treated with antibiotics and anticoagulants. Contraindications also include renal or hepatic failure, individual intolerance to botulinum toxin drugs, and paresis of the facial muscles. The injections are not given to women during pregnancy and lactation. Doctors treat patients with caution who are prone to swelling, eyelid hernias, and strokes.
Preparation for the procedure does not require any major restrictions: it is recommended to avoid physical activity and not drink alcohol. Injection with fine needles usually does not cause discomfort. The doctor can perform up to 25 injections in one area of the face during the procedure. This takes between 10 and 15 minutes. The effect can be evaluated after 2 weeks. Wrinkles are smoothed due to muscle relaxation, but with professionally performed injections, facial expressions and facial expressions are preserved.
The result of botulinum therapy is reversible, the effect lasts 3 to 6 months. After this, the mobility of the facial muscles completely returns.
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One unit of action is equivalent to 3 × 107 molecules of botulinum toxin. The dosage (number of action units) is determined by the cosmetologist. On average we are talking about the following figures:
- forehead area: 20 to 30 units;
- chin - up to 10 units;
- area around the eyes - 24 units;
- nose and bridge of the nose - 10 units.
Contour plastic
During the procedure, the doctor uses special fillers (fillers) to correct wrinkles, the contour of the face and its individual areas. Modern injections in cosmetology are performed using fillers, which make it possible to achieve the so-called 3D modeling effect while preserving all facial features.
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Most modern fillers are made from hyaluronic acid. It is part of the intercellular substance and plays an important role in maintaining the water balance of tissues and their restoration in case of damage. Hyaluronic acid injections not only help hydrate tissues, but also stimulate the body's own production of structural proteins: collagen and elastin.
Indications for contour plastic surgery include wrinkles, folds and an unclear oval face. Contraindications: cancer, diabetes, connective tissue diseases, skin diseases, blood coagulation disorders, pregnancy and lactation, individual intolerance.
Contour plastic surgery does not require special preparation. Several medications contain an anesthetic; Otherwise, the doctor may administer local anesthesia. After contouring, swelling, bruising and induration may occur at the injection site, which disappears on its own within a few days.
The contouring effect can last up to two years.
Bioreinforcement
Hyaluronic acid has found application in bioreinforcement, a special procedure that results in the formation of the "inner frame" of the face. If the patient's skin has lost its tone, looks sagging, dull, if there are small wrinkles and signs of ptosis, then the doctor injects drugs along the "sagging lines" that maintain the skin tone from the inside. . In this case, the doctor can predict exactly how wrinkles will form and, by introducing hyaluronic acid preparations, prevent their appearance.
Biorevitalization
Injections are also indicated to hydrate and saturate the skin in a certain area with nutrients. In this case, we are talking about the biorevitalization procedure. With its help you can improve the condition of the skin of your hands, neckline, neck and face.
Injections are contraindicated if the patient has inflammatory skin diseases or allergies to the components of the drug. The period of pregnancy, lactation and exacerbation of somatic diseases are also an obstacle to both biorevitalization and bioreinforcement.
No special preparation is needed before administering hyaluronic acid. Slight redness of the skin after biorevitalization disappears within a few hours. The effect lasts up to 12 months. Biorevitalization is usually carried out once every 1 to 2 months.
vector lifting
To tighten the skin in certain areas (for example, on the cheekbones and chin), doctors use vector lifting. It is similar to bioreinforcement, only the drug is injected along several parallel lines in the direction of the desired lift.
Preparations of hyaluronic acid and calcium hydroxyapatite are used to lift vectors. The choice in favor of the latter is made if it is necessary to lift an area prone to swelling. The resorption time of this drug is longer than that of hyaluronic acid: up to 3 years.
Plasmolifting
The essence of this technique is to give the patient his own blood plasma containing platelets. Plasma contains many biologically active components that stimulate cell growth, participate in metabolism, and most importantly, its own blood plasma is not a foreign substance for the body. This means that it is not rejected and does not cause allergic reactions.
Plasmolifting improves skin microcirculation, normalizes water balance and strengthens local immunity. The procedure is performed if the patient begins to develop fine wrinkles, the first signs of aging, to restore skin health (for example, after a sunburn). Plasmolifting can also enhance the effect of other cosmetic procedures.
Plasmolifting also has a number of contraindications, although they are few:
- oncological diseases, hepatitis, blood diseases;
- pregnancy and lactation;
- infectious and inflammatory skin diseases;
- exacerbations of chronic diseases, acute infections.
To perform plasma lifting, 20 to 40 ml of blood is removed from the patient's vein. It is then centrifuged in a special mode to obtain a plasma fraction with a high content of platelets. The doctor then injects the resulting fraction intradermally into micropapules throughout the treatment area. The standard course includes 4 sessions with an interval of 7 to 14 days and the effect can last up to two years. However, it is recommended to repeat the course once a year.
mesotherapy
Administration of drugs by microinjection directly into the skin to improve its properties. Mesotherapy is used to additionally nourish and hydrate the skin and prevent aging. It is also used to combat stretch marks and stimulate hair growth and vitality. For injections, you can use not only individual drugs, but also mesotherapy cocktails that have a complex effect. With superficial administration, biorevitalization and plasma lifting are also considered mesotherapy options.
To treat large areas, doctors use special devices - injectors. The need for anesthesia is determined by the patient's individual sensitivity.
Injection techniques are attractive primarily to patients who fear surgery. But it is worth considering that an individual reaction to a drug is always possible, which is difficult to predict in advance. In addition, injections carry the risk of hematoma formation, changes in skin color, fibrosis (the formation of a seal at the injection site). All of these risks should be discussed with your doctor beforehand.
As the statistics show. . .
. . . Women in the age group of 35 to 64 years represent about 60% of all those who seek help from cosmetologists.
Laser technologies in aesthetic medicine.
The essence of laser exposure can be understood by deciphering the abbreviation LASER - Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation - "light amplification by stimulated radiation. "That is, a laser is a device that "concentrates" electromagnetic radiation into a very powerful directed beam. Thanks to this, the laser beam can be precisely aimed and pulsed.
The use of lasers in cosmetology is possible in several areas.
Laser rejuvenation
The technique is based on heating the skin with lightning. This effect is short-lived, that is, it does not cause serious damage. However, it is enough to cause inflammation in response. As a result, the production of collagen in the skin is stimulated, a structural protein that provides elasticity and tone. With this effect, wrinkles are "pushed" outward.
Indications for laser rejuvenation are fine wrinkles, visible vascular network, enlarged pores, soft tissue ptosis, impaired facial contours, presence of skin scars, post-acne, double chin, excess pigmentation. The procedure is contraindicated if the patient has inflammation and tumors in the treatment area, psoriasis or skin diseases. Laser resurfacing is not performed during pregnancy or if the patient has a strong tan. The procedure requires special attention in patients with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, angina pectoris, patients with blood diseases, etc.
Deep laser resurfacing requires no special preparation and is performed without anesthesia. To obtain a long-lasting effect, it is necessary to carry out 3-4 procedures at intervals of a month.
Fractional photothermolysis
Wrinkles, age spots, enlarged pores, skin scars, crow's feet, stretch marks, small vascular defects - all these problems can be solved if you undergo a fractional photothermolysis procedure.
This is also a laser technology for aesthetic medicine, but here the beam has its own characteristics. It is divided into several microbeams (fractions), each of which is no thicker than a human hair. All of them affect microscopic areas of the skin, so you get a kind of "mesh" treatment: the areas that were affected by the laser beam alternate with areas that were not affected. In the treated areas, collagen and elastin are destroyed, and in the remaining intact cells, the "loss" recovery processes begin. This renews the skin, increases its elasticity, tone and improves appearance.
Fractional photothermolysis is a procedure that can be performed even on sensitive areas of the face, such as the eyelids. Its contraindications are pregnancy, cancer, diabetes, infectious diseases or skin diseases in the acute phase.
Recovery after fractional photothermolysis occurs quickly, literally within a week, and the basal layer of the epidermis returns to normal within the first day. To make the effect more pronounced, doctors recommend attending 3-4 sessions at intervals of one month.
In case of increased sensitivity, the patient undergoes a procedure with an anesthetic gel, but in most cases this can be avoided.
SMAS elevation
The English abbreviation SMAS (superficial muscular-aponeurotic system) means "subcutaneous muscular-aponeurotic layer". It is made up of muscles and ligaments. Lifting this layer allows you to achieve good results. That is, by tightening the skin we combat superficial wrinkles and by acting on the SMAS we soften the deeper folds.
SMAS lifting is performed using an ultrasound machine. By heating the deep layers of the skin and muscles, the ultrasonic wave causes their contraction and activates the production of structural proteins. Acceleration of metabolic processes leads to a better appearance.
Most often, the SMAS lift is recommended for patients who, for one reason or another, do not want to undergo a surgical lift. The second category of patients suitable for the SMAS lift are those who have undergone a surgical lift and are seeking to prolong the result.
During the procedure, using ultrasound, the cosmetologist "sees" the deep layers and evaluates the condition of the muscles and fascia. Consequently, the doctor directs the therapeutic effect of energetic ultrasound to the required depth on the desired muscles, fascia and ligaments.
The SMAS survey does not require special preparation. The procedure is moderately painful, taking an analgesic allows you to endure it comfortably. The effect is partially visible immediately after the procedure and the results of the lifting can be fully evaluated after three months.
Injection techniques in cosmetology and aesthetic laser cosmetology allow us to solve many problems that just a few years ago required surgery. Prolonging youth is not only the dream of women: today, both young people and men who previously rarely visited cosmetology clinics resort to the services of cosmetologists. And the possibility of solving many problems without surgical intervention, of course, makes aesthetic medicine increasingly attractive and in demand.
How to choose a cosmetology clinic.
Probably all visitors to beauty centers will say that one of the key points when choosing "their" clinic and "their" doctor is an individual approach, which is implemented (or not) by a specialist. A cosmetologist will tell you about the nuances of combining personal and objective approaches:
"When we work in cosmetology, we cannot act solely according to our preferences and considerations. We must take into account the patient's expectations, his state of mind, including his doubts and fears. Here the experience of specialists plays a decisive role. For example, Cosmetologists with higher medical training, specialization in the field of aesthetic medicine and also trained in modern techniques work in the "Gradiente" clinic. This allows us to look at the problem in a broader way.
And we cannot fail to mention the importance of modern equipment. "Manufacturers are moving towards improving devices and clinics, as well as patients themselves, are certainly paying attention to this. "
Aesthetic medicine and cosmetology make it possible to correct many imperfections in appearance, such as wrinkles, scars, acne, which improves appearance and prolongs youth.
Expression wrinkles that denote age can be eliminated through cosmetic procedures such as intradermal facial contouring.
Modern technologies in medicine help to solve many cosmetic problems without the use of radical measures.
The cost of cosmetic procedures depends on the complexity of the task, the area of correction and the amount of work.
You can ask any questions you have in your initial consultation with a cosmetologist.