Each year the American Society of Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), one of the most respected professional associations, releases statistics on the demand for services. In 2016, the most popular areas of non-surgical cosmetology included injection and laser techniques: botulinum therapy, hyaluronic acid injections, laser hair removal, laser skin resurfacing, 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 mainly because they allow you to achieve the desired result without surgery. 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.
We characterize the main injection techniques used in cosmetology today.
Botulinum therapy
This involves the introduction of drugs based on botulinum toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Its action blocks the transmission of nerve signals to the muscles, making them relax. Initially, botulinum toxin therapy was used to treat disorders associated with spasms, such as tics, and later began to be used to smooth out 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. Medium depth wrinkles are smoothed out with the help of botulinum toxin, reversing a number 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-based drugs and paresis of the facial muscles. The injections are not given to women during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Doctors treat patients with caution who are prone to swelling, eyelid hernias and cerebrovascular accidents.
Preparation for the procedure does not require serious restrictions: it is recommended to avoid physical activity and not drink alcohol. Injection using fine needles usually does not cause discomfort. Your doctor may give up to 25 injections in one area of your face during the procedure. The operation takes 10-15 minutes. The effect can be evaluated after 2 weeks. Wrinkles are smoothed thanks 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 from 3 to 6 months. Subsequently, the mobility of the facial muscles returns completely.
In a note
One action unit is equivalent to 3×107 molecules of botulinum toxin. The dosage (number of units of action) is determined by the cosmetologist. On average we are talking about the following figures:
- forehead area - 20-30 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 allow you to achieve the so-called 3D modeling effect while preserving all the features of the face.
In a note
Most modern fillers are made based on hyaluronic acid. It is part of the intercellular substance and plays an important role in maintaining the water balance of tissues and restoring them 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. Contraindications: cancer, diabetes, connective tissue diseases, skin diseases, blood clotting disorders, pregnancy and breastfeeding, individual intolerance.
Contour plastic surgery does not require special preparation. Many medications contain an anesthetic, otherwise your doctor may administer local anesthesia. After modeling, swelling, bruising and hardening in the injection area are possible, which resolve on their 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 leads to the formation of the "internal frame" of the face. If the patient's skin has lost tone, appears flaccid, dull, if there are fine wrinkles and signs of ptosis, 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 preparations based on hyaluronic acid, prevent their appearance.
Biorevitalization
Injections are also indicated to hydrate and saturate the skin of 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 the hands, décolleté, 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, breastfeeding and exacerbation of somatic diseases also represent an obstacle to both biorevitalization and bioreinforcement.
No special preparation is necessary before administering hyaluronic acid. A slight redness of the skin after biorevitalization disappears within a few hours. The effect lasts up to 12 months. Biorevitalization is usually performed once every 1-2 months.
Vector lifting
To tighten the skin of certain areas (for example, on the cheekbones, chin), doctors use vector lifting. It is similar to bioreinforcement, only the drug is injected along multiple parallel lines in the direction of the desired lift.
For vector lifting, preparations of hyaluronic acid and calcium hydroxyapatite are used. The choice in favor of the latter is made if it is necessary to lift an area subject 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, very importantly, 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 breastfeeding;
- infectious and inflammatory skin diseases;
- exacerbations of chronic diseases, acute infections.
To perform a plasma lift, 20-40 ml of blood is drawn from a patient's vein. It is then centrifuged in a special mode to obtain a plasma fraction with a high platelet content. Then the doctor injects the resulting fraction intradermally into micropapules throughout the area to be treated. The standard course includes 4 sessions with an interval of 7-14 days, and the effect can last up to two years. However, it is advisable 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 further nourish and hydrate the skin and prevent aging. It is also used to fight stretch marks and stimulate hair growth and vitality. For injections, you can use not only single drugs, but also mesotherapy cocktails that have a complex effect. With superficial administration, biorevitalization and plasma lifting are also considered mesotherapy options.
For large treatment areas, doctors use special devices: injectors. The need for anesthesia is determined by the individual sensitivity of the patient.
Injection techniques are especially interesting for patients who are afraid of surgery. But it is worth considering that it is always possible that an individual reaction to the drug will occur, which is difficult to predict in advance. In addition, injections carry the risk of hematoma formation, changes in skin color, fibrosis - formation of a seal at the injection site. All of these risks should be discussed with your doctor beforehand.
As the statistics show. . .
. . . women between the ages of 35 and 64 represent approximately 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 - Amplification of light by stimulated emission of radiation - "amplification of light by stimulated radiation". That is, a laser is a device that "concentrates" electromagnetic radiation into a very powerful directed beam. It is thanks to this that the laser beam can be targeted, precise and pulsed.
The use of laser in cosmetology is possible in several areas.
Laser rejuvenation
The technique is based on heating the skin with a ray. This effect is short-term, meaning it does not cause serious harm. However, it is sufficient to provoke inflammation as a response. As a result, the production of collagen, a structural protein that gives elasticity and tone, is stimulated in the skin. With this effect, wrinkles are "pushed" outwards.
Indications for laser rejuvenation are fine wrinkles, visible vascular network, enlarged pores, soft tissue ptosis, altered facial contours, presence of scars on the skin, post-acne, double chin, excess pigmentation. The procedure is contraindicated if the patient has inflammation and tumors in the area to be treated, psoriasis or skin diseases. Laser rejuvenation is not performed during pregnancy or if the patient has a strong tan. The procedure requires particular attention in patients with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, angina pectoris, in patients with blood diseases, etc.
Deep laser rejuvenation does not require special preparation and is performed without anesthesia. To achieve a lasting effect, it is necessary to carry out 3-4 procedures at intervals of a month.
Fractional photothermolysis
Wrinkles, age spots, enlarged pores, scars on the skin, 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. They all target microscopic areas of the skin, thus obtaining a sort of "net" treatment: the areas affected by the laser beam alternate with unaffected areas. In the treated areas, collagen and elastin are destroyed and in the remaining intact cells the processes of restoring the "losses" are started. This renews the skin, increases its elasticity, tone and improves its appearance.
Fractional photothermolysis is a procedure that can also be performed on sensitive areas of the face, such as the eyelids. 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 a month.
In case of increased sensitivity, the patient undergoes a procedure using an anesthetic gel, but in most cases this can be avoided.
SMAS lifting
The English abbreviation SMAS - superficial muscular-aponeurotic system - stands for "subcutaneous muscular-aponeurotic layer". It is made up of muscles and ligaments. Raising this layer allows you to achieve good results. That is, by firming the skin, we fight superficial wrinkles and by acting on the SMAS, we smooth out the deeper creases.
The SMAS lift is performed using an ultrasound machine. By heating the deep layers of the skin and muscles, the ultrasound wave causes their contraction and activates the production of structural proteins. Acceleration of metabolic processes leads to a better appearance.
Very often the SMAS facelift is recommended to patients who, for one reason or another, do not want to undergo a surgical facelift. The second category of patients eligible for the SMAS facelift are those who have undergone a surgical facelift and are looking to prolong the result.
During the procedure, using ultrasound, the cosmetologist "sees" the deep layers and evaluates the condition of the muscles and fascia. As a result, the therapeutic effect of energetic ultrasound is directed by the doctor to the required depth on the desired muscles, fascia and ligaments.
The SMAS lift does not require special preparation. The procedure is moderately painful; taking an analgesic allows you to bear it comfortably. The effect is partially visible immediately after the operation, while the results of the facelift can be fully evaluated after three months.
Injection techniques in cosmetology and laser aesthetic cosmetology allow you to solve many problems that only a few years ago required surgery. Prolonging youth is not only a dream for women: today both young people and men who previously rarely visited cosmetology clinics turn to the services of cosmetologists. And the possibility of solving many problems without surgery, obviously, makes aesthetic medicine increasingly attractive and in demand.
How to choose a cosmetology clinic
Probably every visitor to beauty centers will say that one of the key points in choosing "your" clinic and "your" doctor is the individual approach, which is implemented (or not implemented) by a specialist. A cosmetologist will tell you about the nuances of combining personal and objective approaches:
"Working in cosmetology, we cannot act only based on our preferences and considerations. We must take into account the patient's expectations, his mood, including his doubts and fears. Here the experience of specialists plays a decisive role. For example, the Gradient clinic employs cosmetologists with higher medical education, specialization in the field of aesthetic medicine, and also trained in modern techniques. This allows you to look at the problem more broadly.
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 definitely paying attention to this. "
Aesthetic medicine and cosmetology allow you to correct many imperfections of appearance, such as wrinkles, scars, acne, improving appearance and prolonging youth.
Fine lines that show age can be eliminated using cosmetic procedures such as intradermal facial contouring.
Modern technologies in medicine help to solve many aesthetic 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 may have during your initial consultation with a cosmetologist.