Archive for the ‘Botox’ Category

What’s the “Buzz” all About? Bee Venom Masks! Notes from a San Francisco Bay Area Dermatologist

Thursday, August 25th, 2011

The “bee venom” face mask has gained a lot of media attention recently with its celebrity endorsements, and its claims of being an alternative to Botox certainly have my patients talking, but does it really work?

Let’s investigate. Melittin, the active compound in bee venom (apitoxin) does have anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, but its anaphylactic properties are what all the “buzz” is about. The theory is that the mask tricks your skin into thinking its been stung, stimulating the production of collagen and elastin. This, along with the idea of it “relaxing” facial muscles, has a smoothing and tightening effect on skin.

Bee venom’s anti-aging properties are largely unstudied and unpredictable, with the scary potential that a person could develop severe allergic reactions or suffer damage to skin cell membranes from long term use. So, my best advice is to stick with products or treatments that have the scientific research to back up their claims (like Botox), to get advice from the medical community first, and not to spend hard earned dollars on what is simply the latest celebrity trend.

I Hate My Neck! Notes from a San Francisco Bay Area Dermatologist

Monday, March 15th, 2010

I hate my neck. Or as Nora Ephron would say…“I feel bad about my neck.” Long before Nora Ephron penned her book with this name, men and women have looked in the mirror and seen loose neck skin that didn’t seem to match their facial skin. Why? Neck skin is thin and has few adnexal structures (oil glands, hair follicles) that can give skin more support. Neck skin is often overlooked when applying sunscreen, yet is almost always exposed. Women also begin anti-aging regimes to the face much sooner than they do the neck. Ms. Ephron complained that surgery could do little to improve her neck’s appearance and until recently there was very little we could offer for neck rejuvenation. Now we have quite a few answers!

First and always is skin care. In most instances your neck care routine can be very similar to your face routine. Neck skin can be more sensitive, like eyelid skin, so care must be taken to use “active” products sparingly. A suggested routine for people with normal skin would be to apply an anti-oxidant such as SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic, SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF, RevaleSkin Coffee Berry, Replenix Green Tea Serum or Prevage in the AM then a sunscreen on top. Reapplication of sunscreen is also important during the day, which may be easier with a powder sunscreen, such as Color Science Mineral SPF 30. Banish V neck shirts from your closet for daywear and consider sleeveless tees when you know you might be stuck out in the sun. I always carry a thin scarf to tie around my neck if I am at a prolonged outdoor event. In the evening you may be able apply a small of amount of Retin-A 3-5 times a week. Non irritating brands like Atralin, Refissa and Micro Gel may work best for you. After Retin-A apply a thick, moisturizing cream. I love Neova’s Creme de la Copper which enhances Retin-A’s work in collagen building. Neocutis cream is also great as is SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Interrupter. Sensitive skin types may not tolerate Retin-A on the neck but may be able to try retinols like Replenix Retinol Serum or glycolic acid products found in the Vivite skin care line. There are some home devices that can encourage collagen growth and can be used on the neck. We recommend the Omnilux home LED device and the MTS Roller to help your current products penetrate more deeply into the skin.

Discoloration the neck is usually due to excess sun over the years and can appear as patchy, red brown areas on the sides of the neck. This is called pokiloderma and responds to laser treatments as do brown spots and broken blood vessels. Unsightly growths such as skin tags and flesh moles can also be easily removed in the office. The neck is difficult to treat with chemical peels as it is not as resilient as facial skin. We do have several peels suitable for the neck, but improvements can be subtle.

What’s next! Consider what really bothers you. For crepey skin nothing beats Fraxel laser treatments. These treatments are non-ablative and heal like a sunburn over a week. They are easy to tolerate and very cost effective. In our office a neck Fraxel treatment costs about the same as a syringe of Restylane or Juvederm. You will need 2-5 treatments to see improvement. Treatments can be done every 4-6 weeks. A before and after photo is listed below. Click on the photo to link to the Fraxel website for more results!

If the skin quality seems good but looseness is more of a factor, especially underneath the chin and jowl, Titan or Thermage would be best. These treatments use heat to promote collagen building and focus on tightening of the skin over time, rather than texture. Both treatments have no down-time, which make them simple to fit into any busy schedule. One or two treatments may be required for best results. We can help determine which treatment will be most effective for you.

If “stringy” muscles and “cords” are an issue and are not too advanced an exciting treatment is to use Botox for the neck. This treatment takes about 5 minutes and can improve the neck appearance dramatically, while also preventing future wrinkling.

So, don’t give up on your neck - there is hope out there. Too bad we couldn’t offer Ms. Ephron these treatments before she wrote her book!

Botox Cosmetic is Still Safe! Notes from a San Francisco Bay Area Dermatologist

Friday, August 14th, 2009

The new FDA warnings on Botox have caused undue alarm. The FDA recently approved a new warning on Allergan’s Botox and a similar product about the possibility of life-threatening breathing and swallowing problems. It is important to know that these warnings are referring specifically to off label medical uses where extremely high doses of Botox are used to treat spastic conditions in children with Cerebral Palsy.

Botox Cosmetic is still FDA approved for the treatment of glabellar or “frown lines” and is administered in much smaller doses for this aesthetic use. The doses of Botox are significantly greater for medical uses than for an aesthetic procedure.

More than 13 million aesthetic procedures with Botox Cosmetic have been administered since the product was FDA approved in 2002 in the United States for treatment of moderate to severe “frown lines” in adults 18 to 65. Botox Cosmetic, when used in the indicated doses and administered to specific small muscle groups has not been linked to serious side effects.

There is a new botulinum product called Dysport on the market that is also approved for aesthetic procedures. Its dosing is slightly different than Botox Cosmetic. To avoid confusion, the FDA wants to call attention to the different dosing instructions with Dysport and decrease the risk of any side effects. This and increasing off label use of Botox to treat conditions ranging from muscle spasms to Raynaud’s disease prompted the FDA to enact new warnings.

When administered by a professional for aesthetic procedures, Botox is still an extremely, safe, simple effective way to smooth wrinkles and lines.

Patient Education Day and Sale on Latisse & Vivite Products: Notes from a San Francisco Bay Area Dermatologist

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Please stop by our office for a sale and special patient education event from 9am to 4pm on Friday, July 10th!

Representatives from Allergan (the makers of Botox Cosmetic and Juvederm) will be at our office to answer questions and discuss their products. We will be offereing promotional pricing for Latisse, the first and only FDA approved product to grow your own eyelashes longer, thicker and darker. Our in office sale will also extend to the Vivite skin care line, Clinique Medical Lip Balm and the new collagen building lip treatment.

Appetizers and refreshments will be served throughout the day, so please join us for this great event!

Important Info about Botox and Dysport (Reloxin)

Monday, May 4th, 2009

The FDA has recently approved the cosmetic use of a new brand of Botulinum Toxin Type A, known as Dysport or Reloxin. Dysport is a competitor to Botox, which up until now was the only FDA approved wrinkle reduction product of its kind. Dysport claims to take effect more quickly and could potentially be lower in price than Botox. It will hit the cosmetic market within the next two months.

The approval of Dysport comes at a time when the FDA has issued new labeleling requirements for all botulinum based drugs, including Botox. Both products must now carry labels warning that they have the potential to spread to other areas of the body after injection with possibly serious risks. I want to assure my patients that when used as directed by a trained professional the cosmetic use of these products is safe! The new labels are a reaction to unapproved or “off-label” use, such as overdosing to treat leg or arm muscle spasms. This unapproved medical use should not be confused with the cosmetic application. The small amounts used for wrinkle softening and underarm sweating (hyperhidrosis) are safe and not linked to any harmful migration or serious adverse reactions. I am more than satisfied with the long-term safety studies of this material for aesthetic purposes. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the office.

A “Happy” Side Effect from Botox?

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

Remember the old saying, “Just smile, you’ll feel better”? Well, there is now research suggesting that relaxing negative facial expressions with Botox (Botulinum Toxin Type A) could improve your mood! A recent article in Time Magazine highlights two studies wherein patients reported less depression after receiving Botox injections. The theory behind Botox as a “mood enhancer” is that by reducing negative expressions you reduce negative feelings - frowning less makes you feel better. Another reason to love Botox! I look forward to more studies and hearing further evidence on this potential benefit.