Technology is moving at lightning speed in medicine, and that includes the field of medicine that focuses on beauty. With the impetus of an aging population, research and product development in cosmetic surgery and related fields is keeping pace, helping us look younger and more like our best selves. The trend is toward less-invasive treatments done earlier to hold back the hands of time without drastic measures. We’ve compiled 10 advancements and trends that may be just what the doctor ordered.
[use your own platelets]
Medicine is finding more and more uses for our platelets and other blood components. Patients like it because this form of treatment comes from their own bodies. Dr. Richard Moore, medical director of The Lifestyle Center, uses PRP (platelet-rich plasma) in many of his procedures. He explains how it works: “Using a small butterfly needle, I draw up one to two syringes of blood and centrifuge it to separate the components into layers. We take the PRP layer and use it in several applications.” In what he calls the vampire face-lift (because it uses your own blood), he uses Restylane filler to plump up hollow areas, layering PRP over the filler. “It helps the regeneration of collagen, and improves skin texture with a tightening and firming effect,” Moore says. It also can be used to help smooth out facial scars.
Moore also uses PRP with fat transfer procedures like a breast enhancement or buttock lift to increase survival of the fat tissue. “Particularly in breast lifts, the combination of dermal filler and PRP helps rejuvenate the skin and increase sensation in the breast,” he says. And PRP aids with hair transplant, too, he says. When the follicles are harvested, he places them in a nutrient-rich solution to which he has added PRP before implantation. Then he injects PRP under the skin in the area of implantation to enhance survival and make the hair grow longer and more robustly. “PRP also helps glue the newly implanted follicles in, making them less likely to pop out,” he says.
As for thinning hair, PRP can be combined with stem cells and injected shallowly into the scalp to promote hair growth, particularly in women with thinning hair he says. “PRP makes existing follicles more robust and stimulates weak ones to keep producing.
[bolder butts]
In the last year, partially because of the tush-wagging antics of J. Lo and Kim Kardashian, requests for buttock enhancement have doubled. While these trends are most noticeable on the coasts, Dr. Michele Koo of Aesthetic Surgery Institute says she is seeing a rise even here in Missouri. The requests include buttock implants, fat transfer and buttock lifts, all of which can be done together or singly.
Buttock implants have come a long way from the stiff and obvious results of earlier procedures. Now they’re more pliable and customizable. The most economical approach is a set-size implant that can be cut to fit. The pricier route, says Koo, is a customized implant created from a 3-D CT scan that exactly fits the individual. It is positioned under the muscle over the dome of the buttock, but it’s not without risk, Koo says. You can still tell that you are sitting on something and it could shift, she points out, which is why she prefers the more natural fat transfer or fat repositioning.
“With fat transfer, we can do only a small amount at a time because it has to have a blood supply to survive,” she says. “Fat taken from the abdomen or upper thighs is placed in the buttock. Several sessions may be needed. Fat repositioning can be very effective because it keeps its blood supply. I can do a fat transposition from the lower buttock or gluteal wedge below the buttock, lift it up and anchor it into the buttock, taking out the excess tissue and creating a lift at the same time.” She cautions that the procedure involves a fairly large incision at the bikini line.
[gravity & lower face]
One day we look in the mirror and turkey neck stares back at us. Lower face issues often are the first to make an appearance. Most of us aren’t ready for a face-lift and would rather have something minimally invasive. Enter laser therapy. Dr. Joseph Muccini of MidAmerica Skin Health & Vitality Center says he and his patients are impressed with how much difference a laser can make in the neck area without surgery. “This procedure really fills the bill,” he says. “It involves only three tiny slits, one under the chin and one behind each ear. Through the slits, I insert a tiny laser optic. It melts extra fat and tightens the skin up against the muscle, firming it and restoring youthful contour.” Muccini says patients now can improve the loose skin and extra fat around the jawline without general anesthesia. He uses localized numbing, but patients are awake. He reports that another device that uses radio frequency heat to do the same thing (instead of a laser) didn’t offer the same precision.
In addition to the neck and jawline, Muccini says the laser can be used on other areas, like bat wings under the arms. For loose skin under the eye, he uses high-frequency ultrasound to tighten the skin. “It also works well on crows’ feet, loose skin on the chest, and to touch up other body parts, all noninvasively,” Muccini reports.
[banish fungal toes]
Chronic nail fungus makes toenails very unattractive. The CleanSpa Nail Salon in Chesterfield has mastered the art of the faux nail, says Dr. Michael Horwitz. “The island pedicle procedure allows us to create fake nails that give clients the pretty sandaled toes they want for summer,” he says. “Unfortunately, clients often let toenail fungus get the better of them for too long, destroying their nails,” Horowitz says. In those cases, he removes the part of the nail plate that harbors fungus and leaves the white base part, the pedicle, intact. Then he mounts a fake nail to that piece that will last one to three months. As many nails can be done as are affected, so they match the natural nails.
“Bad nail salon practices contribute to fungal nails,” Horwitz says. “Many salons have the fingernail filing areas and wet pedicure areas too close together. Hands are dirty and can contaminate the pedicure area, giving rise to fungal growth.” He says if you have a problem with nail fungus, get it treated early to save and encourage healthy toenails.
[gentler plumping]
A new hyaluronic acid dermal filler, Restylane Silk, is the only FDA-approved filler for lips and periorbital lines. This is good news for women with thin lips or who have had a bad experience with collagen. Jackie Carr, of Aesthetic Medispa of West County loves the way Restylane Silk shapes the lips. “I can use it in the lip border, the body of the lip and to blur the pucker lines around the lip,” she reports. ‘It hydrates the lips because hyaluronic acid attracts water.”
She says it lasts about four to six months because it is a thinner product designed to be used more superficially. Carr, an R.N., likes it because it gives a softer, more natural look to the lips without making them look augmented. In an hour, clients can have their lips treated and be on their way. Any bruising, swelling or tenderness goes away in a few days. Says Carr: “In general, it gives a nice subtle look to the lips to better balance the face. That’s perfect, especially for people just starting out who don’t know if they want augmentation. If they like it but want more, we can do an incremental build-up to the fullness the client wants.
[new fillers + delivery system]
One of the pitfalls inherent in using dermal fillers to replace lost volume is the technical difficulty of injecting the fillers evenly and avoiding lumps and bumps that must be massaged out. Dr. William Hart of Hart Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery Institute has been using a new delivery system, the Teosyal Pen, to inject more precise filler for restoring volume. The cordless, battery-operated pen can be used with any filler and allows the doctor to control delivery with either hand.
“I use this most of the time with filler application,” says Hart. “I load the pen with, say, Restylane, and get a delicate controlled distribution of filler. It’s the first motorized cordless filler injection system, and it’s gentle, giving consistent delivery with much less discomfort.” The pen can be used anywhere on the face where filler is applied: the frown lines between the brows, crows’ feet, tear troughs, cheeks, around the mouth, nasolabial folds, marionette lines, lips, jawline or the chin.
[topicals & herbals]
The Far East is way ahead of Western medicine in products that can give us wonderful results for our hair and skin, says Afua Bromley of Acupuncture St. Louis & Wellness Center. Seven Treasures for Skin and Hair, a Chinese herbal remedy, is great for lustrous skin and hair, she says. “It is really helpful for our aging population, plus it strengthens the kidney complex and slows the process of graying hair, helps maintain skin elasticity, and is thought to play a role in preserving melanin in our skin.”
We knew green tea was good for us to drink, but turns out, it also is great for our skin and as a rinse for the hair. “Take strong-brewed green tea and rinse your hair in it after you wash it. It repairs split ends and nourishes the scalp and root structure by balancing the pH of the scalp and promoting healthy hair growth,” Bromley says. On the face, she recommends using it as a toner. After washing and patting the face dry, apply green tea. If your complexion is dry, use the green tea by itself. If you have oily skin, she says to make a 50:50 solution of green tea and witch hazel.
[new & noteworthy]
Want to look fabulous before a big event? Try Jet Peel, which uses high pressure saline to exfoliate skin. The Jet delivers moisture, vitamins and nutrients without ever touching the skin and without needles. It hydrates and take years off the face, neck and chest, says Dr. Kathy Maupin of BioBalance Health, the exclusive provider of Jet Peel in St. Louis. “This peel lasts a month and is a great option for dry, aging skin. Before we do the peel, we perform a lymph massage over the face and down to the lymph nodes above the collar bones to prevent swelling and redness. It’s very relaxing and people get hooked on them.”
The beauty of Jet Peel, she says, is that different infusions work for different purposes. There is one for acne and a vitamin C infusion for people with thickened skin. After the peel, skin looks fresher, younger and more hydrated with no side effects.
The filler she is most excited about is Bellafill, a deep filler that lasts up to five years, the longest lasting on the market. It is used to shore up deep grooves and crevasses. She uses it throughout the lower face to give people their jawlines back and replace lost fat. “Bellafil is a combination of collagen mixed with tiny microspheres that stimulate your own collagen production,” Maupin says. “As the collagen in the Bellafill goes away, your collagen moves in to take up the space.”
[quick fixes]
Sometimes, all we want is something that will make us look fabulous temporarily: get rid of the bags under our eyes or just firm up the face for a big night. Dr. Madhavi Kandula, the on-air dermatologist for Fox 2 News, is excited about two products she uses for just this purpose.
“Neotensil is an invisible film that creates a netting effect on the under-eye areas to firm them up and make them look younger. It doesn’t hurt the skin, and it washes off,” she says. The downside is its cost: $500 for 50 applications, and you can’t wear makeup over it. “So if your under-eyes are also dark or bluish, you can’t cover it.” But she does suggest it for a special occasion because it lasts 24 hours.
Kandula also recommends Rollin. The cream with micronized silica can be applied yourself or in her office. Like an invisible mask, it tightens the skin. Pores look better, skin is firmer and makeup goes on better. It can be purchased online.
[foot peel]
BabyFoot is a take-home treatment that requires only an hour. Anne Strate, R.N., of Renaissance Plastic Surgery Medical Spa, loves sharing it with patients. “We have people come in all the time for it, and they get it for their husbands, too, because men’s feet often can use a little softening. And it’s inexpensive, $25 for each kit.”
The peel solution comes in one-size-fitsall booties, which go on clean feet, and then are covered with form-fitting socks. It feels cold and squishy, but there is no burning or tingling involved. Then you just sit and read a book or watch TV for an hour before rinsing your feet off.
For the next several days, she says, you won’t notice much. Skin cells are dissolving but feet take twice as long to peel as faces. After five or six days, you will see skin begin to crack and get a really thick peel. Strate says that it takes all the thick calluses off and leaves feet feeling baby soft, but you have to plan for the peeling time. Don’t do a pedicure before the peel, as it will mess up your polish, Strate says. She adds that when you have calluses shaved off during a pedicure, it actually encourages the skin to build up.