Every 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 top most popular areas in 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 primarily because they allow you to get the desired result without surgical intervention. Types of injections vary depending on the depth to 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 us characterize the main injection techniques that are 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, so they 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, as well as 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 liver failure, individual intolerance to botulinum toxin drugs, and paresis of the facial muscles. Injections are not given to women during pregnancy and lactation. Doctors treat with caution patients who have a tendency to face 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. The doctor can perform up to 25 injections in one area of the face during the procedure. This takes 10–15 minutes. The effect can be assessed after 2 weeks. Wrinkles are smoothed out 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 from 3 to 6 months. After this, the mobility of the facial muscles completely returns.
On a note
One unit of action is equal 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 - 20–30 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.
On 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 their restoration in case of damage. Injections of hyaluronic acid not only help to moisturize tissues, but also stimulate the body’s own production of framework 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 clotting disorders, pregnancy and lactation, individual intolerance.
Contour plastic surgery does not require special preparation. A number of drugs for it contain an anesthetic, otherwise the doctor can give local anesthesia. After contouring, swelling, bruising and induration are possible in the injection area, which resolve on their own within a few days.
The effect of contouring can last up to two years.
Bioreinforcement
Hyaluronic acid has found application in bioreinforcement, a special procedure that results in the formation of the "internal frame" of the face. If the patient’s skin has lost its tone, looks flabby, dull, if there are fine wrinkles and signs of ptosis, then the doctor injects drugs along the "lines of sagging" that maintain 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 occurrence.
Biorevitalization
Injections are also indicated to moisturize 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 your 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, lactation, as well as 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 performed once every 1–2 months.
Vector lifting
To tighten the skin of certain areas (for example, in the cheekbones, 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 lifting.
For vector lifting, preparations of hyaluronic acid and calcium hydroxyapatite are used. The choice in favor of the latter is made if lifting of an area prone to swelling is necessary. 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 administer to the patient his own blood plasma containing platelets. Plasma contains many biologically active components that stimulate cell growth, participate in metabolism, and, very 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 microcirculation in the skin, normalizes water balance, and strengthens local immunity. The procedure is performed if the patient begins to develop fine wrinkles, the first signs of age, 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 carry out plasma lifting, 20–40 ml of blood is taken from a patient’s vein. Next, it is centrifuged in a special mode to obtain a plasma fraction with a high platelet content. Then the doctor injects the resulting fraction intradermally in micropapules throughout the treatment area. 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 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 moisturize 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 single drugs, but also mesotherapy cocktails that have a complex effect. With superficial administration, biorevitalization and plasma lifting are also considered as mesotherapy options.
For large areas to be treated, doctors use special devices - injectors. The need for anesthesia is determined by the individual sensitivity of the patient.
Injection techniques are attractive primarily for patients who are afraid of surgery. But it is worth considering that it is always possible that an individual reaction to a drug may occur, 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 these risks must be discussed with your doctor in advance.
As statistics show. . .
. . . women in the age group from 35 to 64 years make up about 60% of all those seeking 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 using stimulated radiation. "That is, a laser is a device that "concentrates" electromagnetic radiation into a very powerful directed beam. It is due to this that the laser beam can be targeted, accurately 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 beam. This effect is short-term, meaning it does not cause serious damage. However, it is enough to cause inflammation as a response. As a result, the production of collagen is stimulated in the skin, and it is a structural protein that gives elasticity and tone. With this effect, wrinkles are "pushed" outward.
Indications for laser rejuvenation are fine wrinkles, visible vascular network, enlarged pores, ptosis of soft tissues, impaired 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 treatment area, psoriasis, or skin diseases. Laser rejuvenation 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, in patients with blood diseases, etc.
Deep laser rejuvenation does not require special preparation and is performed without anesthesia. To obtain a lasting effect, you need to do 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. All of them affect microscopic areas of the skin, and thus a kind of "mesh" treatment is obtained - 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 processes of restoring "losses" are launched. 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. Contraindications to it are pregnancy, cancer, diabetes, infectious diseases or skin diseases in the acute stage.
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 formed by muscles and ligaments. Lifting this layer allows you to achieve good results. That is, by tightening the skin, we fight superficial wrinkles, and by acting on SMAS, we smooth out deeper folds.
SMAS lifting is performed using an ultrasound machine. By heating the deep layers of skin and muscles, the ultrasonic wave causes their contraction and activates the production of structural proteins. Acceleration of metabolic processes leads to improved appearance.
Quite often, SMAS lifting is recommended to patients who, for one reason or another, do not want to undergo a surgical lift. The second category of patients who are suitable for SMAS lifting are those who have undergone surgical lifting and seek to prolong the result.
During the procedure, using ultrasound, the cosmetologist "sees" the deep layers and assesses the condition of the muscles and fascia. Accordingly, the therapeutic effect of energy ultrasound is directed by the doctor to the required depth on the desired muscles, fascia and ligaments.
SMAS lifting 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 lifting can be fully assessed after three months.
Injection techniques in cosmetology and laser aesthetic cosmetology make it possible to solve many problems that just 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 opportunity to solve many problems without surgical intervention, of course, makes aesthetic medicine more and more 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 an 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 makes it possible 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 certainly paying attention to this. "
Aesthetic medicine and cosmetology makes it possible to correct many appearance imperfections, such as wrinkles, scars, acne, which improves appearance and prolongs youth.
Expression wrinkles that show age can be eliminated using cosmetic procedures such as intradermal facial contouring.
Modern technologies in medicine help 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 may have at your initial consultation with a cosmetologist.