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We have often suggested consulting with your doctor or practitioner before approving or receiving any cosmetic procedure such as Botox or Juvederm for example. Remember, the more you know the more you will be able to participate and prepare for every stage of the procedure.

OK, so what kinds of questions should you bring to the consultation. First and foremost, ask about anything you are unsure of or have questions about regardless of/in addition to the following suggestions:

1. If you have not yet decided exactly which procedure or product you want, this would be the time to get advise and direction from the expert. Talk about your goals or wishes and reveal what features/areas/problems you’d like to address. Be open, be honest. Your professional will do the same.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask about your practitioner’s experience and success rate in your procedure of choice.
3. Ask for realistic expectations about the results. Know what is possible and what is not. Don’t set yourself up for surprise or disappointment.
4. Ask how you may best prepare for the treatment. Are there any supplements, foods or activities you should avoid?
5. Inquire about levels of discomfort, if any, which may occur during the treatment and what precautions may be taken to minimize or eliminate them.
6. Discuss expected side effects, recovery time, if any, and what you might do to hasten the healing.

Today, lip augmentation is fast and, depending upon the product, may last for several months or, even a year. With no real downtime. Some soreness and swelling may occur but is, usually, resolved within a week. And the look is truly lovely.

Along with the ease of the procedure, fillers allow the practitioner great control over the volume of the product used as well as its perfect placement. It may even be done over a series of appointments for a very gradual and natural look. And finally, an added bonus of using fillers is that the little vertical lines, above your upper lip, may disappear as part of the process.

So who might benefit the most from the lip enhancement procedure? Perhaps your upper lip is too thin and tends to disappear when you smile. Or you have a “gummy” smile and would like to expose less of your gum line. The natural aging process, and resulting loss of volume, may have changed the shape of your mouth or caused the corners of your mouth to droop a bit, turning downward. Your lips might be uneven and a bit more fullness might add just the right touch of balance and symmetry.

There are many reasons for enhancing the size and shape of your lips but remember that everyone is different. You and your practitioner should spend time really studying your face, your mouth, your skin and talking about the best look for you. There should never be a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to your unique features and style.

And do keep in mind that lips are a, particularly, delicate area of your face and you should have a very experienced doctor or practitioner performing procedures on it.

Do your homework. Then relax and call Your Laser Skin Care center for a free consultation on creating your shapely new smile.

Here are some of the simplest suggestions to maintain the glow and keep the Holiday Season shining.

First and foremost, make a promise to never again go to sleep with your makeup still on. It’s caking and clogging your pores and making your skin dry, dull and lifeless and prone to break-outs. Just like every inch of your body, your skin needs oxygen to breathe. It needs to be clean to look fresh and clear. To be healthy.

So, buy yourself a fine-quality, gentle cleanser and use it, morning and night. And follow it up with a soothing, hydrating moisturizer to keep your skin soft, smooth and supple. Love the skin you’re in around the clock and it will love you back from year to year.

To really make a change to your beauty regimen, schedule yourself for a new, a follow-up or a different beauty treatment every month. Perhaps a monthly facial, a derma filler touch-up, every 4 – 6 months will not only help to maintain your youthful look but will refresh your spirit, as well.

Combine or alternate any of the above with a quarterly BOTOX treatment to remove that frown, relax that wrinkle or erase those crow’s feet…and, perhaps, five years from your age-defying appearance.

With so many options and so many ways to look younger, more radiant and more vibrant than ever before, why not make this year your time to shine? If you want to learn more about all the possibilities and which ones may be best for you – come in for a consultation and let’s start the New Year right. Taking care of yourself is often the best resolution you can make.

Winter months may present more challenges for keeping your skin soft and smooth than any other time of year.The cold and wind, the artificial indoor heat, the lack of fluids and even the sun can do a lot of damage to the delicate skin of your face – and your hands, body and feet. So right now, with the winter upon us, it’s time to switch to your winter beauty routine.

Let’s start with a simple change to your facial cleansing and moisturizing products. For your winter cleanser, choose a milky or creamy product followed by an oil rather than a water-based moisturizer. Oil will leave a protective layer that locks the moisture in better.

To really nourish your skin and enjoy a wonderful soft and supple texture, add a few drops of vitamin E oil to your bubble bath or apply directly to your skin.

Moisturizers are not just for your face, during the winter and throughout the year. The cold, dry air will play havoc with your hands which have fewer oil glands and is thinner than most other areas of your body.

Wear gloves and find lotions that contain glycerine. These products work well on your feet, as well. Use an exfoliant, from time to time, to remove the dead skin cells and allow the skin to better absorb the moisturizers.

Winter sun (combined with the glare of the snow) can be harmful and damaging to your skin. So do apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen to your face and any part of your body that might be exposed. And re-apply often.

As for the soothing warmth of the indoor heaters and dryers, balance them with several humidifiers, placed in different rooms, to add more moisture back into the air and keep your skin from drying, cracking and peeling.

An additional word about the joys of coming into the heat after a period of time out in the cold. Warm is better than hot. As good as it sounds, “a nice hot bath” is really not so nice for your skin. It helps draw the moisture away. Instead, keep the water warm and add some oil, as suggested above, and soak only for 15 minutes or so.

And finally, if your skin is feeling dry, tight or uncomfortable, avoid harsher treatments such as alcohol-based toners or clay-based masks. Find products that are hydrating rather than those that remove the moisture from your skin.

In 2012, there were over 6 million BOTOX procedures, in the U.S. As evidenced, all around the world, BOTOX remains the #1 non-invasive cosmetic procedure for frown lines, creases in the forehead and, with its recent FDA approval, for crow’s feet around the eyes. No wonder BOTOX L.A. and BOTOX Beverly Hills has maintained its popularity.

However, as we noted in several other articles, there are more than 90 patents or patents pending for other important medical uses of the drug. According to manufacturer, Allergan, in addition to the FDA’s approval for BOTOX in the treatment of migraine headaches, future approvals may be coming in the treatment of muscle spasms, excessive sweating, swallowing difficulties, benign enlarged prostate, stroke-related impediments and many other medical conditions.

Most recently, January, 2013, BOTOX was FDA-approved in the treatment of an overactive bladder. While both men and women may experience this condition, also known as “incontinence,” it reportedly affects one out of five older women. Simply stated, an overactive bladder occurs when the bladder muscle contracts, on its own, without warning.

The BOTOX injections are given, with anesthesia, directly into the bladder wall to relax the bladder muscle and prevent the involuntary contractions from occurring. In clinical studies, it was shown that BOTOX bladder treatments are as effective as daily oral medication, have resulted in up to 50% fewer “accidents” a day.

As with any medical procedure, there could be side effects, such as some difficulty in urinating or an occasional bladder infection, depending upon the individual.

Urinary incontinence is a serious medical condition and BOTOX might be a welcome choice for reducing the problem.

“Male skin care is one of the beauty industry’s fastest growing sectors,” according to a Wall Street Journal article, April, 2012. In fact, studies show that more than 1,000,000 men received cosmetic dermatology procedures last year.

However, the motivation for men to look younger, more vital and more energetic, than their biological age, is a bit different than it is for women. Women do it for themselves and their desire to look good. Men do it for their careers.

Not surprisingly, BOTOX is the #1 treatment of choice, for the greatest number of male patients. And for the same reasons as for the women: affordable price, lack of discomfort and fast-resolving side-effects, if any. It’s an easy procedure and within a few days, they look refreshed and revived.

But, perhaps, the greatest advance in men’s skin care, is the increase in the more advanced non-invasive procedures. Due mostly to hormonal differences, men’s skin and skin problems are not quite the same as the concerns of women.

Men’s skin is thicker, with less fat and more sweat and oil production. Therefore, they don’t wrinkle as easily as women. But less fat, combined with more prominent facial bone structure, makes men lose volume faster and they are more prone to the haggard, hollow look. So the derma fillers are quickly gaining in social acceptance and the resulting popularity among men in the 45 – 55 age range.

Often exposed more to the sun, through outdoor hobbies and jobs, men are also more susceptible to sun or age spots, which are well-treated by chemical peels and laser skin procedures.

And laser hair removal is also one of the most popular non-surgical procedures for men, primarily for the back, arms or chest.

Last week, we talked about one of the newest beauty products to be approved by the FDA, Voluma. But it’s important to note that Voluma is not the first product to evolve from the popular “derma fillers,” like Restylane, Juvederm et al, as a “volumizer.” Appropriately, it’s called Sculptra.

In August, 2004, Sculptra was approved by the FDA for restoring volume to areas of the face that have lost fat, due to either the aging process or from losing a substantial amount of weight. This loss of volume usually appears at the temple, under the eyes, around the mouth or in the lower cheek areas. Keep in mind that a rounder, fuller contour is associated with a younger appearance while this loss of volume “flattens out” the face, creating shadows, hollows and other distinctive signs of age.

Like Voluma, Sculptra is injected into the sunken areas to plump them up and “re-sculpt” the facial contours. By adding volume, the volumizers also lift sagging areas and erase lines and wrinkles.

And, like Voluma, Sculptra is extremely long-lasting and often the results are maintained for up to two years. But there are also some very distinct differences between the two drugs.

Voluma contains hyaluronic acid, which effects are visible immediately. Sculptra, when injected into the deeper layers of the skin, interacts with the body’s own creation of collagen and the results emerge over a period of time. Several treatments are the protocol and as the Sculptra causes the body to produce more and more collagen, the volume increases, slowly and naturally.

The side-effects are similar, for both products, and are usually minor and disappear quickly. And the cost is also comparable, although higher, than for the shorter-lasting derma fillers.

Ultimately, the most important and exciting “take-away” information that has been created by Sculptra and Voluma, in the cosmetic dermatology industry – for both patients and practitioners – is that many years of aging may now be erased, without surgery. And the effects, while still called “temporary,” may last for years.