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If you’ve been one to say you wouldn’t get plastic surgery, but you don’t like the fine lines and wrinkles developing on your skin, there is a perfect option for you – Botox. Plenty has been said about the substance, and in fact, many women use it to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes and mouth to turn back the hands of time when it comes to aging. Not sure what it is?

Botox is a substance derived from a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum. Don’t let that scare you! The amount used in Botox injections is a very small amount, which effectively helps:

• Minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Help treat painful muscle spasms and contractions in shoulders and neck
• Treat eye alignment conditions or spasms
• Help reduce excess sweating

The substance in the injections “freezes” selected muscles or nerves to prevent a number of the above-mentioned symptoms. For example, if you have consistently raised your eyebrows over the years you might notice a line across the middle of your forehead, known as a “worry line”. Repeated facial movements combined with a reduction of collagen and elastin leads to wrinkles – and Botox injections freeze the muscle so you no longer have the wrinkle in the forehead.

Common locations for Botox include anywhere on the face where expression lines occur, such as the forehead, around the eyes and lips. When used subtly, Botox injections effectively improve the appearance of the face. Another advantage of Botox over a more invasive procedure, such as a facelift or eyelift, is that results do fade over time – so if you don’t like it, the good news is it’s not permanent. With each Botox injection, you can expect results to last between three and four months before a new treatment session is needed. That helps you determine if you need more or less the next time you go in to achieve your desired look.

For those living in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, Botox treatments are found everywhere. It’s important to only visit reputable physicians who administer the injections in an office setting with quality products. Don’t fall for outrageous claims or reduced prices to get you in the door – you never know about the quality of the injection or the experience of the person administering it. Visit a few reputable skin care centers and ask for recommendations to select the ideal doctor for you.

Have you lost weight and are still unhappy with the way you look because of the excess skin on your arms or abdomen? Are signs of aging, which include sagging, making their way onto your face and neck? You could be the perfect candidate for skin tightening through innovate laser procedures. Loose skin can bring down self-esteem or confidence, so use the minimally invasive treatment to get your skin looking youthful and rejuvenated.

In Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, skin tightening procedures take care of any area of the body with loose skin. They include:

• Abdomen

• Neck

• Jawline

• Arms

• Thighs

• Décolleté

Skin tightening with laser has many benefits – one of the most important being the ability to tone or tighten skin without surgery. This allows patients to have a quicker recovery with lasting results. Laser skin tightening also minimizes risk – the laser works to heat collagen up in the skin, causing it to thicken and repair. The process leaves the patient with a new buildup of collagen, which tightens and tones sagging skin. Through the aging process, collagen and elastin production decreases and causes sagging around the eyes, or jawline, which is commonly known as “jowls”. Using a laser skin tightening procedure on the face renews collagen and stimulates a tightening effect.

Skin tightening is a perfect solution for those who want a rejuvenated look without surgery – such as an invasive face or neck lift. Whether you are middle-aged and want to put off a surgery, or are younger and want to tighten the skin around certain areas of the body, laser skin tightening is effective for men and women of all ages. Side effects are minimal – unlike more invasive procedures that require surgery time, post-operative care and recovery. In some cases, redness or swelling might occur in treatment areas, but subside within a few hours of the procedure.

The recommended treatment intervals take place every two to four weeks for four to six treatments, depending on the needs of the patient. After the recommended treatments, patients can expect to see results for six months – but in many cases, firmer skin lasts much longer and depends on the aging rate in each individual. Skin tightening options are plentiful around Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, and really provide a safer alternative to cosmetic surgery. With maintenance, healthy diet and a proper skin care regimen, you can have toned, youthful skin within a short amount of time.

Throughout Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, IPL photofacials are offered in various skin care centers to help improve the look and feel of skin. Over time, frequent exposure to the sun causes skin damage, including:

• Broken capillaries

• Age or sun spots

• Fine lines and wrinkles

• Facial sagging

In addition to sun damage, the skin naturally begins to decrease oil, collagen and elastin production – all of which cause sagging, fine lines to form around the eyes and forehead, and areas of dryness. The Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) photofacial is a great solution to smoothing the skin and eliminating signs of skin damage or aging. The light stimulates collagen production, which in turn plumps up fine lines, softens skin and minimizes discoloration.

The IPL facial only takes about 60 minutes for all over rejuvenation, or just 30 minutes for selected areas. To prepare the skin for the photofacial, cooling gel is applied to the face. With the application of a cooling gel, patients can expect the treatment to be virtually pain free, and the gel is cleaned off once the desired areas have been treated by the light. A moisturizer and sunscreen are massaged into the skin to soothe and protect skin from the sun.

For best results to eliminate skin discoloration or minimize fine lines and wrinkles, skin care experts suggest an IPL treatment for 3 to 5 sessions, between 3 or 4 weeks apart. Maintenance sessions once a year are also suggested to keep skin looking and feeling rejuvenated. If you are hesitant about a harsh treatment, such as resurfacing or dermabrasion, then IPL is an ideal procedure for you. The light laser used is gentle enough on the skin that there is no healing time required, yet it is still effective in reducing fine lines or sunspots. Keep in mind that if your main concern is fine lines and wrinkles, then Botox may be the best solution for you.

After receiving an IPL treatment, it is very important to follow all of the instructions provided by the doctor. Moisturizer is essential to keep skin nourished and calm – and since the skin will be sensitive to light, never go outside without sunscreen. Creating an effective skin care routine, using cleanser, exfoliator and moisturizer frequently throughout the week will keep the skin looking youthful long after an IPL treatment.

The treatment isn’t just for the face, either – it is an ideal solution to smooth or even out skin tone on the entire body.

There are many locations in Southern California that offer skin tightening, fillers or Botox, so it’s important to know what to look for when choosing a skin care center. In Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, laser hair removal and other treatments help you look and feel your best – that’s why you need to select the center that offers you the best care and highly qualified doctors to perform your desired treatment. Here are a few tips in choosing a doctor for any skin care procedure:

• Ask friends or family. Seeing the results firsthand and hearing feedback will help narrow down the options when looking for an office or doctor in the area. Alternatively, ask to see ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos during a consultation to get an idea of the doctor’s work.
• Choose a doctor based on experience, certification, education or training. While it’s tempting to save money on Botox or laser hair removal, it’s not worth the risk if the doctor doesn’t seem as qualified as other options.
• Check the doctor’s reviews on Yelp to see how other people’s experiences have been at their facility.

Using fillers or skin tightening procedures has the potential to take years off your appearance if they are administered correctly – and whether they are invasive or not, you should be aware of the condition of the facilities. Depending on the type of treatment you would like done, procedures may take place in a doctor’s office or surgical center. Make sure any surgical facilities are accredited to ensure they meet all safety standards set out by the state or medical organization.

Always be ready to ask the doctor any questions so you are fully prepared before the procedure takes place. Topics to discuss include treatment options – there are varieties of solutions for aging skin, so your doctor will be able to provide you with the best procedure to meet your needs. You also need to make sure your expectations are realistic – go over exactly what you expect and the doctor will let you know if it’s possible or not. Finally, be aware of those trying to “sell” you on inexpensive fillers or receiving treatment from individuals not qualified to administer such products – the risk is too great to be worth the savings.

These skin care options transform your looks in a short amount of time, and millions of procedures take place each year – especially in major cities such as Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. Incorporate these tips into your search to ensure you get the safest, highest quality treatment.

Skin tightening comes in all forms, depending on the amount of skin you want to improve. For those who have extra skin because of drastic weight loss, or decreased elasticity due to the aging process, skin tightening is a perfect solution to help you look and feel amazing at any age. Why does the skin lose its shape in the first place? The skin is constantly growing and shrinking, but over time, the elastic components in the skin begin to wear down, making it harder to ‘snap’ back the way supple, tight skin naturally does. If you have recently lost a substantial amount of weight, or lost it too quickly, you might find that the skin doesn’t shrink back fully right away.

Aging also causes the skin to loosen, as the production of elastin and collagen decreases, causing the connective tissue in the skin to sag. While we all know the harmful effects of too much sun on the skin, constant sun exposure can also lead to sagging skin! Sun breaks down the elastin and collagen, leaving it loosened over time. Skin tightening techniques are ideal, whether you need an injectable filler like Juvederm or Restylane to give your face a youthful glow, or a procedure such as a neck lift or tummy tuck.

There are two factors to look at when considering a form of skin tightening: non-surgical or surgical. Non-surgical treatments include:

• Fillers – Radiesse, Restylane, Perlane and Juvederm are all commonly used fillers, injected into specific areas of the face or hands to restore fullness to the skin and reduce the appearance of lines or creases.
• Devices – Infrared light or unipolar radio-frequency energy is used to tighten the skin over a range of medical visits
• Resurfacing – Laser resurfacing minimizes the appearance of line and wrinkles, and helps promote the production of collagen to tighten sagging skin.

Surgical options include:

• Tummy tuck – Removes excess skin and tightens the muscle underneath the skin for a taut stomach.
• Lift – A skin lift may be done on any area of the body, and usually includes the removal of fat around the muscle fibers before tightening the skin for a youthful look.

These are two options to discuss with your doctor before deciding what the best treatment is for your needs. Non-surgical options are often ideal for those with minimal skin sagging, and can be completed in the medical office within a short period of time.

For more information on fillers, laser skin tightening procedures, and Botox in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, please contact Your Laser Skin Care at 323.525.1516.

One of the leading ways to diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles is through a non-surgical approach – injectable wrinkle fillers. In Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, Juvederm and Restylane are just two of the most common wrinkle fillers used to smooth out imperfections on the face. Many new to the idea of using non-surgical enhancements often confuse the treatment with other facial injections, such as Botox. Restylane and Juvederm differ from Botox in that there is a filler substance injected directly into a location with fine lines or wrinkles – and the filler plumps up the area to diminish the lines or creases.

While fillers are traditionally used to plump up creases in the face, they are also used to enhance volume in the cheeks, lips and even hands. The thin, delicate skin on the top of the hands is highly susceptible to symptoms of aging, and fillers give hands that youthful, supple appearance. The substances used in fillers range, depending on your doctor or preferences. Injectable fillers can be derived from the fat or substances found in your own body, to synthetic options, such as Sculptra or PMMA microspheres.

Juvederm and Restylane are both considered hyaluronic acids, which are produced by the body to give your skin the full, supple look. The injections are placed between the collagen and elastin layers in the skin to create the appearance of fullness and give you back the look of youthful skin, which is lost during the aging process. Both of these injectable fillers are ideal for those with moderate to severe wrinkles and the effects last between six months to a year. Research indicates repeated injections begin to encourage the natural production of collagen in the skin to help decrease the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Additionally, evidence also shows that because of the natural production of collagen, you will likely need less filler during a yearly appointment.

As with any enhancement, whether it is surgical or non-surgical, there are some factors you need to be aware of before getting the treatment. The saying, ‘you get what you pay for’ is very sound advice, especially when it comes to injectable fillers. Filler treatments at a significantly lower price tag might indicate lower quality – in either the product or the work by the physician. It’s important to always have your fillers completed in a professional, medical setting with sterilized equipment to reduce any complications – never compromise your safety or skin to save money!

Botox is one of the leading procedures in the world of cosmetic surgery – and for good reason! There are plenty of benefits associated with a Botox procedure, and it can transform your entire look in just a short amount of time. For those living in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, Botox is available at dozens of locations around the area, but you need to be sure you find a reputable physician to administer the injection to reduce side effects and complications. Here are some of the benefits of using Botox:

• Dramatically improve your appearance. If you don’t want to undergo cosmetic surgery, Botox is the perfect solution to diminish the appearance of fine lines or wrinkles around the mouth, eyes and forehead. Many find a Botox treatment appealing because it’s a non-invasive procedure.

• Botox is a very simple procedure. When you want to be in and out of the doctor’s office in just a few minutes, Botox is an ideal option. There is no anesthesia involved, so you can receive treatment and be out of the office in a short amount of time.

Botox doesn’t just improve your appearance, either. It is commonly used to relive tension in the neck, forehead and shoulder muscles to prevent migraine headaches and decrease sweat production.

Effects resulting from a Botox injection last anywhere from three to five months, and it should be administered every four months after the initial treatment to maintain results. While fine lines may appear as the Botox wears off, results tend to last longer after several treatments – meaning you can go longer between appointments.

Botox can also be used in the prevention of wrinkles. Over time, repeated facial expressions cause creases or wrinkles in the skin, and by relaxing the muscles with Botox, the occurrence of wrinkles is reduced. Before obtaining a Botox treatment, speak with a doctor during the consultation to determine if Botox is right for you. Never compromise the quality of Botox used to save money – the old saying is true; you get what you pay for! While a little redness and swelling is normal in the injection areas, make sure you follow all of the doctor’s instructions after receiving a Botox treatment so you have the best results possible.

If you are looking to reduce fine lines and wrinkles without the invasive procedure of other cosmetic surgeries, Botox is the ideal treatment for you!