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woman getting botox in los angeles

What’s the Difference Between Botox and Facial Fillers?

Posted on April 14, 2022 by 
Botox and facial fillers are both applied via injection, but the two minimally invasive cosmetic procedures differ in all other respects. The essential difference is that Botox can be used to indirectly reduce lines and wrinkles by blocking nerve signals to the muscles that actually cause the lines and wrinkles. Dermal fillers, however, are used to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles by adding extra volume and structure beneath the skin.

Botox Usage

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Botox is primarily known as an indirect muscle paralyzer. It accomplishes this by blocking nerve impulses along the nerves that normally control the muscles. Muscles can only contract or relax, but in doing so they can cause visible lines to become apparent in the overlying skin. Over the course of time, these lines can become more and more developed, to the point where they remain visible even when the underlying muscle is not activated. Depending on where the lines are located, and on cosmetic preferences, these lines might be regarded as attractive, or (more likely) undesirable. Botox can only be used to address lines and wrinkles directly associated with muscular contractions, and even then its effectiveness can depend on how developed these lines have become. Botox will have no, or only limited success when used on very deep and developed lines, or on wrinkles that are not directly due to muscle activity.
Botox injections typically last between four and five months, although there is some variation between individuals. There is no FDA-approved antidote in case of excessive Botox use, although research into possible candidates continues.
Botox also has some non-cosmetic uses, including reducing teeth grinding caused by oversized jaw muscles, and reducing excessive sweating when applied to the armpits.

Facial Fillers Usage

Facial filler products can address two primary types of problems. They can be used to fill in loose or wrinkled skin by adding more volume directly beneath. They can also be used to address the more significant loss of volumes, such as hollow cheeks or sunken eyes. There are very many different formulations of facial filler products, each adapted to the specific need being addressed. Some fillers have very smooth textures and can be used to enhance lip definition. Others form a much thicker texture after being injected and are able to provide some support as well as adding additional volume.
Facial filler products primarily use hyaluronic acid as their primary ingredient. Hyaluronic acid is able to bind moisture and is found naturally in the body, where it’s an important component in our joints, skin, and eyes. It performs the same function when injected as a facial filler, where it helps retain moisture and add bulk, to the treated area.
Facial fillers, depending on the type and location of use, can provide benefits from anywhere between five months to two years. It’s also possible to correct for over-use of hyaluronic acid fillers after the fact, by injecting another product that is able to dissolve the filler, if necessary.

Comparing Both Procedures

Botox can be used proactively, to prevent the formation of some lines before they become over-developed. Botox is very effective when used on lines linked to changing facial expressions, such as laughing or frowning. Facial filler products are effective when used on lines that are always present, regardless of the underlying muscles.
It’s quite possible to combine the use of both procedures, using each to address the problems they’re best adapted to. Your practitioner should be able to advise you on the best combination for your particular needs.
To maximize the benefits of either procedure and to minimize the chance of developing side effects, it’s extremely important to choose a medically-trained and experienced practitioner. Both Botox and facial fillers can produce effective, natural-looking results, but they can also, in the hands of an insufficiently qualified practitioner, produce the exact opposite effect.

Your Laser Skin Care

Your Laser Skin Care practitioners are medically qualified and highly experienced in performing both Botox and facial filler procedures. We can provide expert advice on the best techniques to address your particular concerns and will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have about our procedures. We also have extensive experience with a wide variety of non-invasive cosmetic procedures and can help you choose the safest, most effective, and most cost-effective way to achieve your cosmetic goals. Call us at (323) 525-1516 to schedule a free consultation, or visit us online for more information.
Woman getting botox in between her eyebrows in los angeles, California

Is Botox Painful? 

Posted on April 11, 2022 by 
As Botox is administered using needles, it’s not unusual that the first question potential patients ask is how painful will it be? As “no pain, no gain” is not the answer they’re typically looking for; we gathered some relevant information.

Does Botox Hurt?

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Botox needles are very small – as a result, many patients report feeling no pain at all. That’s not guaranteed, however, and some patients do indeed experience some discomfort. Typically patients report that they experience a mild sensation. The Botox solution itself doesn’t sting when it’s injected.

How Can Pain be Minimized?

Your practitioner may cool the area being treated to reduce any painful sensations. They may also use a topical anesthetic cream to reduce discomfort further.
Choosing an experienced practitioner is also extremely important. Inexperienced or unqualified practitioners are far more likely to cause pain, as well as create inferior results.

Procrastination Can Cause Problems

Some patients are indeed nervous about needles, and it’s not unusual to find people who might have benefited from Botox but who waited for extended periods before finally deciding to try it. In almost all cases, these patients report that the procedure was far less painful than they anticipated.
It’s unfortunate that delaying starting Botox can allow facial lines to develop to the point that Botox can only reduce but not eliminate them. Using Botox before deep lines have a chance to develop can be more effective than trying to remove lines after they’re present.

Don’t Be Afraid to Discuss Concerns With Your Practitioner

If you have any trepidation about having Botox, don’t be afraid to discuss this with your practitioner. They should be able to reassure you and perhaps take extra precautions to minimize any chance of discomfort. It’s fairly common for potential patients to be nervous about injections, and your practitioner should be willing to take the time to answer all your questions, including ways to reduce any pre-treatment anxiety.

Your Laser Skin Care

Your Laser Skin Care practitioners are medically qualified and highly experienced in performing Botox procedures. We can provide expert advice on the best techniques to address your particular concerns and will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have about our procedures. We also have extensive experience with a wide variety of non-invasive cosmetic procedures and can help you choose the safest, most effective, and most cost-effective way to achieve your cosmetic goals. Call us at (323) 525-1516 to schedule a free consultation, or visit us online for more information.
woman getting microneedling done at your laser skin care

Microneedling vs Botox 

Posted on March 31, 2022 by 
Botox and microneedling are both popular and effective cosmetic procedures. Although both are capable of producing impressive results and are sometimes regarded as similar in their ability to combat the effects of aging on the complexion, they are very different procedures, each having its own distinctive advantages.

Botox

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Botox involves injecting carefully controlled amounts of the Botox toxin to block the ability of selected nerves to cause adjacent muscles to contract. By restricting the movement of facial muscles that cause lines or wrinkles to appear and deepen, the overall effect is to smooth the skin. Overuse of Botox can prevent your face from showing a full range of expressions and emotions, and so it must be carefully and skillfully applied to avoid unnatural-looking results.
Botox is also only effective when used to reduce the visibility of lines and wrinkles caused when facial muscles are activated. Any lines or wrinkles that are not directly associated with muscular movement cannot be effectively treated by Botox.

Microneedling

Microneedling involves the carefully controlled use of an array of hundreds of very fine, very short needles to puncture the surface of the skin; the resulting microscopic pin-pricks stimulate the body to create tiny new blood vessels and boost the production of elastin and collagen, improving the skin’s overall condition, texture, and resiliency.
Microneedling can be used to treat facial lines, skin blemishes, scars, and enlarged pores. Microneedling can safely be used without running the risk of creating abnormal-looking results.

Primary Differences

While Botox is an effective way to hide many of the effects of aging, it’s a temporary solution, and will eventually have to be reapplied. Microneedling does not merely address the symptoms of aging, but it can help stimulate the natural mechanisms used by the body to regenerate healthy skin tissue. As such it can provide longer-lasting improvements, without the risks associated with over-use of Botox.
Botox is particularly effective when used to treat unwanted lines caused by squinting, frowning, or laughing; microneedling is effective on a wide range of skin problems, including fine lines, scars, large pores, uneven pigmentation, and dull or uneven texture.
The results of Botox appear rapidly after treatment, while microneedling results develop slowly, as the skin heals after each procedure, and long-term improvements develop slowly.

Combining Both Procedures

It’s possible to combine both procedures, using Botox to provide larger-scale improvements, and microneedling to address skin texture problems, and to stimulate deeper skin regeneration. Despite this most practitioners avoid performing both procedures at the same time – Botox should be applied to healthy skin, while microneedling creates microscopic wounds that take time to heal.

Your Laser Skin Care

Your Laser Skin Care practitioners are medically qualified and highly experienced in performing both Botox and microneedling procedures. We can provide expert advice on the best techniques to address your particular concerns and will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have about our procedures. We also have extensive experience with a wide variety of non-invasive cosmetic procedures and can help you choose the safest, most effective, and most cost-effective way to achieve your cosmetic goals. Call us at (323) 525-1516 to schedule a free consultation, or visit us online for more information.
woman looking to get botox to cure her bunny lines

Can Botox Cure Bunny Lines? 

Posted on March 24, 2022 by 
Bunny lines are the fine lines that can show up on both sides of your nose when you wrinkle it – typically when you’re laughing or smiling. While many people find them perfectly normal and acceptable, others find them a source of distress. Bunny lines may not be visible when your face has a neutral expression, they may however start to become a permanent feature, especially as you age.
The muscles that cause bunny lines to appear are also involved when you flare your nostrils. People who have very expressive faces and who find themselves exercising their facial muscles often may be more prone to developing deeper lines on their faces, and over time these may become a permanent part of their appearance. Again, many people find such lines a normal part of the aging process, and may well find them attractive. If you’re not one of these people, Botox can provide a way to reduce or eliminate the problem.

How Can Botox Help?

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Botox injections are able to temporarily limit or even prevent specific facial muscles from activating – carefully applied they have the ability to stop muscle movements that cause or exacerbate specific lines on your face from appearing. Depending on how much these lines have developed, Botox may be able to prevent the lines from being visible, or it may help to reduce the severity of the lines.
Careful application of Botox can greatly reduce the appearance of bunny lines, while not preventing your face from showing its full spectrum of expressions. The lines on top of your nose are not strictly speaking bunny lines, but can also be treated the same way.
Your practitioner should not focus solely on eliminating all traces of lines and wrinkles, but should instead aim to improve your appearance, while still allowing your face to look natural, and able to show a range of emotions. A wrinkle-free face that is unable to move risks creating a very unnatural look, something that a professional practitioner will strive to avoid.

Guard Against Over-Use

In extreme cases over-use of Botox between the eyebrows can even cause bunny lines to develop around the nose – this is caused by muscles surrounding the nose overcompensating for the immobilized muscles higher up when you frown, for example. In such situations, bunny lines can serve as an indication that you’ve had Botox elsewhere on your face, something that most people would find quite unfortunate.
Long-term use of Botox over many years also risks this muscular overcompensation – your best way of avoiding any unnatural-looking results from Botox is to carefully research the skill, medical training, and experience of practitioners before deciding on the person you will entrust with modifying your facial appearance. While a Botox treatment is not permanent, you may have to wait many months for the results of badly-applied Botox to subside.

Your Laser Skin Care

Your Laser Skin Care practitioners are medically qualified and highly experienced in applying Botox. We can provide expert advice on the best techniques to address your particular concerns and will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have about our procedures. We also have extensive experience with a wide variety of non-invasive cosmetic procedures, and can help you choose the safest, most effective, and most cost-effective way to achieve your cosmetic goals. Call us at (323) 525-1516 to schedule a free consultation, or visit us online for more information.
Woman getting botox to reduce tired eyes in Los Angeles

How to Reduce Tired Eyes Using Botox

Posted on March 17, 2022 by 
Botox is mainly used to reduce the visibility of facial wrinkles – it’s used to relax the facial muscles that cause wrinkles, anywhere from the forehead down to the neck. Botox is most often used to reduce lines on the forehead, as well as lines caused by frowning between the eyebrows. Botox can also be used to manage several age-related symptoms that can cause eyes to look tired and prematurely aged.

Sagging Skin Around the Eyes

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Botox can be used judiciously to tighten sagging skin around the eyes by relaxing adjacent muscles. Skillfully used this can help to rejuvenate your appearance. Botox can also be used in cases where the eyebrow muscles cause the eyebrows to sag over the eyes. This can allow your eyes to open more fully, which also contributes to a fresher-looking appearance.

Drooping Eyelids

Botox may help combat droopy eyelids, but only in cases where the problem is due to drooping eyebrows.  Drooping eyelids are generally caused by damage to the muscles or nerves that normally keep the eyelids open – Botox works by blocking nerve signals and relaxing tensed muscles, which are typically not the cause of drooping eyelids.

Under Eye Bags and Dark Circles

Botox will not help reduce these problems directly, but in many cases, an overall improvement in appearance can be achieved by smoothing wrinkled skin around the eyes. In situations like this Botox is often used in combination with dermal filler products.

Asymmetric Eyelids and Eyebrows

Botox is often the best solution to address cases where eyelids or eyebrows are not perfectly symmetrical on both sides – a fairly common occurrence.

Safety Considerations

Application of Botox anywhere around the eyes should only be performed by a highly skilled and medically trained practitioner. Correct use of Botox in this area requires very careful analysis of the problem being addressed, and of the safest and most effective way to achieve the desired result. Unskilled use of Botox around the eyes can even cause drooping eyelids – the exact opposite of the desired effect.
In many cases, the safest solution may be to use a different type of procedure entirely. Safety is not the only consideration – the goal of any cosmetic procedure is to achieve natural-looking results, and you risk the opposite if you choose your practitioner incautiously.

Your Laser Skin Care

Your Laser Skin Care practitioners are medically qualified and highly experienced in applying Botox. We can provide expert advice on the best techniques to address your particular concerns and will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have about our procedures. We also have extensive experience with a wide variety of non-invasive cosmetic procedures and can help you choose the safest, most effective, and most cost-effective way to achieve your cosmetic goals. Call us at (323) 525-1516 to schedule a free consultation, or visit us online for more information.
Woman's face after chemical peeling.

How to Care for Your Skin After a Chemical Peel

Posted on March 11, 2022 by 
Chemical peels come in many different types and strengths. Essentially they all work by removing the outer layer of your skin – this helps to remove surface fine lines, blemishes, and uneven pigmentation, while revealing the undamaged skin beneath. Some chemical peels are quite mild, while others can be far more aggressive. The stronger the peel, the more care that must be taken when healing afterward.
It’s very common to experience side effects during and after a chemical peel session. These can include a temporary tingling or even burning sensation, as well as itching, dryness, peeling, or other signs of irritation. It’s rare to expose a new layer of fresh skin without experiencing at least some of these symptoms.
Our recommendations for minimizing side effects while encouraging healing fall into these categories:

Minimize Sunshine Exposure

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Excess sunshine can damage your skin at the best of times, especially after a chemical peel when the outer protective skin layer has been removed. You should be sure to apply sunscreen regularly during the day and try to avoid direct sunshine. This applies even in the winter months when the sun’s rays can still cause damage. You should continue to use sunscreen for at least several weeks after treatment; we recommend using it on a daily basis, even after you’ve fully healed.

Treat Your Skin with Care

You should avoid anything that could irritate your skin while it’s healing. Your skin will be extra sensitive, and more easily damaged than normal. Avoid hot (and even warm) water when washing, don’t use harsh soap, and pat (don’t rub) your skin dry afterward. It’s best to avoid soap altogether and use a soap-free cleanser instead. Finally, wait a few days before even thinking about exfoliating.

Avoid Strenuous Activities

Anything that boosts your blood circulation can exacerbate any negative side effects that you’re experiencing. Try to delay any strenuous workouts for a couple of days.

Moisturize and Hydrate

You should use a moisturizer, and maybe get extra protection by switching to a thicker one than you normally use. Staying well hydrated is also very much recommended. Follow your practitioner’s recommendations – it’s possible they may recommend minimal use of a moisturizer immediately following the procedure.

Let Your Skin Heal Naturally

You’ll probably want to speed up the peeling that occurs after treatment. Don’t do it! Picking or rubbing your skin will expose the skin layer underneath before it’s fully healed, and risks lengthening the normal recovery time. In the worst case, you could even expose yourself to infection by doing this. Best to apply moisturizer regularly, and be patient while your skin peels naturally.

Other Things to Avoid

Delay using other skin care products until your skin has fully healed. Try to avoid unnecessary touching of the treated areas, and if you had a chemical peel on your face consider pulling your hair back to minimize any chance of irritating your skin with your hairbrush.

Your Laser Skin Care

Your Laser Skin Care can provide you with the expert advice that is needed before deciding on any treatment using chemical peels. We have extensive experience using chemical peels, as well as many other non-invasive cosmetic procedures, and can help you choose the safest, most effective, and most cost-effective way to achieve your cosmetic goals, including how best to combine different procedures when appropriate. Call us at (323) 525-1516 to schedule a free consultation, or visit us online for more information.
woman putting latisse on her eyelashes

Does Latisse Work on All Hair Types?

Posted on March 3, 2022 by 

The active ingredient in Latisse (Bimatoprost) was originally developed to treat glaucoma – it works in this case by reducing excessive pressure inside the eye which can lead to vision loss. However, it quickly became apparent that Bimatoprost has a useful side-effect – when applied to the base of the eyelashes it causes more vigorous hair growth. This hair growth results in longer, thicker, and darker eyelashes.

Naturally, this effect led to research on whether the product could also have a similar effect on the hair on other parts of the body, and especially on the areas that concern many – eyelashes for women, and receding scalp hair for men.

Latisse is thought to work by extending the normal growth cycle of the hair follicle so that the lifetime of individual hairs is extended, allowing them to grow longer before naturally falling out. Hair looks thicker because the number of actively growing hairs has increased.

Latisse and Eyelashes

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Latisse has conclusively been shown to be highly effective at stimulating the growth of eyelashes and has received FDA approval for using it this way.

Latisse and Eyebrows

Research has shown that Latisse can also help improve hair growth in the eyebrows, although it may take six months or more before the effects become apparent. As with eyelashes, the benefits of using Latisse persist only as long as the product continues to be used. Latisse has not been officially approved by the FDA for use on the eyebrows, so you should consult with a medical practitioner before using the product this way.

Latisse and Scalp Hair

It appears that Latisse may be at least partially effective on the scalp, but several negative factors mean that using the product this way may not be practical. Firstly Latisse promotes the growth of active hair follicles, but it’s ineffective when used on follicles that have stopped growing hair. The skin on the scalp is thicker than the skin around the eyes, meaning that much more product would need to be applied to reach the targeted hair follicles. Lastly, and most significantly, Latisse is not cheap, and the larger quantity of product required for effective use on the scalp means that the cost would be prohibitive for most people.

Secondary issues also complicate the use of Latisse this way – it’s important to control exactly where the product is applied, as you risk hair growth in unwanted places if the product is not applied carefully. While it’s relatively easy to apply it with precision around the eyes, using Latisse on the head would be extremely difficult to control with precision. For example, simply washing your hair in the shower would result in product traces running over your body, potentially leading to hair growth in unexpected places. The FDA has also not officially approved the use of Latisse on the scalp.

Your Laser Skin Care

Your Laser Skin Care practitioners can evaluate you for the use of Latisse and can provide the necessary prescriptions. We are available to answer any questions or concerns you may have about the product. We also have extensive experience with a wide variety of non-invasive cosmetic procedures and can help you choose the safest, most effective, and most cost-effective way to achieve your cosmetic goals. Call us at (323) 525-1516 to schedule a free consultation, or visit us online for more information.

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Meet Dr. Fedonenko

Dr. Fedonenko is a member of the American College of Physicians and is Board Certified in Internal Medicine.

She completed her Residency at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in 1998 and has since specialized in Cosmetic Dermatology.

She obtained additional training in aesthetic medicine procedures soon thereafter, and the results of her extensive training and experience show in each and every patient’s face. She’s a doctor that can truly been trusted with your skin care and anti-aging needs.

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Suite 102, Los Angeles, California 90048
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