BOTOX®

Ready to schedule a consultation?
Here are 8 questions to ask your specialist:

  1. Do they have medical expertise in facial anatomy? For instance, are they licensed and trained in a field of aesthetic medicine, such as dermatology, cosmetic surgery, or oculoplastic surgery, to name a few.
  2. How many years of experience do they have injecting BOTOX® Cosmetic?
  3. How often do they treat patients with BOTOX® Cosmetic?
  4. Do they schedule a follow-up visit after treatment?
  5. Will they show you before-and-after pictures of other patients they have treated?
  6. What are the most common side effects they have seen in their clinical experience?
  7. What should you do if you experience any side effects?
  8. What do they need to know about your medical history? Be prepared to tell your specialist about any medical conditions, including any prescription medications, vitamins, or herbal supplements you are taking.

Real, noticeable results
You may begin to notice results within 24 to 48 hours for moderate to severe frown lines, with results lasting up to 4 months.

Some patients report that being injected with BOTOX® Cosmetic feels like a pinch
Your specialist may use ice to numb the treatment area. If you are concerned about discomfort, your specialist may apply a topical numbing cream before administering your treatment.

The actual injection process takes about 10 minutes 
Your specialist will discuss your treatment goals and perform a facial analysis to determine the appropriate treatment areas for you.

You’ll look like yourself—only with less noticeable frown lines and crow’s feet
BOTOX® Cosmetic is a technique-sensitive treatment. You should not lose the ability to show expression when you are treated by someone who is licensed, trained, and a medical expert in facial anatomy.

Return to your daily routine 
Treatment requires minimal downtime or recovery; it’s often called a lunchtime procedure. You’ll be able to go about your normal routine immediately after you leave your specialist’s office.

Cost considerations 
Your cost not only includes the price of the product, but more importantly, the skill and expertise of the specialist or healthcare professional who is administering your treatment.
BOTOX® Cosmetic is a technique-sensitive treatment—look for someone who is licensed and trained and has experience treating patients with BOTOX® Cosmetic.

Be wary of discount products or “cheap” BOTOX® Cosmetic—if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

It is more important to find an experienced specialist who will take the time to understand your treatment goals and develop a treatment plan that is right for you.

BOTOX® Cosmetic targets one of the underlying causes of frown lines and crow’s feet—the repeated muscle contractions from frowning and squinting over the years. Your specialist will inject these muscles with BOTOX® Cosmetic to temporarily reduce muscle activity. You will begin to notice a visible smoothing of your crow’s feet lines and frown lines between your brows.

Wrinkles result from a combination of many factors. It’s not just about cellular changes that can occur over time, reduction of collagen, or damage caused by free radicals in the sun and the environment. When you frown or concentrate, the muscles between your brows contract, causing your skin to furrow and fold. And when you squint, the muscles around your eyes contract and cause crow’s feet.

BOTOX® Cosmetic works beneath the skin’s surface and targets the underlying muscle activity that causes frown lines and crow’s feet.

For the crow’s feet area, your specialist will inject 3 areas of the orbicularis oculi, the muscle that frames the side of the eye. This will be repeated on the orbicularis oculi muscle on the other eye.

Injecting BOTOX® Cosmetic into the muscles that cause crow’s feet lines temporarily reduces the activity of those muscles. The result is a reduction in the appearance of those lines.

For the frown lines area, your specialist will administer 5 injections into muscles in your forehead—1 in the procerus muscle and 4 in the corrugator muscles.

Injecting BOTOX® Cosmetic into the muscles that cause frown lines temporarily reduces the activity of those muscles. The result is a reduction in the appearance of those lines.

BOTOX® Cosmetic is the only approved treatment to temporarily improve the appearance of both moderate to severe frown lines between the brows and crow’s feet lines in adults.

A well-studied treatment
BOTOX® Cosmetic is one of the most extensively studied medical aesthetic treatments and is approved for cosmetic use in 78 countries.* BOTOX® Cosmetic has a record of experience that aesthetic specialists know and trust. And, the safety and efficacy of BOTOX® Cosmetic have been evaluated in both Allergan sponsored clinical trials as well as in 417 peer-reviewed articles in scientific and medical journals.  *VISTABEL® outside of North America.

Derived from sources that exist in nature 
BOTOX® Cosmetic contains tiny amounts of a highly purified botulinum toxin protein refined from the bacterium, Clostridium botulinum. Formulations, potency, and approved doses vary among botulinum toxin products, which means that one product cannot take the place of another. Those are a few reasons why there is no such thing as a “generic” form of BOTOX® Cosmetic. There have been no studies to support that other products are Unit-to-Unit equivalent to BOTOX® Cosmetic.

A treatment experienced by millions of people 
Approximately 10.9 million vials of BOTOX® Cosmetic have been sold in the United States since 2002, and millions of people have already made BOTOX® Cosmetic a part of what they do for themselves. Today, BOTOX® Cosmetic is the #1 selling product of its kind in the world.†

†Data collected through June 2014.

JUVÉDERM®

Do not receive JUVÉDERM® injectable gel fillers if you have a history of severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), or if you are allergic to lidocaine or the proteins (Gram-positive bacterial proteins) used to make hyaluronic acid (HA) in JUVÉDERM® injectable gel fillers.

Results may last one year to two years, with optimal correction and depending on the formula used. Please see each product below to see how long results last with each formula, based on what was observed in clinical studies.

You will see results immediately/instantly.

The JUVÉDERM® collection of fillers is made fom hyaluronic acid (HA). HA is a natural substance in the skin that delivers nutrients, helps the skin retain moisture and softness, and adds volume. Each product in the JUVÉDERM® collection of fillers is made from a modified form of HA.

Enroll in the Brilliant Distinctions® Rewards Program to save money on treatments with the JUVÉDERM® Collection. You earn points on each JUVÉDERM® treatment that you can redeem for savings on future treatments. You can also earn and redeem points on other selected treatments that your specialist may determine are right for you.

In addition, you can also earn points when you shop online at your favorite retailers participating in the Brilliant Distinctions® Mall. As a member you will receive treatment reminders and information about your points balance.

The cost not only includes the price of the product, but more importantly, the skill and expertise of the specialist or healthcare professional who is administering your treatment. Look for someone who is licensed and trained and has experience treating patients with the JUVÉDERM® Collection. Be wary of discount products or “cheap” JUVÉDERM® Collection treatments —if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

It is more important to find an experienced specialist who will take the time to understand your treatment goals and develop a treatment plan that is right for you.

JUVÉDERM® injectable gels labeled with “XC” contain pain-reducing lidocaine to help manage pain or discomfort during the injection. You may also ask your aesthetic healthcare provider about a topical numbing cream or ice to help further minimize discomfort.

Your aesthetic healthcare provider will take your medical history and provide a facial analysis. Be prepared to discuss your aesthetic areas of concern. This is not a surgical treatment. Actual treatment with JUVÉDERM® injectable gels can take 15 minutes to 60 minutes, depending on which area of your face is being treated.

Different formulations are approved to either lift cheeks, smooth parentheses lines, smooth vertical lip lines or plump the lips. The results are subtle and long lasting.

JUVÉDERM VOLLURE™ XC softens moderate to severe parentheses lines and wrinkles by adding subtle volume around the nose and mouth in adults over the age of 21.

JUVÉDERM VOLUMA® XC adds volume to the cheek area to correct age-related volume loss in adults over 21.

JUVÉDERM VOLBELLA® XC adds subtle volume to lips and softens the appearance of vertical lip lines.

JUVÉDERM® XC smooths moderate to severe parentheses lines and wrinkles around your nose and mouth.

JUVÉDERM® Ultra XC adds fullness and plumps lips as well as soothes and corrects moderate to severe parentheses lines in adults.

JUVÉDERM® is the #1 selling collection of hyaluronic acid fillers in the US. Each product in the JUVÉDERM® collection of fillers adds volume to a different area of the face – without surgery. All JUVÉDERM® fillers are a smooth, crystal-clear gel that are administered by injection in your aesthetic healthcare provider’s office.

Kybella

Submental fullness is a gathering of excess fat beneath the chin, commonly known as “double chin.” It can be something you’ve had your whole life due to genetics, or start to appear as you get older or if you gain weight.

KYBELLA® is a prescription medicine and is the only FDA-approved injectable treatment used in adults to improve the appearance and profile of moderate to severe fat below the chin (submental fat), also called “double chin.”

It is not known if KYBELLA® is safe and effective for use outside of the submental area or in children less than 18 years of age.

The active ingredient in KYBELLA® is synthetic deoxycholic acid. Deoxycholic acid is a naturally occurring molecule in the body that aids in the breakdown and absorption of dietary fat. When injected into the fat beneath the chin, KYBELLA® destroys fat cells, and once destroyed, these cells can no longer store or accumulate fat. This results in a noticeable reduction in fullness under the chin, revealing an improved chin profile.

Your specialist will create a tailored treatment plan based on your chin profile. At each treatment, you will be given multiple small injections under your chin. You may receive up to 6 treatment sessions, spaced at least 1 month apart. Many patients experience visible results in 2 to 4 KYBELLA® treatments. 59% of patients received 6 treatments in clinical studies.

KYBELLA® can cause serious side effects, including trouble swallowing and nerve injury in the jaw that can temporarily cause an uneven smile or facial muscle weakness. In clinical studies, nerve injury in the jaw resolved on its own in a median of 44 days (range of 1 to 298 days), and trouble swallowing resolved on its own in a median of 3 days (range of 1 to 81 days).

The most common side effects are swelling, bruising, pain, numbness, redness and areas of hardness around the treatment area. These are not all of the possible side effects of KYBELLA®. Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects.

When injected into fat under the chin, KYBELLA® causes the destruction of fat cells. Once destroyed, those cells cannot store or accumulate fat. After reaching your desired aesthetic, further treatment is not expected.

KYBELLA® has been the focus of a global clinical development program involving over 20 clinical studies. More than 1600 people were treated with KYBELLA® in these studies.

Only you and your doctor can decide if KYBELLA® is right for you. If you’re bothered by fullness under your chin and wish to avoid surgery, ask your doctor about KYBELLA®.

It is not known if KYBELLA® is safe and effective for use outside of the submental area or in children less than 18 years of age.

LATISSE®

Eye redness and itching sometimes occur with the use of LATISSE®. I was an investigator in the LATISSE® clinical trial for FDA approval, and eye redness and irritation occurred in approximately 4% of patients. If the redness or itching persists (or if you notice other symptoms), you should consult your doctor. If you develop a new ocular condition (e.g., trauma or infection), experience a sudden decrease in visual acuity, have ocular surgery, or develop any ocular reactions, particularly conjunctivitis and eyelid reactions, you should immediately seek your physician’s advice concerning the continued use of LATISSE® solution.

LATISSE® was only studied with patients who applied it to the upper lashes, so DO NOT APPLY in your eye or to the lower lid. It’s important to apply the product appropriately, as there is the potential for hair growth to occur in areas where LATISSE® solution comes in repeated contact with the skin surface. I tell my patients to use the sterile applicator brushes that come with LATISSE®, and to apply the product carefully, and blot any excess solution to avoid having the solution run on the cheek or other skin areas.

Yes, LATISSE® should be applied daily to the base of the upper eyelashes. To achieve the full effect of longer, fuller and darker lashes, you should use the product daily for 16 weeks.

I tell my patients that they need to be patient when using LATISSE® as the growth is gradual over time. Some may start to notice longer lashes after about a month and many should experience full results in approximately four months. This is similar to the clinical trial results, but individual results may vary. Just like it takes some time for LATISSE® to work, if use of LATISSE® is discontinued, eyelashes will return to their previous appearance over the course of several weeks to months

LATISSE® is an ophthalmic solution. If any solution gets into the eye, it is not expected to cause harm. You do not need to rinse your eyes. LATISSE® is not an eye drop. DO NOT APPLY in your eye or to the lower lid.

While this is a common concern, eyelid skin darkening is actually a less common side effect. In a study for FDA approval, localized skin darkening only occurred in approximately 2.9% of patients using LATISSE®. It’s caused by an increase in melanin close to where the solutiuon is applied and is expected to reverse several weeks to months after discontinuing use of the product.

This is one of the most common questions I get asked. LATISSE® use may cause increased brown iris pigmentation of the colored part of the eye which is likely to be permanent. While very infrequent, increased iris pigmentation has occurred when LATISSE® solution was administered. Do not apply LATISSE® in your eye or to the lower lid. Ask your doctor for complete application instructions.

The most common side effects after using LATISSE® solution are an itching sensation in the eyes and/or eye redness. This was reported in approximately 4% of patients in the clinical study. LATISSE® solution may cause other less common side effects, which typically occur on the skin close to where LATISSE® is applied, or in the eyes. These include skin darkening, eye irritation, dryness of the eyes and redness of the eyelids.

If LATISSE® patients develop a new ocular condition (e.g., trauma or infection), experience a sudden decrease in visual acuity, have ocular surgery or develop any ocular reactions, particularly conjunctivitis and eyelid reactions, they should immediately seek their physician’s advice concerning the continued use of LATISSE® solution.

In my practice, most of my patients tolerate LATISSE® well. The adverse events I have seen in some of my patients, such as itchy eyes and eye redness, are consistent with those most commonly reported in the LATISSE® clinical trial. I also conducted my own clinical study at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. Adverse events reported in my study were the same as those seen in the Allergan clinical trials.

LATISSE® is a treatment you apply yourself each evening to the base of the upper eyelashes. Each LATISSE® kit contains detailed instructions for proper application. You can also watch a video demonstration in the How-to-Apply section of this website.

I tell my patients to remove any makeup, clean the upper eyelids and remove their contact lenses, if applicable. Contact lenses can be placed back in the eye after 15 minutes following the application of LATISSE®. Then, using the single-use applicator brush provided in the package, one drop of LATISSE® is placed on the applicator brush and applied to the base of the upper eyelid lash margin (DO NOT APPLY in your eye or the lower lash line as excess hair growth outside the treatment area may occur). The same process is repeated using a fresh applicator brush to avoid cross contamination. Be careful not to allow the tip of the bottle or applicator to contact surrounding structures, fingers or any other unintended surface in order to avoid contamination by common bacteria known to cause infections. After applying, any excess fluid should be blotted off with a tissue. For best results, LATISSE® needs to be used once a day for 16 weeks. Using LATISSE® more than once a day will not grow your lashes faster or improve the effectiveness of the product.

Dr. Charles Boyd, Plastic Surgeon: Eyelash hypotrichosis is the medical name for having inadequate or not enough lashes. Eyelash hypotrichosis…

LATISSE® is a prescription medication to grow the eyelashes longer, fuller and darker, indicated for people with inadequate or not enough lashes. LATISSE® needs to be prescribed by a doctor to assure the proper treatment and use.

My patients ask me this all the time. LATISSE® is the only FDA-approved product to grow lashes longer, fuller and darker for those who do not have enough lashes. It has been studied for safety and efficacy and is available only by prescription.

It’s a story of how one great product led to another. In 2001, Allergan developed another product, a medicated eye drop used to treat elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). Many patients using this medication also began to grow longer, fuller and darker lashes as a side effect. This led Allergan to study the medication’s active ingredient, bimatoprost, specifically for growing lashes. After a clinical trial to study the safety and effectiveness for lash growth, LATISSE® was approved by the FDA in December of 2008.

We do not know exactly how LATISSE® works; however, we believe it does so by increasing the growth cycle (anagen) phase of your eyelash hair cycle. Anagen is the growth phase of all hair. We believe that it increases the length of the anagen phase and the number of hairs in this growth phase.

For the majority of my patients, LATISSE® has worked well to grow their lashes, which mirrors what we saw in the LATISSE® clinical study. The lashes grow gradually over time with some people beginning to see longer lashes in about four weeks, with full growth at 16 weeks.

I participated as a clinical investigator in the LATISSE® clinical study, which was conducted at 16 sites across the country and included 278 people. Throughout the course of the 16-week treatment period, each participant was photographed and evaluated at 4-week intervals (week 0 to week 16) for differences in their overall lash prominence, including length, thickness and darkness. At the end of the 16-week treatment period, the results showed that LATISSE® was effective for 78% (107/137) of those participating vs. 18% (26/141) for those in the vehicle group (the vehicle was the same solution as LATISSE®, but without the active ingredient).

Specifically, patients treated with LATISSE® in the clinical study experienced a:

  • 25% increase in lash length (vs. 2% for vehicle)
  • 106% increase in lash thickness/fullness (vs. 12% for vehicle)
  • 18% increase in lash darkness (vs. 3% for vehicle)

Microneedling

Micro-needling treatments (Percutaneous Induction Needling, also referred to as PCIT, Percutaneous Collagen Induction Therapy… a.k.a. micro-needling, or automated micro-needling) is a method of introducing a controlled wound into the skin triggering a release of natural growth factors, new collagen & elastin. This process causes much less damage to the epidermis than dermal rolling or lasers and other ablative treatments, which helps to protect the new skin cell growth providing for quicker healing, higher success rates and longer lasting results

A sterile needle-tip containing 12 to 24(optional) tiny micro-needles create microscopic punctures/channels in the skin. Your skincare professional will apply a thin layer of topical serum to your skin and select the appropriate treatment depth based on your unique needs.

Innovative and effective, micro-needling activates cellular regeneration to help tighten and lift skin, while minimizing common skin problems such as acne scars, fine lines, photo-aging, dull skin, poor texture, stretch marks and body scars.

When used correctly resurfacing lasers can be a great tool for treating aging skin. However, lasers use focused light to produce heat to destroy certain colors of pigmentation and vaporizes skin. This is great for targeting dark spots but often leads to complications when treating patients with naturally darker skin. Micro-needling breaks up pigment mechanically and remodels the collagen without heat or the light. When the heat is removed from the process, it makes for a much safer, more comfortable, and more consistent treatment. No heat also equals less downtime! Most Micro needling patients have a healthy pink glow immediately after the procedure, which lessens dramatically within 24 hours or less. Most patients are back to work the same day and out to dinner the same evening and experience little to no downtime.

Dermal rollers are the previous generation of needling devices. One of the many drawbacks of dermal rollers is the fixed needle or penetration depth (i.e. 0.5mm) which is not very conducive when treating an area like the face which requires different depths due to the varying thickness of skin tissue, depending on the area(s) being treated. Therefore, having a fixed needle depth or penetration level is a huge drawback when trying to customize a treatment for consistency. Micro-needling has an adjustable needle depth that allows your skincare provider to adjust penetration depth throughout the entire treatment. This will allow the medical provider to properly address the specific needs of thinner skin on your lower eyelids, crow’s feet, and forehead. Additionally, where the tissue is thicker in other areas, like the upper lip, cheeks (due to fat pads), neck and décolletage, the necessary adjustments can easily be treated with 1 needle tip instead of 5 or 6 needle rollers. The other dramatic difference is in the type of injury that occurs with micro-needling versus a dermal needling roller.

Automated microneedling  is an innovation in aesthetic medicine for the treatment of fine lines, acne scars and improvement of the skin’s appearance. During this procedure, tiny needles are used to create controlled micro-injuries to the skin to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin. The skin’s repair process results in a thicker dermis with the appearance of softer wrinkles. Automated micro-needling also creates superficial micro-channels, which allow topical serums and creams to be absorbed more effectively into the skin. Automated microneedling devices are medical-grade and the most advanced devices on the market. Click below and let us help you find a microneedling provider in your area today.