Each year, the American Society for Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), one of the most respected professional associations, releases statistics on the demand for services. In 2016, the most popular areas of 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 mainly because they allow you to achieve the desired result without surgery. The types of injections vary depending on the depth at 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 used today in cosmetology.
Botulinum therapy
This involves the introduction of drugs based on botulinum toxin produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. Its action blocks the transmission of nerve signals to the muscles, so that 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 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. Wrinkles of medium depth are smoothed using botulinum toxin, reversing a number of age-related changes.
The procedure is not performed if the patient suffers from inflammatory skin diseases, bleeding disorders or has been treated with antibiotics and anticoagulants. Contraindications also include renal or hepatic failure, individual intolerance to botulinum toxin drugs and paresis of facial muscles. Injections are not given to women during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Doctors cautiously treat patients who tend to suffer from swelling, eyelid herniations and strokes.
Preparation for the procedure does not require serious restrictions: it is recommended to avoid any physical activity and not to 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. It takes 10 to 15 minutes. The effect can be evaluated after 2 weeks. Wrinkles are smoothed due to muscle relaxation, but with injections performed by professionals, facial expressions and facial expressions are preserved.
The result of botulinum treatment is reversible, the effect lasts from 3 to 6 months. After that, the mobility of the facial muscles returns completely.
On a note
One action unit is equivalent to 3 × 107 molecules of botulinum toxin. The dosage (number of units of action) is determined by the cosmetologist. On average, we are talking about the following figures:
- front 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 to correct wrinkles, facial contour and its individual areas. Modern injections in cosmetology are carried out using fillers, which allow you to achieve the so-called 3D modeling effect while preserving all facial features.
On a note
Most modern fillers are made from 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. Hyaluronic acid injections not only help moisturize tissues, but also stimulate the body's own production of structural proteins - collagen and elastin.
Indications for contour plastic surgery include wrinkles, folds and a blurred oval face. Contraindications: cancer, diabetes, connective tissue diseases, skin diseases, blood clotting disorders, pregnancy and breastfeeding, individual intolerance.
Contour plastic surgery does not require any special preparation. A number of medications contain an anesthetic, otherwise the doctor may administer local anesthesia. After remodeling, swelling, bruising and indurations are possible in the injection area, which disappear 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 framework" of the face. If the patient's skin has lost its tone, looks flabby, dull, there are fine wrinkles and signs of ptosis, then the doctor injects drugs along the "lines of sagging" that maintain the tone of the skininside. In this case, the doctor can predict exactly how wrinkles will form and, by introducing preparations based on hyaluronic acid, prevent their appearance.
Bio-revitalization
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 on your hands, neckline, neck and face.
Injections are contraindicated if the patient suffers from inflammatory skin diseases or allergies to the components of the drug. The period of pregnancy, breastfeeding, as well as the exacerbation of somatic diseases also constitute an obstacle to both biorevitalization and bioreinforcement.
No special preparation is necessary 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 carried out once every 1-2 months.
Vector lifting
To tighten the skin in certain areas (for example on 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 lift.
For vector facelift, hyaluronic acid and calcium hydroxyapatite preparations are used. The choice in favor of the latter is made if a facelift of an area prone to swelling is necessary. The absorption 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 most importantly, its own blood plasma is not a foreign substance for the body. This means that it is not released and does not cause allergic reactions.
Plasmolifting improves skin microcirculation, normalizes water balance and strengthens local immunity. The procedure is performed if the patient begins to develop fine wrinkles, the first signs of aging, 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 breast feeding;
- infectious and inflammatory skin diseases;
- exacerbations of chronic diseases, acute infections.
To perform a plasma lift, 20 to 40 ml of blood is taken from the patient's vein. Then 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 into micropapules throughout the treatment area. The standard course includes 4 sessions spaced 7 to 14 days apart 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 nourish and hydrate 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 with a complex effect. In case of superficial administration, biorevitalization and plasma lifting are also considered 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 mainly aimed at patients who are afraid of surgery. But it should be borne in mind 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 a risk of hematoma formation, changes in skin color, fibrosis - the formation of a seal at the injection site. All of these risks should be discussed with your doctor in advance.
As the statistics show. . .
. . . women aged 35 to 64 make up about 60% of all those who seek help from a cosmetologist.
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". In other words, a laser is a device that "focuses" electromagnetic radiation into a very powerful directed beam. It is thanks to this that the laser beam can be targeted, precise 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-lived, meaning it does not cause serious damage. However, this is enough to cause inflammation in 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" outwards.
Indications for laser rejuvenation are fine wrinkles, visible vascular network, enlarged pores, soft tissue ptosis, altered facial contours, the presence of scars on the skin, post-acne, double chin, lexcess pigmentation. The procedure is contraindicated if the patient has inflammation and tumors in the area to be treated, psoriasis or skin diseases. Laser rejuvenation is not carried out during pregnancy or if the patient is heavily tanned. The procedure requires special attention in patients suffering from diabetes mellitus, hypertension, angina, in patients with blood diseases, etc.
Deep laser rejuvenation does not require any special preparation and is carried out without anesthesia. To achieve a lasting effect, you need to perform 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 intended for aesthetic medicine, but the beam here has its own characteristics. It is divided into several microbeams (fractions), each of which is no thicker than a human hair. All affect microscopic areas of the skin, and thus a sort of "mesh" treatment is achieved – areas that have been affected by the laser beam alternate with areas that have not been 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 its appearance.
Fractional photothermolysis is a procedure that can be performed even on sensitive areas of the face, such as the eyelids. Contraindications 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 from the first day. To make the effect more pronounced, doctors recommend attending 3-4 sessions at intervals of a month.
In cases 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 musculo-aponeurotic system - means "subcutaneous musculo-aponeurotic layer". It is made up of muscles and ligaments. Lifting this layer provides good results. That is to say, by firming the skin, we combat superficial wrinkles, and by acting on the SMAS, we smooth the deeper folds.
The SMAS facelift is performed using an ultrasound device. By heating the deep layers of the skin and muscles, the ultrasound wave causes them to contract and activates the production of structural proteins. Acceleration of metabolic processes leads to improvement in appearance.
Often, the SMAS facelift is recommended for patients who, for one reason or another, do not wish to undergo a surgical facelift. The second category of patients who can benefit from the SMAS facelift are those who have undergone a surgical facelift and are looking to prolong the result.
During the procedure, using ultrasound, the beautician "sees" the deep layers and assesses the condition of the muscles and fascia. As a result, the therapeutic effect of energetic ultrasound is directed by the doctor to the required depth on the desired muscles, fascia and ligaments.
SMAS lifting does not require any 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 the facelift can be fully evaluated after three months.
Injection techniques in cosmetology and laser aesthetic cosmetology make it possible to resolve many problems that only a few years ago required surgical intervention. Prolonging youth is not only a dream for women. Today, young people and men who rarely visited cosmetology clinics are turning to the services of cosmetologists. And the possibility of solving many problems without surgical intervention, of course, makes aesthetic medicine more and more attractive and in demand.
How to choose a cosmetology clinic
All visitors to beauty centers will probably say that one of the key points in choosing "your" clinic and "your" doctor is an individual approach, implemented (or not) by a specialist. A cosmetologist will explain to you the nuances of combining personal and objective approaches:
"Working in cosmetology, we cannot act solely on our preferences and considerations. It is necessary to 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, specializing in the field of aesthetic medicine and also trained in modern techniques. This allows us to understand the problem more broadly.
And we cannot fail to mention the importance of modern equipment. Manufacturers are moving toward improving devices, and clinics, as well as patients themselves, are certainly paying attention.
Aesthetic medicine and cosmetology make it possible to correct many appearance imperfections, such as wrinkles, scars, acne, which improves appearance and prolongs youth.
Expression lines that show age can be eliminated using cosmetic procedures such as intradermal facial contouring.
Modern medical technologies help solve many aesthetic problems without resorting to radical measures.
The cost of cosmetic procedures depends on the complexity of the task, the area of correction and the amount of work.
You will be able to ask all your questions during your first consultation with a beautician.