Have you started doing that thing in the mirror? That private ritual where you pull the skin of your forehead or by your mouth and eyes with your fingertips so your face looks as smooth and taut as it used to be?

Your wrinkles may be getting on your nerves, but maybe the idea of surgery seems too extreme or permanent right now. You’re not there yet, but you’d love to say goodbye to these creases. You'd also like to start building a relationship with a plastic surgeon so that when you're ready for more permanent work, you have someone you trust. Injectable fillers or BOTOX could be the perfect solution.

There are several options available.

War on Wrinkles

BOTOX, the most famous cosmetic injection and produced by Allergan, can be injected into the forehead region, relaxing the muscles that cause wrinkles.  Recently a competitor to BOTOX was released by Ipsen SA and Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp. Called Dysport, it is intended for the same uses as BOTOX.

Medicis also distributes Restylane and Perlane—injectable fillers made of hyaluronic acid that plump up facial creases and laugh lines (also called naso-labial folds). These products typically start to break down in the body after six to 12 months.

Other hyaluronic fillers, such as Juvéderm Ultra and Juvederm Ultra Plus (made by Allergen, the makers of BOTOX), can be used similarly as Restylane and Perlane. These gel injectables also last about six to 12 months.

Longer lasting injectables have been introduced to treat deep naso-labial folds.  Radiesse is probably the most popular of these longer lasting injectables.  Radiesse is essentially a paste made of calcium hydroxylapatite (a substance found on bone).  This product is injected deeper in the facial soft tissue to increase the volume. Radiesse lasts about 12 to 15 months before being absorbed by the body.

Injectable fillers and BOTOX are performed in the doctor’s office and require minimal downtime. To learn more about how fillers and BOTOX may be right for you, we welcome you to come in for a consultation with Dr. Kwak.

Many prospective patients interested in facial rejuvenation to the upper part of the face come in saying:

“I look sad and tired…and I think my eyes need to be addressed.”

This feeling may in fact be due to a lowering of the eyebrow position.

Aesthetic guidelines have suggested that the youthful aesthetic brow in a female taper out to the side of the brow, peaking at the arch.  The placement of the eyebrow arch has been suggested to be right above the eye socket rim.

However these are suggested guidelines, and cannot be applied to every individual.

To help achieve natural results, while still maintaining your facial personaility, I typically recommend patients to look at photos of their face in their twenties or thirties.  These photos allow me to understand where your youthful brow is.  Some patients may need a higher brow position than others.

I typically reference Kenny Rogers as a person whose brow was lifted higher than where his brow was twenty years ago.  As a consequence of setting his eyebrows higher than they have ever been in his life, his face takes on a different characteristic, resulting in an unnatural look.