Every year, the American Society for Aesthetic and Aesthetic Surgery (ASAPS), one of the most prestigious professional societies, releases statistics on demand for services. In 2016, the most popular areas in non-surgical cosmetology included injection and laser techniques: botulinum therapy, hyaluronic acid injections, laser hair removal, laser skin resurfacing, as well as skin rejuvenation withlight, microdermabrasion and other methods.
In our article we will talk about the most popular methods of "beauty pills".
Injection techniques in aesthetics
Injections are popular mainly because they allow you to get the desired result without surgical intervention. Types of injections vary depending on the depth at which they are performed: from the superficial skin layer to the deep muscle layer. The duration of effect also varies: from several weeks to several years.
Let's describe the main injection techniques used today in cosmetology.
Botulinum therapy
This was the birth of drugs made from botulinum toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Its action blocks the transmission of nerve signals to the muscles, due to which they relax. Initially, botulinum toxin therapy was used to treat spasm-related disorders, such as myoclonus, 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, corners of the mouth, nasolabial folds, as well as changes in the oval of the face. Wrinkles of medium depth are smoothed with the help of botulinum toxin, reversing some age-related changes.
The procedure should not be performed if the patient has inflammatory skin diseases, bleeding disorders or has been treated with antibiotics and anticoagulants. Contraindications also include kidney or liver failure, individual intolerance to botulinum toxin drugs, and facial paralysis. Pregnant and lactating women should not be vaccinated. Doctors treat patients with a tendency to facial swelling, eyelid herniation, and stroke with caution.
Preparation for the procedure does not require serious restrictions: physical activity should be avoided and alcohol should not be consumed. Injections with a fine needle usually do not cause discomfort. The doctor may perform up to 25 injections into one area of the face during the procedure. This process takes 10–15 minutes. The effect can be evaluated after 2 weeks. Wrinkles are smoothed through muscle relaxation, but with professionally performed injections, facial expression and expression are preserved.
The results of botulinum therapy are reversible, with effects lasting 3 to 6 months. After that, the ability to move the facial muscles completely returns.
On a note
One unit of action is equivalent to 3 × 107 botulinum toxin molecules. Dosage (number of units of action) is determined by the cosmetologist. On average we are talking about the following numbers:
- forehead area - 20–30 units;
- chin - maximum 10 units;
- area around the eyes - 24 units;
- nose and nose bridge - 10 pcs.
Plastic border
During the procedure, the doctor uses special fillers (fillers) to correct wrinkles, contours of the face and individual areas. Modern injections in cosmetology are carried out using fillers, which help to achieve the so-called 3D modeling effect while preserving all facial features.
On a note
Most modern fillers are based on hyaluronic acid. It is part of the intracellular substance and plays an important role in maintaining the water balance of tissues and restoring them in case of damage. Hyaluronic acid injections not only help moisturize tissues, but also stimulate the body to produce skeletal proteins - collagen and elastic.
Indications for contouring surgery include wrinkles, folds, and unclear oval faces. Contraindications: cancer, diabetes, connective tissue diseases, skin diseases, blood clotting disorders, pregnancy and lactation, individual intolerance.
Contouring surgery does not require special preparation. Some medications contain anesthetics, otherwise your doctor may use local anesthesia. After shaping, the injection area may be swollen, bruised, and hardened, which will resolve within a few days.
The effects of contouring can last up to two years.
Biological enhancement
Hyaluronic acid has been used in bioaugmentation, a special procedure that helps form the "inner skeleton" of the face. If the patient's skin loses tone, is loose, dull, has shallow wrinkles and signs of drooping eyelids, the doctor will inject medication along the "sagging lines" to maintain skin tone from the inside. In this case, the doctor can accurately predict how wrinkles will form and, by introducing hyaluronic acid preparations, prevent their appearance.
Biological revival
Injections are also indicated to moisturize and saturate the skin with nutrients in a certain area. In this case, we are talking about the biological revitalization procedure. With its help, you can improve the skin condition of your hands, chest, neck and face.
Injection is contraindicated if the patient has inflammatory skin diseases or is allergic to the ingredients of the drug. The period of pregnancy, lactation, as well as exacerbations of somatic diseases are also an obstacle to both biorevitalization and bioaugmentation.
No special preparation is required before using hyaluronic acid. The slight redness of the skin after biological revitalization will disappear within a few hours. The effect lasts up to 12 months. Biorevitalization is usually performed every 1–2 months.
vector lift
To tighten the skin in certain areas (for example, on the cheekbones, chin), doctors use the vector lift method. It is similar to bioaugmentation, only the drug is injected along multiple parallel lines in the desired direction of enhancement.
For vector lifting, hyaluronic acid and calcium hydroxyapatite preparations are used. The choice in favor of the latter is made if it is necessary to lift an area prone to swelling. The resorption period of this drug is longer than that of hyaluronic acid - up to 3 years.
Plasma lifting
The essence of this technique is to infuse the patient with plasma containing platelets. Plasma contains many biologically active ingredients that stimulate cell growth, participate in metabolic processes, and more importantly, plasma itself is not a foreign substance to the body. This means it is not rejected and does not cause allergic reactions.
Plasmolifting improves microcirculation in the skin, normalizes water balance and enhances local immunity. The procedure is performed if the patient begins to appear small wrinkles, the first signs of aging, to restore skin health (for example, after sunburn). Plasmolifting can also enhance the effectiveness of other cosmetic procedures.
Plasmolifting also has some contraindications, although very few:
- cancer, hepatitis, blood diseases;
- pregnancy and lactation;
- infectious and inflammatory skin diseases;
- exacerbations of chronic diseases, acute infections.
To perform plasma lift, 20–40 ml of blood is taken from the patient's vein. Next, it is centrifuged in a special mode to obtain a plasma fraction with high platelet content. The doctor then injects the resulting portion into the skin in the form of micropapules throughout the treatment area. The standard course consists of 4 sessions with a duration of 7–14 days, and the effect can last up to two years. However, it is recommended to repeat the course once a year.
Mesotherapy
Administer the drug by injecting it directly into the skin to improve its properties. Mesotherapy is used to nourish, moisturize the skin and prevent aging. It is also used to fight stretch marks and stimulate hair growth and vitality. For injections, you can use not only single drugs, but also mesotherapy cocktails with complex effects. With superficial use, biorevitalization and plasma lifting are also considered mesotherapy options.
For areas that require extensive treatment, doctors use special devices - injectors. The need for anesthesia is determined by the individual patient's sensitivity.
The injection technique is attractive mainly to patients who are afraid of surgery. But it is worth noting that there is always the possibility of an individual reaction to the drug, which is difficult to predict in advance. In addition, injections have a risk of hematoma formation, changes in skin color, fibrosis - the formation of a sealant at the injection site. All of these risks must be discussed in advance with your doctor.
As statistics show. . .
. . . Women between the ages of 35 and 64 make up about 60% of those seeking help from estheticians.
Laser technology in aesthetic medicine
The essence of laser exposure can be understood by decoding the acronym LASER - Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission - "light amplification by stimulated radiation". That is, a laser is a device that "focuses" electromagnetic radiation into a very powerful directional beam. Thanks to this, the laser beam can be targeted, precise and pulsed.
The use of lasers in cosmetic surgery is possible in a number of areas.
Laser rejuvenation
This technique is based on heating the skin with a beam. This effect is short-term, meaning it does not cause serious damage. However, it is enough to cause an inflammatory response. As a result, the production of collagen is stimulated in the skin, and it is a structural protein that gives elasticity and firmness. With this effect, wrinkles will be "pushed" out.
Indications for laser rejuvenation are fine wrinkles, visible vascular networks, large pores, soft tissue prolapse, impaired facial contours, scars on the skin, post-acne, double chin, excess pigmentation. This procedure is contraindicated if the patient has inflammation and tumors in the treatment area, psoriasis or other skin diseases. Laser rejuvenation is not performed during pregnancy or if the patient has strongly tanned skin. This procedure requires special attention in patients with diabetes, hypertension, angina, in patients with blood diseases, etc. v.
Deep laser rejuvenation requires no special preparation and is performed without anesthesia. To get a lasting effect, you need to do 3-4 treatments over a period of one month.
Fractional photothermal
Wrinkles, age spots, enlarged pores, skin scars, crow's feet, stretch marks, small vascular defects - all these problems can be solved if you undergo photopyrolysisparagraph.
This is also laser technology serving aesthetic medicine, but here the beam has its own characteristics. It is divided into many microbeams (fractions), each microbeam no thicker than a human hair. All of them affect microscopic areas of the skin, and thus a kind of "mesh" treatment is obtained - the areas affected by the laser alternate with unaffected areas. In the treated areas, collagen and Elastin are destroyed, and in the remaining intact cells, the process of restoring "losses" is initiated. This renews the skin, increases elasticity, tone and improves 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 is rapid, literally within a week, and the basal layer of the epidermis returns to normal within the first day. To make the effect more noticeable, doctors recommend attending 3-4 sessions over a period of one month.
In case of increased sensitivity, the patient will undergo a procedure using anesthetic gel, but in most cases this can be avoided.
SMAS lift
The English abbreviation SMAS - superficial myofascial system - stands for "subcutaneous myofascial layer". It is formed by muscles and ligaments. This layering allows you to achieve good results. That is, by tightening the skin, we fight superficial wrinkles, and by acting on the SMAS, we smooth out deeper wrinkles.
SMAS lift is performed using an ultrasound machine. By heating the deep layers of skin and muscle, ultrasound waves cause them to contract and trigger the production of structural proteins. The acceleration of metabolism leads to improved appearance.
Quite often, the SMAS lift is recommended for patients who, for one reason or another, do not want to undergo a surgical facelift. The second type of patient suitable for the SMAS lift is those who have undergone a lift and are looking to prolong the results.
During the procedure, using ultrasound waves, the beautician "sees" the deep layers and evaluates the condition of the muscles and fascia. Accordingly, the therapeutic effects of ultrasound energy are directed by the doctor to the necessary depth on the desired muscles, membranes and ligaments.
Lifting the SMAS requires no special preparation. This procedure causes moderate pain, which pain medication allows you to endure comfortably. Partial effects are visible immediately after the procedure and the lift results can be fully appreciated after three months.
Injection techniques in cosmetic and laser aesthetics help solve many problems that only a few years ago required surgery. Prolonging youth is not only the dream of women, today, both young people and men who previously rarely visited cosmetic clinics are turning to the services of beauticians. And of course, the opportunity to solve many problems without surgical intervention makes aesthetic medicine increasingly attractive and in demand.
How to choose a cosmetic facility
Probably every visitor to beauty centers will say that one of the key points in choosing "your" clinic and "your" doctor is the individual approach, taken (or not)performed) by a specialist. The cosmetologist will tell you about the nuances of combining individual and objective approaches:
"Working in cosmetology, we cannot act solely on our own preferences and considerations. We must take into account the patient's expectations, his mood, including doubtsand his fears. Here the experience of specialists plays a decisive role. For example, the gradient clinic recruits cosmetologists with higher medical education, expertise in the fieldcosmetic medicine and are also trained in modern techniques. This allows us to look at the problem more broadly.
And we cannot help but mention the importance of modern equipment. Manufacturers are aiming to improve devices, and clinics and patients themselves are certainly taking notice. "
Aesthetic medicine and aesthetics help to overcome many physical defects such as wrinkles, scars, and acne, helping to improve appearance and prolong youth.
Age-related wrinkles can be eliminated with cosmetic procedures such as intradermal facial contouring.
Modern technologies in medicine help solve many cosmetic problems without resorting to radical measures.
The cost of cosmetic procedures depends on the complexity of the task, the scope of correction and the amount of work.
You can ask any questions you may have during your first consultation with your esthetician.