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BeautyWiseAlternatives to Plastic Surgery: NonsurgicalTechniques to Slow-Down the Aging ProcessByArthur G. Handal, M.D., F.A.C.S.Many people, men and womenalike, are interested only in improvingthe areas of their bodies which arereadily visible in a social or work setting:i.e. face, neck, hands and arms. Inaddition, many of these people, forvarious reasons, do not wish to undergoa surgical procedure, and so they availthemselves of the many types ofnoninvasive procedures accessible today.Botox: Botox has been around formany years, and was approved for usein plastic surgery approximately 15years ago. The furrows of the brow, topof the nose and crow’s feet areas areprime targets for Botox use in plasticsurgery practices. Within just a fewdays, these wrinkles will disappear. Itgenerally takes a greater amount ofBotox in men than women, and generallywill last longer in women than men,usually an average of three to sixmonths. Some people feel that the longerperiod of time one receives Botox thelonger it lasts indicating less timebetween visits. Botox has a relaxingeffect on the muscle, thereby allowingthe areas of the brow and crow’s feet tosmooth out as the Botox takes effect.Restylane: As we mature, thenatural fat we have in our face is oftenatrophied or reabsorbed by the body.Restylane is a gel which is used to fill outthe deep depressions which run from thebase of the nose to the lips, as well asplumping up the lips themselves. Thearea to be filled is generally first numbedwith a local anesthetic, and the Restylaneis then injected into the area to be filledout. Restylane last for approximatelythree to six months.Autologous fat grafting: Takingone’s own fat and injecting it into areasof depressions or defects anywhere onthe body, into areas of the face wherefat has atrophied (as with Restylane intothe depressions on either side of thenose), as well as into the lips, has beenaround for many years. One does notknow how quickly one’s own fat will bereabsorbed back into the body, as this isvery individual. I have several patientswho have undergone fat grafting to thelips and nasolabial folds approximatelyfive years ago and have retained thisalmost 100 percent during this time.Others, however, have experienced afaster reabsorption rate, but I have yet tosee anyone with total fat reabsorption.Fat grafting is a very viable procedure inthat it will fill out areas which have lostvolume due to agingand the procedure itselflasts much longer thanother filler procedures.The downside of thisprocedure, compared toRestylane or other fillers,is that depending on theamount of fat to beextracted and reinjected,you may lose a fewdays from social or workactivities. Fat graftingcan be done on anyarea of the body,including the face,hands and buttocks.Lasers: There areseveral types of lasersavailable for removal offine lines, wrinkles andpigmentary changes aswell as hair. Down-timefor laser resurfacing canbe as little as one weekor as long as twoweeks. Furthermore, onemust be very cautiousabout sun exposure afterlaser resurfacing. Thetype of laser used willdepend on the depth and location of thefine lines and wrinkles. With the adventof the lasers, TCA and phenol peels, aswell as dermabrasion, are not utilized asmuch as they were in the past.Lam Probe: This noninvasiveprocedure is performed by ouraesthetician and allows radio and highfrequency current to treat skinirregularities such as telangiectasia,cholesterol deposits, fibromas and skintags. The procedure is extremely effectiveand has minimal healing time.Microdermabrasion: This isperformed in a series of usually sixtreatments. Microdermabrasion creates asmoother appearance and feel to theskin, as well as evening out skin toneand increasing collagen production for amore youthful appearance.Microdermabrasion refines the texture ofthe skin by eliminating the fine lines andsmoothing out the wrinkles for a healthierappearing complexion.— Arthur G. Handal, M.D., F.A.C.S.5503 North Federal HighwayBoca Raton, FLP: 516-912-9888 ❂FloridaWise Magazine 15