Archive for the ‘Injectables’ Category
Botox Gone Bad- Injectable Horror Stories
Tuesday, March 20th, 2012As a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in New York, I see many patients with facial lines who are looking for nonsurgical correction. Many of them have had it done before in other places, and I hear shocking stories . Let me tell you a little bit about how to avoid being ripped off or permanently damaged.
Only a doctor or a nurse under his direct supervision licensed in the state can inject you with a filler or botox. If it is a doctor from another country or a salon or spa employee, it is illegal for them to do this. Make sure you ask if they are licensed by the state to do this procedure.
Anyone with a license to practice medicine regardless of what field they trained in can offer you injectables. This means your Family Practitioner, Ob/Gyn, Radiologist, and even Dentists can do these treatments with no training required. Ask what field they received there Board Certification in, and how long they have been doing that particular treatment.
Make sure you know what you are getting. Many illegal practitioners inject silicone, but call it botox or biopolymer or whatever is hot. You can avoid this by asking to see the bottle or syringe and packaging first. All legal injectables have the brand and logo printed on them. A regular syringe of clear liquid is most likely silicone. This is permanent and can cause longterm problems.
Even if you get botox, it can be watered down. Botox is measured in units, and each area needs about 15 to 25 units. Ask how many units, as sometimes a cheap price isn’t so inexpensive if you are getting less.
My last advice is if you are unsure or feel that something is not right, do not do the procedure. It is not an emergency, do your homework. You can always go back if all checks out. Hope this helps.
Educational Seminars in Plastic Surgery
Tuesday, March 6th, 2012Last week, we held an educational seminar on the latest information in injectable treatments in plastic surgery. It was on a Thursday evening in February at 6 pm. Over 50 people showed up and were eager to learn. Some even shared experiences of injections gone “bad” in other offices and countries, testifying as if in church. This was not scheduled or planned.
What it showed me was the need for, and desire for, education in the Hispanic community about cosmetic surgery and esthetic treatments. While it was a great event with a Powerpoint presentation and live patient injection demonstration, it was the amount of time that the patients stayed, asking questions and sharing stories, that impressed me the most.
When I stared Yager Esthetics (Yager Plastic Surgery originally) in 1997, it was my mission to bring safe and affordable cosmetic plastic surgery to the Latino community. In the past 15 years, we have grown tremendously in space, patients seen, and influence in the community. I and my 25 staff members are very grateful for the confidence of the community.
We will continue to have seminars, and participate in educational events and charitable works as we have been doing, but intend to build on this concept even more. Please stay tuned to this website and blog for more information, and friend us on facebook (Yager Esthetics) or follow us on twitter(Yager Esthetics ) so that we may serve you better.
Botox, Dysport, & Xeomin
Monday, October 24th, 2011Nearly 20 years ago, I watched the former Chairman of Plastic Surgery at Columbia Presbyterian, Dr. Norman Hugo, place a needle in the forehead of a woman with an electric wire attached so that he was sure it was in the muscle. The solution he injected was Botox, a medication that relaxes muscles. Now, Botox is a household name, a billion dollar drug with many uses. Erasing dynamic lines, stopping sweating, relaxing muscles, treating lazy eyes, and the list goes on.
The techniques for using the muscle relaxers have advanced, and good predictable results can be obtained. Since I opened Yager Esthetics in 1997, the price of botox for physicians has gone up significantly, mainly due to demand and a lack of other similar products. All of this changed when Dysport, another Botox-like product hit the market about 2 years ago. I have used this product, and find it also works well, with pricing similar to Botox.
On November 1, 2011, a new product from Merz comes out-Xeomin. It is supposed to work as effectively as Botox, but with a true reduction in cost that I can pass along to my patients. I have been chosen as one of the first centers to receive the product. It will not be available to other doctors until February, 2012. It is FDA approved with the same indications as the other products.
I will update you with the results in 4-6 months, or you can call the office to be among the first to try Xeomin. I am very excited about its potential.
image: Istockphoto.com