Archive for the ‘Injectables’ Category
Don’t Fall For Wrinkle Rip-Offs
Monday, December 3rd, 2012Every year around the holidays, patients start thinking about holiday parties and family functions. This means they start worrying about how they look. It is too late for surgery, so they want quick treatments with minimal downtime and good results. The problem is that while it is good to bargain hunt for presents and holiday items, cosmetic procedures need a little more care and caution.
With the changes in insurance reimbursements, many doctors are looking to make more money. Cash up front procedures such as Botox, injectable fillers, and lasers seem like a good idea. Even if they are not trained at all in plastic surgery, most companies will have a nurse or doctor come to the office and train them for a few hours and sell them whatever they wish. I know of Ob-Gyns, Internists, Family Practitioners, Anesthesiologists, Rehab Medicine, and Podiatrists who rebrand themselves and advertise as if they are the experts in the field. Some even do cosmetic surgery!
Another problem is the salon or spa that offers these services with an unlicensed person in the business or an apartment. They claim to be doctors or nurses from other countries, and inject who knows what into unsuspecting people with often disastrous results.
So, how do you avoid these traps? First, make sure you know what specialty your doctor trained in. Ask if they are Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. If they give a different board name, it is not the same. You can check going to www.plasticsurgery.org and use the “Find a Physician” tool.
Second, make sure you ask to see the box and syringe of any injectable filler, as it will have the name printed right on it. If they take it out of a large bottle, and it is clear, 99% of the time it is silicone and not what you want injected. Even if it is Botox, ask to see the bottle. It should say Botox and have a purple top. Ask how many units you will be getting so you can make sure they are not watering it down to lower the price.
Lastly, do not let anyone inject you with anything outside a doctor’s office. Make sure it is a licensed physician in the state you are in, or a nurse under his/her direct care. Anything else is illegal.
Wrinkle treatments, when done properly by a trained injector, can be incredibly rewarding and offers a quick beauty boost. Go for it, but just be safe and smart. If it doesn’t feel right, just say no.
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