A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in Scottsdale
Posts tagged wrinkle treatment
Radiesse®: A versatile dermal filler.
31 year ago
Scottsdale – I continue to be impressed by how versatile Radiesse® has become over the last few years. Plastic surgeons are now injecting Radiesse® in:
- Nasolabial folds or laugh lines.
- Marionette lines.
- Cheeks.
- Submalar or below the cheek
- Nose correction.
- Jaw Line and Jowls.
- Mental Crease & Chin.
- Oral Commissure or corners of the mouth.
- Temporal Hollows.
- Hand Rejuvenation.
Radiesse® is a wrinkle filler that is a safe and FDA-approved for moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds such as nasolabial folds. Radiesse® wrinkle filler fills and volumizes to correct the signs of facial fat loss and restore a natural look. Radiesse® wrinkle treatment is now FDA-approved to enhance patient comfort with our Accessory Kit for lidocaine mixing. In a recent clinical study, 90% of patients reported significant pain reduction using Radiesse® wrinkle filler mixed with lidocaine.
Nia 24 – Protection For Tough Times…
01 year ago
by Dr. Aldo
in Facial Surgery
Scottsdale – This summer in Arizona is going to be a hot one! When exposed to the sun’s UV radiation, our skin can really take a beating. Let me recommend the Nia 24 line-up of products to protect and restore your skin from sun damage.
Use your Nia24 Skin Strengthening Complex Repair Cream in the morning and at night. Apply a dime-size amount on face and neck. Avoid eye contact. Nia24 is known for being just right, not neither heavy nor too light.
Nia 24 is fortified with key ingredients to visibly reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by enhancing the barrier function of your skin, accelerating repair and delivering continual moisturization.
Skin Strengthening
Complex Repair Cream
NIA 24™ Benefits
- Clinically shown to improve skin tone, texture and hyperpigmentation.
- Strengthens the skin barrier.
- Delivers continual moisture.
- Wrinkle treatment that reduces fine lines and wrinkles.
- Improves elasticity for smoother, firmer skin.
- Soothes and protects the skin.
NIA 24™ Key Ingredients
- 5% Pro-Niacin allows for conversion of nicotinic acid into NAD, which plays a central role in energy metabolism. NAD helps repair, promotes skin cell generation and stimulates the release of leptin.
- Green tea, a powerful antioxidant soothes the skin.
- Rosemary has anti-inflammatory properties and provides antioxidant protection from environmental damage.
- Ceramides reinforce the skin barrier to maximize the moisture-holding capacity.
- Evening Primrose Oil instantly soothes and hydrates the skin.
- Wheat Germ Oil hydrates and moisturizes.
- Vitamin A helps to improve elasticity and skin texture.
Nia 24 is available only through your physician’s office. Please contact us at the AB Guerra Plastic Surgery Center for more information.
Dermabrasion: Achieving Excellent Results.
11 year ago
by Dr. Aldo
in Facial Surgery
Scottsdale – Last month we introduced a blog post on dermabrasion, a plastic surgery procedure used to improve the appearance of the skin and reduce wrinkles and other signs of aging.
Dermabrasion involves the mechanical removal of the damaged top layer of the facial skin using a high speed rotary wheel. Dermabrasion is performed using a hand-held engine that can reaches a rotation speed of 18,000–35,000 rpm. Rapid planing of the skin is achieved through the combination of this rotation speed, the abrading device, and the pressure applied by the operator. This technique is one of the best wrinkle treatments available. What else do you need to do before having dermabrasion and achieve the best results possible?
Here’s the answer! Pretreat your skin to maximize healing:
- Avoid sun exposure for a minimum of 8 weeks before and after dermabrasion.
- Apply Retin-A 0.05% at night for 2 weeks and then 0.1% for 6 weeks before the procedure. This medication will enhance the ability of the skin to heal – faster and smoother – when compared to no pretreatment.
- Apply Hydroquinone 4%, a skin lightener, for 8 weeks before dermabrasion to avoid blotching after the cosmetic surgery procedure.
- Select a plastic surgeon with significant experience with this procedure.
- Take your medications as prescribed! This will be critical to prevent cold sores or breakouts after the procedure.
- After the procedure, the treated areas are dressed for healing. Be sure you perform your dressing change as instructed.
Spots and wrinkles before Dermabrasion
After Dermabrasion - 3 years
We see in the example above is the results of diamond-fraise dermabrasion with pretreatment of the skin for 8 weeks as prescribed by AB Guerra, MD, a Scottsdale plastic surgeon. There is a drastic reduction in the number of wrinkles around the lips and face. Dermabrasion has a great reputation as a powerful wrinkle treatment. The combination of Hydroquinone and Retin-A has reduced most of the pigments and spots on the patient’s lower face.
Please remember! Throughout the entire process, at our plastic surgery Phoenix office, we will assist you with the most important information about FDA-Approved dermal fillers, Botox, and Dysport, which are also great therapies to reduce wrinkles.
Understanding Dermabrasion.
01 year ago
by Dr. Aldo
in Facial Surgery
Scottsdale – Dermabrasion is classified as a dermatologic or plastic surgery procedure used to improve the appearance of the skin. Dermabrasion involves the mechanical removal of the damaged top layer of the facial skin using a high speed rotary wheel. Dermabrasion was originally developed to treat acne scars. Today, dermabrasion can be used to treat many kinds of skin problems including scars from other types of wounds, wrinkles, and skin pigment abnormalities. More serious conditions such as rhinophyma, which is an advanced form of rosacea that affects the nose, usually in older men.
Dermabrasion is not a cure for many of these problems, however, dermabrasion does soften the edges of the scars and skin conditions treated and can the appearance of the area. Dermabrasion is often used in combination with other cosmetic surgery techniques, such as chemical peels, and laser resurfacing to smooth various skin abnormalities. Dermabrasion continues to be a viable option for patients and is reported to have quicker healing times, similar rates of complications, and be more effective in eliminating some types of lesions, when compared to lasers.
Dermabrasion is performed using a hand-held engine that can reaches a rotation speed of 18,000–35,000 rpm. Rapid planing of the skin is achieved through the combination of this rotation speed, the abrading device, and the pressure applied by the operator. Plastic surgery patients should select plastic surgeons with significant experience with this procedure. There are three types of abrading devices: diamond fraise, wire brush, and serrated wheels. A diamond fraise is a stainless steel wheel with diamond chips of various coarseness bonded to its surface. Diamond fraises come in different shapes used for work in various locations. The wire brush is a wheel with wires attached at various angles. The wire brush is the most effective for deep scars. The serrated wheel is often used to soften the edges of skin removed with a wire brush.
Before this plastic surgery procedure begins, oral medications are given to relax the patient and minimize pain. For small areas, local anesthesia is used for nerve blocks to numb the area being treated. Alternatively, topical cryo-anaesthesia (numbing the skin using cold liquid) may be used. During dermabrasion, the patient lies on the surgical table, eyes covered with disposable eye patches. A gloved and gowned assistant holds the skin taut while each section of the face is treated. The cosmetic surgeon works in sections to avoid obvious lines of demarcation in the final results.
If a patient has a history of cold sores, it is important that anti-viral medicine is administered before undergoing the procedure, as an outbreak after dermabrasion can be severe and spread beyond the mouth to other areas of the face.
After the procedure, treated areas are dressed for healing. A dressing that prevents water from escaping is placed over the area. It is changed daily for about five days, then the wound is left open to the air. This kind of treatment speeds the restoration of the epithelium, the top layer of the skin. Using this technique, healing occurs in about five to seven days. Patients are encouraged to take pain medication, such as ibuprofen, which works the best. Antibiotics and anti-swelling medication is given during recovery. Antiviral drugs are continued for about 5 days. Patients should avoid the sun during the healing process.
The most common risk of the procedure is the formation of abnormal scar. Other potential complications include abnormal pigmentation of the skin, persistent redness of the skin, called erythema, and a localized dilation of small groups of blood vessels, called telangiectasia. Finally, the formation of milia, which are small white colored bumps due to obstruction of the sweat gland. The results of dermabrasion, include a significant improvement in the appearance of the skin after full healing is completed. It should be emphasized, that many scars will not be completely removed and the change in appearance is to due a softening of the edges of the abnormality. If a patient does not have realistic expectations, the procedure is not offered.
