Archive for June 2011

Ladies and gentlemen of Victoria, BC: maybe you have noticed - you are aging.  The rosy apples of your cheeks are heading south; years of smiling and frowning are permanently imprinting on your face; youthful facial contours are giving way to gravity, striking a semblance to your mother’s or (maybe worse) your father’s skin.  The nature of aging sets us on a slow, declining course after the age of about 19 yet, this day in age, we are living longer than ever before.  What that means is we will likely face the extremes of inherent and sun related aging.

Cosmetic or plastic surgery, like facelifts and browlifts, and anesthesia are not for everyone.  The booming industry around non- or minimally invasive cosmetic procedures is a testament to the growing interest in ‘no-downtime’ anti-aging measures and the developing trend of prevention.  Leading this industry in Victoria, BC is BOTOX Cosmetic® - a now household name in ‘wrinkle science.’  BOTOX®, commonly misrepresented in celebrity media, is a treatment to relax muscle movement associated with wrinkling and drooping.  When administered well, the look achieved is “refreshed and rested,” not the dreaded “frozen.”  BOTOX® is a popular treatment option for softening frown and forehead lines, crows’ feet, lifting the eyebrows and turning up the corners of the mouth.  BOTOX® can even improve a ‘gummy smile’ allowing the upper lip to relax over the upper gum line.  Results take shape gradually between 4 and 21 days after treatment and are expected to last an average of 4-6 months.

BOTOX® has many clinical applications including relief from muscle spasms, facial asymmetry, hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) and migraine or chronic headache.  By all accounts, BOTOX® is one of the most researched drugs with over 4000 peer reviewed studies globally – attesting to its high safety profile when administered by an experienced specialist. 

Once you address the underlying movement causing wrinkles and lines, the skin is primed for volume restoration with dermal fillers like Juvéderm®, Restylane® or Teosyal®.  The beauty of these products is their natural formulations: plant derived sugar molecules that attract natural moisture within the skin.  Correction from filler treatment is instant and lasts upwards of 12-18 months or more in some areas.  Juvéderm®, Restylane® and Teosyal® can be used to further improve deep forehead and frown lines, restore natural volume to hollowing areas like the cheeks, sulcus (under eye) and temples, enhance the lips, recontour the nose and chin and fill the folds between the nose and mouth.  Filler corrections are easily tailored to the individual and can be as specific or global as any person desires.

Combination BOTOX® and filler treatments, like Soft Lift®, maximize result and prolong overall correction.  It has been proven, when used in conjunction, BOTOX® and filler will simultaneously last longer; BOTOX® will inhibit the muscle movement that contributes to the degradation of filler and with the added support and structure provided by filler, BOTOX® is metabolized at a slower rate.  Soft Lift® treatments at Cosmedica in Victoria, BC are provided by dermatologist Dr. Mark Lupin in our accredited non-hospital medical surgical facility – a clinic focused on delivering the highest quality of service and providing maximum safety.

Find out what Soft Lift® could do for you.  Contact the dermatology skin experts at Cosmedica in Victoria, BC and request a consultation today.