Bad economy continues to cause growth in aesthetic medicine: the use of Botox and anti-wrinkle dermal fillers is on the rise, and physicians are looking for extra income by offering non-invasive treatments. Many patients are looking for inexpensive alternatives to cosmetic surgeries and good deals. But cheap may not work in this field.

We hear from many aesthetic physicians that diluting Botox vials and dermal fillers to save costs has become a wide spread practice among non-medical providers advertising prices below the actual cost. This is a bad way to save money for patients and an extremely dangerous way for providers to cut costs.

Bad treatments and improper use of botulinum toxin (Botox, BTXA, Dysport, Myobloc, Neurobloc and Xeomin) and dermal fillers, such as Restylane, Juvederm, Sculptra, Zyderm and Zyplast, Bio-Alcamid, etc., can lead to exaggerated or droopy arches, uneven brows, drop of the lip, impaired speech, drooling or worse. A Botox party or a deep discount at a spa may cost double or triple to repair a cheap injection.

Watch this news report from Texas about the dangers of dermal fillers.

Pigmentary problems are common and include post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, hipopigmentation, dyschromia and melasma. Yet the threat of a ban from the FDA in 2006 put a cloud over the agent widely considered in the U.S. to be the gold standard for treatment of these skin problems — hydroquinone.

The proposed ban of its over-the-counter sales was based on controversial murine models suggesting that hydroquinone could act as a carcinogen, along with reports, also controversial, linking the product with exogenous ochronosis. The FDA’s action was met with strong opposition from the largest user of hydroquinone, the aesthetic dermatologic community, which was adamant in its assertion of the product’s safety, and, after the four-month period of public comment, no regulatory action was taken.

But the issue was never officially put to bed, and with hydroquinone bans currently on in the European Union, Japan and Australia, doctors and patients alike may be justified in wondering if hydroquinone remains on borrowed time in the U.S.

These bans on hydroquinone have prompted research into botanicals and other agents, including kojic acid, arbutin, mequinol and azelaic acid, as alternatives for treating skin pigmentation. So far, however, no blockbuster treatments have emerged.

Laser treatments offer a very good alternative to the drug solution. Many pigmented lesions can be safely and successfully removed even on dark-skin individuals. It is also important to realize that some of the pigmentation complications after a laser surgery or laser treatment may have been avoided if the right laser modality was used in the first place.

Watch the latest videos on “laser for pigmented lesions”

There is no denial that the demand for high ticket cosmetic surgery is on the decline but non-invasive aesthetic treatments, such as dermal fillers, injections of botulinum toxin, laser hair removal, photorejuvenation, vascular and pigmented lesion treatments are actually on the rise.

Most of these cosmetic interventions became widely available just a few years ago, but they are still holding the demand that has established aesthetic medicine as an endless frontier for fee-for-service business. In today’s economic recession, it is clear that even this business is affected, as many consumers are re-evaluating their cosmetic surgery plans and the money they will spend on them, in addition to applying higher scrutiny upon the services they purchase.

According to a recent poll by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), 27 percent of patient respondents were considering less expensive cosmetic options, compared with 20 percent six months ago. And while their planned expenditure may be less, the expectations of the consumer have not diminished. It is the promise of turning back the hands of time that continue to lure the consumer. But when cold hard cash is involved — especially during pressing financial times — practitioners have to deliver and their aesthetic outcomes must live up to the consumer’s expectations.

One of the ways to cope with the pressure of the consumer expectations is to focus on a few treatments, which you know the best and actually like to do. It is hard to be a master of all arts in aesthetic medicine and there are lots of jacks in the art of litigation who are also hungry for your patient’s cold cash.

As you may have read in the previous post, the swimsuit season is here, and it’s time to get rid of unwanted hair, zap those spider veins and eliminate common skin disorders with the best laser technologies available today that will help you look your best. We have outlined several affordable, highly effective laser treatments that you should consider.

Throw away those razors and forego the wax.

Laser hair removal provides a safe, fast and extremely effective method for long-term reduction of unwanted hair – anywhere on your face or body. Laser hair removal works by heating the pigment in the hair follicle. Active hair growth is eliminated when the pigment at the base of the hair follicle absorbs the light emitted by the laser. Hair removal sessions may last from a few minutes up to an hour depending on the size of the area being treated. Because lasers treat hair in active growth phase, multiple treatments are required.

Many lasers and IPL devices are used for laser hair removal. The choice of the laser modality is determined by your physician who will need to consider a multitude of factors, but most importantly your skin type and availability of pigment in your hair follicles. People with blond, red and grey hair have very little pigment and they need to be aware that laser treatments will not be effective for them.

There is a lot of competition in the laser hair removal business and costs have gone down dramatically. In the long run, you will save a lot of time and money doing the laser hair removal. You may have to get zapped once a month for 6-9 months but the solution is permanent. Now calculate your waxing, tweezing, shaving expenses per year, multiply that by your life expectancy and compare the numbers. Factor in your time, gas, bother – and the difference will become even more obvious. 

Laser those Spider Veins

Most people have them on the legs and/or on the face. Lasers can effectively treat spider veins and many other vascular lesions and skin conditions, such as angiomas, hemangiomas, Rocasea, etc.  in one to three sessions. Little pain – a lot to gain. Your aesthetic physician will choose the correct laser modality depending on your skin type.

Say Bye to Unsightly Spots

Sun spots, age spots, cafe au lait spots, many other kinds of pigmented spots can also be safely efficaciously removed with the use of modern laser technologies. No downtime, no post-op care, little risk of complications if done properly.

Final Inches Medical Body Shaping Center in California just announced a new marketing idea. That is in addition to picking a cool name. This practice has two locations specializing solely in Laser Liposculpture, a minimally-invasive procedure that permanently eliminates frustrating fat. This lipo sculpture practice recently announced that they are helping their patients get ready for summer with their custom swimsuit giveaway.

“Certain areas of the body are genetically predisposed to store fat, including the waist, stomach, hips, thighs, and arms. This fat can be very difficult to reduce or eliminate through diet and exercise but at FINAL INCHES we remove this stubborn fat permanently, in about an hour,” states Anh Ngo, MD, Board Certified Surgeon and Medical Director of FINAL INCHES. “With our Laser Liposculpture procedure, we permanently remove stubborn fat, reshaping our patients’ bodies to create a slimmer, sleeker swimsuit-ready body.” This lipo practice performs more Laser Liposculpture procedures than any other Southern California practice.

“We couldn’t be happier designing custom swimsuits for the lipo sculpture patients,” states Jessica Neeper, National Sales Manager of Ginger’s Island, one of the swimsuit companies partnered with the practice in this promotion. “Lipo sculpture patients are some of our most enthusiastic customers because they come to us ready to show off their slimmer bodies. It’s a real thrill working with them to design custom swimsuits that accentuate their curves and get them ready for the beach.”

Qualifying for the free custom swimsuit is simple; patients only need to come in for a consult and have their slimming Laser Liposculpture procedure done before August 31, 2009. After the procedure, patients are then fitted for their free custom swimsuit to show off their new beach-ready body.

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the FDA’s approval of suction lipoplasty systems, commonly known as liposuction. Although versions of it, like suction-assisted lipectomy, had been recorded in medical literature since the 1970s for non-cosmetic uses such as the removal of fatty tumors, it wasn’t until 1989 that it was officially rubber-stamped for aesthetic body contouring.

Lipo means fat. Liposuction is an established and well researched procedure to liquefy and remove (using vacuum suction) stubborn deposits of fat, which are resistand to strenuous exercise and strict diet.

In the last two decades, liposuction’s popularity has escalated—it’s currently the second most popular surgical cosmetic procedure, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (after breast augmentation)—and the same is true of its safety and innovation.

The technology developed over the years has paved the way for versions of liposuction that include ultrasound assisted, laser assisted, and Vaser assisted lipolysis. Laser liposuction is one of the more effective and minimally invasive techniques, which allows physicians to achieve excellent results with topical anesthesia and very minor discomfort for the patient.

Regardless of technique, a certain understanding of body proportions play an enormous role in a successful outcome. If this landmark year is the one in which you choose to undergo liposuction, be sure to choose a board-certified surgeon with extensive experience.