Injectables

Injectables have become a popular choice for facial rejuvenation in both men and women. To differentiate, fillers such as Restylane and Juvéderm restore lost volume and Botox, Dysport and Xeomin involve neurotoxins which help to relax tense muscles.

While people are increasingly interested in doing things to improve their appearance, many remain reluctant to have surgery. Injectable treatments performed by our Orange County aesthetic doctors uniformly involve little to no downtime, with patients commonly coming in before work, during a lunch break, or after work to get their Botox and/or fillers.

Injectables and Fillers offered By Dr. Bolourian and Dr. Eslami At Our Practice Include:

Over the past several years, options for injectable fillers have become significantly refined. The majority of fillers used today are forms of hyaluronic acid (HA). Hyaluronic acid is a substance that occurs naturally in all of us and has been successfully and safely cloned in the laboratory.

The average treatment results last six months to one year, although the length the product remains can vary based on individual factors, the product chosen, and the area being treated.

There is a very small number of patients who are very nervous about any kind of procedure that involves needles or even minimal discomfort. For these individuals we offer a range of options to offer complete comfort, including sedation.

At the time of your consultation, Dr. Bolourian or Dr. Eslami will advise which type of filler is best for a given area.

Products such as Voluma and Restylane Lyft are more “robust,” and therefore they are commonly injected deeper, especially near the bones of the midface. This creates a very natural enhancement of the area and restoration of volume which is naturally lost as part of the aging process.

Restylane and Juvéderm are “thinner” products, which are used more superficially, as appropriate. Restylane Silk and Volbella is a newer formulation of hyaluronic acid (HA), specifically designed for the lip area.

Belotero, another great HA product is often favored in the lower eyelids, “tear trough” area.

Other fillers currently in the market are Restylane Refyne (a thinner product, designed for more superficial applications) and Restylane Defyne (a thicker product, designed for deeper applications). These products are more flexible, allowing for an increasingly organic appearance during movement of the face.

Dr. Bolourian Uses These Types of Injectable Fillers for:

• Non-Surgical Lip Augmentation
• Non-Surgical Cheek Augmentation-Restoration of lost volume in the cheeks/midface and other areas of the face
• Making the jowls appear less pronounced
• Smoothing wrinkles and folds
• Adjusting droopy mouth corners
• Reducing nasolabial folds (folds around the nose and mouth)
• Performing non-surgical rhinoplasty (to make the nose appear more narrow or more straight
• Performing non-surgical chin augmentation
• Performing non-surgical blepharoplasty (reduce hollowness under the eyes)

Injectable Neurotoxins (BOTOX, DYSPORT, XEOMIN)

Unlike fillers such as Restylane and Juvéderm, which restore lost volume, Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, and Jeuveau are neurotoxins, which cause muscles to relax for a period of several months.

Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, and Jeuveau are each slightly different formulations of Botulinum toxin type A, a naturally occurring toxin which when introduced next to muscle, causes the muscle to relax. This relaxation can be partial or complete, depending on the amount of product used and the strength of the muscle being treated. The 3 different brand names listed above are in reality much more similar than different.

The FDA has approved the use of Botox for treatment of glabellar lines, which are vertical wrinkles between the eyes These typically occur with frowning. Botox is also approved for treatment of crow’s feet, which are wrinkles occurring on the sides of the eyes and in the lower lids, typically with smiling or squinting.

There are many other uses of botulinum products which have become quite popular in recent years. These include the forehead for reduction of its horizontal lines, bunny lines on the sides of the nose, vertical lines of the lips, and vertical neck bands, also called platysma bands, muscles which can cause a gummy smile, muscles which pull the corners of the mouth downward, and chewing muscles which when overgrown can cause excessive widening of the lower face and/or TMJ pain. Finally, Botulinum toxin can also be used to stop sweating, particularly in the underarms. For almost all uses, Botox typically lasts for 3to 5 months, depending on how much is used, while when used to reduce sweating it typically lasts from 6 to 9 months, and sometimes more.

Just like with fillers, the key to getting good results with botulinum toxin injections is to have the proper artistic approach to the face as a whole, and to truly understand the desires of each patient. To help us achieve optimal results, we keep  accurate record of precisely how much neurotoxin is used and where it is injected. This allows for duplication is results are ideal, or fine adjustments if one is seeking a bit more or less muscle relaxation.

Specialized injectables such as Sculptra, Radiesse and Kybella are also available. Please click on each link for more details.

What To Expect From an Injectables Treatment Session?

After a thorough assessment and conversation about your goals, Dr. Bolourian will make his recommendations for improvement and determine a treatment plan. This is typically incremental so that improvements are gradual, natural, and well-controlled.

Depending on the amount of product being used, a session may last up to 45 minutes. The discomfort is really quite minimal, with numbing ointments and/or ice used to reduce the discomfort of the pin-pricks. Gentle pressure will be applied by Dr. Bolourian and his assistant to reduce any risk of bruising. In most cases, there is no bruising at all, and small bruises, when they occur, can be covered with makeup.

Many patients will either return to work or have social activities within hours of their injections, and this generally poses no problem at all. One exception would be lip enhancement, which should be expected to result in some noticeable swelling for one or two days.

It is worthwhile to avoid aspirin, Motrin, and similar blood-thinning products for 3 days prior to injections to minimize risk of bruising. The key is to apply gentle pressure to the areas, and when done properly, significant bruising rarely occurs.