Chrysalis Cosmetics – Blog
Posted on August 6, 2010 in Facial Rejuvenation, Uncategorized, laser resurfacing
Sacramento California – One of the most beautiful aspects of a face is a smile. A smile makes one look beautiful, happy and inviting. Looking at the covers of magazines and Models in videos and TV we see smiling attractive faces! We often smile back – reflectively. It is amazing, try it sometime smile at someone and see if they don’t smile back.
Lip Lines Before Plastic Surgery
Lip Lines After Plastic Surgery
We have noticed that many people around the Sacramento area are enhancing their smiles with new whiter teeth and perfect lips. Seeing facial harmony in a smile with smooth skin, straight pretty teeth and full lips and cheeks can be quite beautiful. However if the skin doesn’t match the teeth it can look quite unnatural. You may have had this experience already seeing bright straight teeth framed by loose wrinkled thinned skin. The contrast can be quite overwhelming and distracting from the smile. Bright smooth skin and beautiful lips can compensate for less than white teeth however the opposite is usually not true.
What constitutes a beautiful smile is varied, however, classically it involves upper lip elevation, straight beautiful teeth, perhaps a little head tilt and some elevation of the cheeks with some widening and narrowing of the eyes and perhaps some nose crinkling with some brow descent. The key is that all the components match and some symmetry exists.
Aging can affect the smile, and the lips in particular are an extremely sensitive area. One of the aspects of age is thinning and loosening of the skin. Whether from sun damage, smoking or hyperactivity, this dermatohelosis occurs to some extent in all of us. We see this around the eyes – crow’s feet, between the eye brows – elevens, or around the mouth (the parenthesis defect) or even necklace lines. Around the lips this process often results in lip lines referred to as smoker’s lines. What makes the lips unique is their vigorous attachment to the underlying muscle. This muscle (The Orbicularis Oris) moves when we talk eat and pucker. The attachment of the skin to the muscle creates a valley as the skin thins and the loose skin creates a peak between the attachments as the thinning of dermis occurs and the elasticity of the skin decreases. With those who are thin with very active lips or for those with sun damage the lines will be more apparent.
One of the newer treatments we have added for the lips (perioral area) at Chrysalis Cosmetics is the buff and puff. The buff is the laser resurfacing and the puff is the Hyaluronic acid filler. Using injectable fillers such as Restylane or Juvederm we are able to puff the line up by filling the valley so to speak. The filler brings back that fullness and softness of youth and health. Using the Tunable Sciton Laser’s erbium beam we are able to soften the peak of the lip line and stimulate new brighter fresher skin to grow and fill in the valley and soften the peaks, buffing the irregularity. The laser can be tuned to your own personal skin type and wrinkles and go no deeper than necessary, virtually eliminating the risks for hypopigmentation once seen with CO2 lasers around the mouth.
Share your smile and if the lip lines are getting in the way let us help!
Posted on June 30, 2010 in Fillers and Botox, Sacramento Plastic Surgery
Sacramento,California. With the hot weather and thin clothing worn in Sacramento, we tend to notice body sweat a little easier, especially this time of year. Sweat is a useful lubricant in the arms and does help increase the tactile friction for fine grip in the hands and feet, and excessive sweating may help with thermoregulation however it may be socially embarrassing. For many antiperspirant reduces the embarrassment of body order and excessive sweating, however for some this isn’t enough. In fact in larger studies 1 out of 100 people sweat excessively. Excessive sweating of the axilla, hands or soles of the feet often referred to as Hyperhidrosis. Excessive sweating is socially embarrassing and psychologically disturbing especially for successful active people. (PRS: 110:222; 20002) (Primary hyperhidrosis has an unknown etiology while secondary hyperhdrosis can be due to antidepressants, hyperthyroidism, menopause, pheochromocytomas, and chronic infection and should be ruled out prior to treatment.)
If this is you or someone you know you may want to consider Botox or Dysport. It is amazing to see the difference after Botox treatment of hyperhidrosis. Plastic surgeons and cosmetic surgeons have been using Botox to treat crow’s feet and glabellar lines for years. Recently we have discovered that the chemodenervation of muscles of facial expression also reduces the sweat production as well. Selectively placed in certain areas of the body it can work wonders. No more sweaty palms and hand – shakes in the gym or the board room, no longer will you have to keep your arms to your sides. Botox as well as Dysport work well at decreasing the excessive sweat production found for affected individuals in the palms of the hands, armpits or axilla as well as the forehead or soles of the feet. You may be asking what are the downsides, well it does cost, and it requires a few needle pokes which can be painful in the ands and feet but seem to well tolerated in the axilla however the effects can last up to eight months in some studies. (Naumann, M., Flachenecker, P., Brocker, E. B., et al. Botulinum toxin for palmar hyperhidrosis. Lancet 349: 252, 1997.) For some their insurance may even covers the cost of the chemodenervation of the sweat glands. It is exciting to have such an easy fix to such an embarrassing problem. Previously treatment options included anticholinergic medicines that had many side effects such as dry mouth dizziness and constipation or chest/ thoracic surgery for thoracic sympathectomy and surgically removing the nerves to the armpits through liposuction. The best treatment for you should be decided between you and your physician or plastic surgeon. We look at best treatments as safe effective and inexpensive. Botox for hyperhydrosis seems to be an easy choice for the majority of people. For some Vaser liposuction done superficially may also be desirable. Have a great summer.
Posted on June 29, 2010 in Facial Rejuvenation
Plastic surgery is often safe even over the age of fifty
Sacramento
California. Recently on a trip home to visit grandma, I was asked about whether or not she could have a face or neck – lift. She is really bothered by the extra skin hanging down from her chin. When she looks in the mirror she sees an older women not what she feels on the inside. Now grandma is 83 years young and is currently dating. She is healthy other than her arthritis and her macular degeneration neither of which limit her activities. She takes the bus downtown and is very active in her community. She would be at low risk for anesthesia and a small procedure might improve her quality adjusted life years.
(The quality-adjusted life-year estimates the length and quality of extra years gained by a medical/surgical intervention. The concept is based on the experience of an individual’s health state over time, and each health state has a value attached to it. Health states have a value on a scale of 0.0 to 1.0, with 0.0 being dead and 1.0 being perfect health. An increasing value is equated with an increasing preference for a particular health state. This preference is referred to as a utility. Utilities can be obtained from quality-of-life assessment instruments, including visual analogue scales, the standard gamble, time-trade off, and multiattribute scales.) Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery: April 2010 – Volume 125 – Issue 4 – pp 1279-1287
We are seeing a growing number women and men taking advantage of the plethora of many small and safe cosmetic enhancements available to enhance their appearance and their quality of life. In fact in data from ASAPS data in a survey of people across the United States over 12% of people aged 65 and older were thinking about having plastic surgery in the future. We often hear the comment, “I won’t care about how I look when I get old”. When I hear this I always think to myself when will I feel old?, in fact when are we old? For me old keeps changing and is usually a good 20-30 years off. I am not sure there is a good answer as appearances can be deceiving of the spirit inside a person. And from personal experience it seems that people all age at different rates.
From national data the American Society of Aesthetic Surgeons collects every year from Plastic Cosmetic Surgeons across the country we see that people over 50 do have cosmetic surgery procedures. ASAPS data collected in 2009 reveal that the the age group most likely to have aesthetic surgery is the 35 – 50 year old demographic ( 4.5 million surgeries, 43% of all surgeries). However, 34 % of all cosmetic surgeries were completed in the age group 51 and over with a full 7% of the total 12 million patients being in the over sixty five year old age group and older. And this was an increase of 2% in a down economic year over the previous year (ASAPS 2010). The top two surgical procedures for those over 65 were blepharoplasty 21,290 and facelift 18,198.
Most people do care about their appearance throughout their life. In fact, most of us will care about our appearance until we no longer can do anything about it. In a recent survey of plastic surgeons many are providing cosmetic services to those over 65 whom are healthy (ASA II or less and a BMI of < 31). The combination of healthier people over sixty and the minimally invasive cosmetic procedure options available (Botox, Blepharoplasty, Mini-Facelifts, Fillers and Laser Skin Resurfacing) allow us Plastic Surgeons to care for more and more people whom feel younger than they look. In fact last year alone over 607,054 patients over the age of sixty had a non-surgical cosmetic enhancement.
It is exciting that we are able to offer many different possible enhancements to those that desire an enhancement in the quality of their lives. For many 65 is the new 55 and remember to be healthy and happy this year.
Posted on May 6, 2010 in In the Media, Laser Skin Enhancement
Sacramento California. Dr Charles Perry uses the Sciton Skin Tyte to enhance the skin of the body through collagen stimulation. We have used this for tummies, faces and necks as well as arms and buttocks. It can be a relaxing treatment and the results although subtle seem to be lasting and cumulative. It also enhances the results of liposuction and facelifts! For more check out the Doctors episode on today!
Chrysalis
SkinTyte to be featured on the Doctors “New Body Breakthroughs” segment this Thursday, May 6th, 2010. (check http://www.thedoctorstv.com/ for your local listings.)
Posted on April 19, 2010 in Facelifts
Face-lift surgery is being considered much more commonly this year at Chrysalis Cosmetics a Plastic Surgery practice in Sacramento California. While this may come as no surprise to the many that have been thinking about this for sometime, it is exciting to witness the transformations. Especially for those that have been holding off for the past several years. One of the new advances in face lifting procedures is the use of acellular dermal matrix materials to help give a smooth result. A cellular dermal matrix material or ADM has been used for years in many different applications such as breast and burn reconstruction. At Chrysalis Cosmetics we utilize Belladerm. The smoothing material is placed under the skin in the cheeks to help lift provide a smooth contour to cheeks. It also provides a lift to the mid face and conceals the lumps and bumps associated with SMAS or superficial musculo- aponeurotic system manipulation. Belladerm is especially useful for revision facelifts or secondary facelifts as tightening of the superficial musculoaponeurotic system does tend to thin the mid-face over time given the pulled look. We have found the addition of this product to the facelift has been very helpful and often an adjunct to structural fat transfers and fillers. We look forward to answering your questions.
Posted on March 3, 2010 in Blepharoplasty
Blepharoplasty or eye lid surgery brightens ones appearance and is often the first area to reveal stress, tiredness or age. It is a commonly requested procedure as the results can be so very exciting. Eyelid surgery addresses puffiness and loose skin (sagging and bagging) around the eyes. The results can quite natural and amazing. Many people comment on how clean their eyes feel afterwards and how bright their appearance is. Some comment that they get comments that they look like they lost weight or feel relaxed. Many wish they would have had the procedure done earlier because for the positive effects they have noticed in themselves.
Tired eyes before blepharoplasty
Bright eyes following surgery to upper adn lower eyelids
Blepharoplasty often requires a little trim of skin, some muscle tightening, and either fat removal or repositioning depending upon individual characteristics and requests. Eyelid surgery commonly performed on both the upper and lower lids in order to perform a harmonious look. On occasion a brow lift and or a facelift will also be added to enhance the face as well. Recently Dr Charles Perry has added the transconjunctival blepharoplasty for those patients whom only have a little extra fat that bulges from the lower lid. The advantage of this approach is that there are no external incisions on the lower eyelid. Some have referred to it as a “no touch technique” or incision-less (like the closed rhinoplasty). This allows for quicker recovery in most cases. It is important to review your goals with your physician prior to any surgical procedure and discuss in detail all the possibilities. In some instances a little skin can be removed from the lower lid or a laser resurfacing performed at the same time to enhance the skins texture tightness and result. There are many options available for and we look forward to discussing your individual needs.
Posted on February 19, 2010 in Fillers and Botox
Medicis Aesthetics, the makers of Dysport and Restylane as well as Perlane, recently released a new version of their fillers with a numbing medicine included within the product. Plastic Surgeons around Sacramento California are very excited to begin using this new and exciting product for lip, cheek, and eyelid enhancements.
Lips prior to augmentation
Restylane used to be very popular for lip augmentation however the pain associated with the enhancement used to keep people away until the recent release of Juvederm XC with numbing medicine and more and more people choose to enhance these sensitive areas as the comfort was greatly improved. In fact many people now no longer require numbing (Dental blocks) shots prior to the injections.
Lips after enhacnement
Lips following Restylane (l) injection
Restylane and Perlane –L with Lidocaine provides a similar experience to the Juvederm and allows for a firmer enhancement. One of the new ways of using the Restylane product as a depot injection and massage is allowing plastic surgeons around Sacramento to provide a mid facelift or cheek lift of sorts. The midface enhancement lifts the nasolabial folds and fills in the dark circles of the eyes. We are seeing more and more people for the cheek enhancements as well as for the lip enhancements. It is exciting to have more comfortable ways of providing you the look you desire.
Posted on February 10, 2010 in Fillers and Botox
Plastic Surgery has changed in recent years as more and more a realization that people age in a similar fashion. Volume, along with dermatoheliosis occurs to some extent people over time. One of the first things to change with age is the eyes. The skin here is thinner and the fat atrophy and descent with age or following pregnancy is often appreciated more readily than say the back where the skin is much thicker. The cheek bones in this area can also play a big role in the visibility of these changes as well. On occasion they will require some augmentation to enhance the facial balance in a natural way. When we see a loss of fullness and firmness of the eyelid skin it can translate into dark circles and sunken cheeks as well as prominent nasolabial creases and folds. People often recognize this as tiredness or sadness and will often ask “Is anything wrong – you look so tired”.
For years Plastic Surgeons used to correct this by pulling the skin back. However this (Facelift) is often required every five or ten years the pulls back begin to look scary and give a wind-swept frozen look that becomes so unnatural. New ideas and products have allowed plastic surgeons in the Sacramento area to create more natural look with volumization of the midface. Sculptra is one of the newest players in the market. It stimulates your own body to make more collagen to create a natural look and feel. Because it is a stimulator of your own tissues the results appear more slowly and over time as opposed to all of a sudden. In this way no one will know you have had anything done however everyone will notice. Sculptra along with Radiesse, Juvederm and Restylane are used to create the look you like and can be used in conjunction with other procedures such as blepharoplasty, facelift and brow lifts. They are often combined with neuromodulars such as Botox and Dysport as well as laser resurfacing to fully enhance and rejuvenate the facial aesthetics. With Sculptra the look can be maintained for 2 to three years after full correction has been achieved whereas with some of the other options yearly touch ups are usually required.
Posted on February 9, 2010 in Fillers and Botox
Dr Charles Perry and his staff are excited to be using the new product Juvederm Ultra XC and Juvederm Ultra Plus XC to enhance the lips cheeks under eyes and other folds and creases of the face. It has allowed the process of enhancement through injectables to be much more comfortable. With the numbing medicine, Lidocaine already in the product the process becomes quicker, easier and more precise. Without having to use nerve blocks and local anesthesia that can sometimes distort the tissues you are enhancing your result can be seen more immediately and the results are pleasing. It is an exciting time to be a plastic surgeon as we have so many exciting tools to enhance the appearance. Men and women from Folsom to Roseville and from Stockton to Davis are discovering the advantages of fillers and many are combining the Juvederm XC with Botox and a laser to revitalize and refresh their look.
Posted on January 29, 2010 in Blepharoplasty
With the advent of Botox most cosmetic surgeons have realized the importance that the relaxation of muscle around the brow has for the appearance. It softens those hard lines between the brows and relaxes the appearance. With over 3 million people utilizing Botox a year at intervals of three to four months – many people have decided to do something a little longer lasting. More patients are deciding to proceed with blepharoplasty or brow lift and at the same time have a small reduction of the muscles that create the elevens and furrow the brow. This with a skin, muscle and fat reduction of the upper lid provides a cleaner, natural younger look. While at the same time the muscles that cause frowning and furrowing can be slightly reduced in volume decreasing the frown and allowing the brow to elevate. This provides essentially a similar effect of Botox or Dysport injections without the need for as many trips to the office. This is commonly down with the brow lift and now days we are also doing this with our upper lid blepharoplasty as more and more people become aware of the subtle yet natural enhancement it provides. There are many new and exciting techniques today. Perhaps it is time to consider freshening up the eyes.
