'safety'

As alluded to in the IMCAS blog earlier, there are a multitude of fake products out there available for you the public.

The unsuspecting public, well read on so that you are fully aware now!

Dr Andy Pickett, from Ipsen Research Laboratories, discussed fakes, counterfeits and look-alikes. His talk started off with a diagram of a face and some markers of where to place the product, then a package of dvd, and a vial, and syringe was also shown, all this available over the net, and also Ebay. (Recently discussed on TV.)

Some names- Pretique, Spaintox, Canitox, Portaluppi, Botoxinna, Beatueous, Amazing, and Excellent.

With names like these, and then vials which had poor finishing/caps, printing errors, and some with  flags of a country to induce a loyalty feel good factor. Even some with a  warning on them that people should be aware of fakes!

A story was recounted, of a businessman with a suitcase showing up at a beauty sal0n in Ukraine, and when opened there were over 50vials of fake anti wrinkle injection vials in the suitcase.

Holiday resorts such as the Dominican Republic were also targets of these businessmen.

So what did the researchers actually find in the vials of these so called antiwrinkle injections?

One thing that was painfully obvious was that the contents were very variable, there was gelatin, mannitol, and some botulinin in them, which was surprising, considering that there need not have been any.

But was even more surprising was that some had quite a lot of botulinin and obviously this could lead to over dosage if used. Case in point -Linurase ( a nice name.)

So with obvious safety concerns, and sterility, Dr Young aims to inform all his patients, and the public of the dangers lurking out there.

If it is too cheap, then there must be something wrong, as the saying goes- ” the only free cheese is in the trap”.

Please note Dr Young has been in the industry since 1989, and has been trained by over 25 leading Plastic Surgeons, in 3 countries.

He also is a Platinum level user of anti-wrinkle products, which means he uses the highest level of products.

As always, safety first.

There are some clinics offering cheap prices, here you will most likely receive an inferior diluted product by a nurse with a days training, they are essentially aimed at price shoppers, who will be attracted by the ridiculous prices. Some even force you into “pre ” paying, so that you can receive a discount.

Recently, Dr Young has had a spate of patients requesting Dr Young to  inject “their” products, as these patients have managed to purchase “real” products elsewhere.

Firstly, this akin to someone taking their rump steak to a restaurant and asking the chef to cook this steak. It doesn’t happen!

Secondly, medical legally Dr Young would not be covered, if something wrong happened.

What is this product, is it safe, is it viable etc etc.

So please- no further inquires about this, and if there are some doctors out there willing to use these products, be be very wary of their ethics, and safety profile.

Call 1300 46 3737, or email – wayne@freshfaceclinic.com.au for a booking or any inquires.

Thread-lift for Facial Rejuvenation

Assessment of Long-term Results

Rima F. Abraham, MD; Robert J. DeFatta, MD, PhD; Edwin F. Williams III, MD

Arch Facial Plast Surg. 2009;11(3):178-183.

Objective To evaluate the long-term success of the thread-lift procedure for facial rejuvenation.

Methods Thirty-three patients underwent a thread-lift procedure alone or in combination with other facial rejuvenation procedures to the brow, midface, jowl, and neck. Ten patients underwent thread-lifts only, and 23 had thread-lifts with other procedures. Ten additional patients having had non–thread-lift rejuvenation procedures, including lipotransfer, chemical peels, and rhytidectomies, were randomly designated as controls. The mean follow-up period was 21 months (range, 12-31 months). Photodocumentation was obtained at each visit. Long-term aesthetic results were evaluated by 4 independent, blinded, and board-certified facial plastic surgeons. Each result was graded on a scale of 0 to 3, with 0 indicating no change; 1, minimal improvement; 2, moderate improvement; and 3, considerable improvement. The population was divided into 3 groups for comparison. Two-tailed t test (P = .05) was used for statistical analysis of aesthetic outcomes.

Results Although aesthetic improvement was noted in all groups at 1 month, measurable results persisted to the end of the study for all but the group that underwent the thread-lift procedure only. Aesthetic improvement scores of the non–thread-lift control group were better than the group that underwent thread-lift only. Similarly, when the thread-lift was combined with other procedures, scores were better than when thread-lift was used alone. Statistical significance was demonstrated in both of these comparisons (P < .01).

Conclusions The thread-lift provides only limited short-term improvement that may be largely attributed to postprocedural edema and inflammation. Our results objectively demonstrate the poor long-term sustainability of the thread-lift procedure. Given these findings, as well as the measurable risk of adverse events and patient discomfort, we cannot justify further use of this procedure for facial rejuvenation.

In today’s world, there are so many ways to fight the lines of time. But by far, one of the most popular is awi.

Awi is basically a neurotoxic protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum. It was originally used to treat muscle spasms — but in 1997 it earned FDA approval for cosmetic treatment. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reported that there were more than 2.8 million procedures performed with awi in 2008. (Just more proof about how wildly popular this anti-wrinkle treatment is.)

The awi can do a few things. It can help soften the overall look of your face and reduce the animation in some of the muscles in the upper part of the face. (This results in a younger, more youthful appearance.) It can also treat facial lines caused by repetitive muscle movement, which we frequently do in my practice. We also use awi to help prevent new lines from forming. Common injection sites for erasing wrinkles and lines include:

* Glabella (region between eyebrows)- anger lines/ angry 11( an American term popularised by Dr Young locally)
* Forehead- horizontal lines
* Outer corners of eyes (crow’s feet)
* Either side of mid-chin, for down-turned mouth( mouth frown)
* Neck, for neck bands or visible bands

We also use awi to treat:

* Facial asymmetry or other facial conditions that result from muscle action; this is called “facial shaping”
* Hyperhidrosis (excessive perspiration); common injection sites are underarms, palms, scalp and soles of feet

Remember — An experienced doctor makes all the difference.

Today, people often take the wrong shortcuts when seeking facial rejuvenation with awi and other injectables. If the injector administers too little awi, the results will not be fully visible. However if the injector injects too much, the appearance can be a frozen or stunned look. On occasion there may be some unevenness, meaning that one brow is higher or lower than the other. This is easily corrected with a touch-up or the patient can wait for the toxin to lose its effect. Usually the patient will look better within a few weeks.

Keys to successful awi treatment include going to a doctor that injects regularly. Do they ask you the right (or any questions) , or do they give you what they want, and not what you want. What does your doctor look like, i.e do they project the lifestyle that they sell? Or do they dress shabilly, have poor skin, and generally have no style?

Dr Young has been involved with the fashion industry for years, both locally and overseas, and is an avid trendsetter  of style. As an example, he will be in Paris and Europe atleast twice a year, to keep up to date.

We at FRESHface, try to promote a “life-style” whereby we, can look and live beautifully.

Also, it is important to articulate to the physician your exact goals. For example, if you want your eyes to be more open, to look less tired or to raise your brows, be specific. It is always my advice to seek a more natural look and have some animation. Also with our Encore Plan we can make results more appealing. We believe that to have an appropriate result with longevity, a certain amount of awi must be used, so stop paying the high prices at other clinics, and see how we can help you.

So at FRESHface you can be assured, that we will be most thorough with your care! Since we have over years perfected our facial analysis to give an amazing tailored result!

So look more younger more natural, with more savings, do the Encore!

Have you read Dr Young’s consultation page?