Minimally invasive or non-surgical treatments of varying
degrees of complexity are being done earlier to achieve a
desired appearance, to maintain a youthful look, and to
avoid the more drastic changes of cosmetic surgery after
significant aging changes have already progressed. In this
manner we can maintain a consistently rejuvenated face for
longer. The goal of cosmetic procedures should be to achieve
a natural looking, aesthetically appealing appearance
without the telltale signs of intervention.
BOTOX® Cosmetic is an excellent choice in areas of the face
where muscle contraction can be modified to achieve the
desired effect of smoothing of the overlying wrinkled skin
with maintenance of normal facial expression. There is an
increasing realization that the changes we perceive as aging
are due to an inadequate volume of facial soft tissue or
displacement of existing soft tissue volume especially in
the cheeks and in areas around the eyes, mouth, and jawline.
These changes occur due to migration of the facial tissues
as a result of gravity and the loss of skin elasticity.
Diminished projection of facial contours produces an aged
appearance. Non-surgical volume expansion with tissue
fillers has been utilized to augment, to camouflage, to
conceal, and thus to rejuvenate in a minimally invasive
manner. In many cases, a youthful appearance can be achieved
by lifting with volume replacement, rather than with
surgery.
Dr. Forley is a leading injector of BOTOX® Cosmetic and
dermal fillers, which are often used together to achieve the
desired result.
Botox® Cosmetic injections provide a non-surgical way of
reversing some of the visible signs of aging. Crow's feet,
laugh lines, and frown lines are caused by the repetitive
contraction of underlying facial muscles. Dynamic lines
occur with every smile, laugh, or frown. These can lead to
wrinkles that are present when you are not expressing
emotion. Botox® Cosmetic works by blocking the nerve
impulses to the wrinkle producing muscles so they do not
contract. The overlying skin will be smooth and unwrinkled.
The untreated muscles will allow for normal facial
expression to remain unaffected.
The treatment is simple with minimal discomfort, requires
only a few minutes, and you can immediately resume normal
activities. Very precise injections are made into the areas
selected for treatment. The results will be apparent in a
few days with continued smoothing of the skin occurring for
a few weeks after the first treatment. Side effects are
extremely rare.
BOTOX® is extremely safe and has over 15 years of success in
treating a variety of medical conditions. You will still be
able to laugh, smile, or frown, but without the wrinkles.
The duration of effect is between four and six months, and
long-term maintenance of smooth skin can be achieved by
repeated treatments.
The nasolabial fold, or the crease that extends from the
nose to the corner of your mouth, often appears as one of
the early signs of aging and can benefit from a lesser
procedure when a facelift is not yet indicated. Successful
treatment of the nasolabial fold can be accomplished by
introducing dermal fillers to "lift" or elevate the fold,
thereby camouflaging its appearance. Frequently, flattening
of the cheek accompanies thickening of the nasolabial fold due to
migration of the cheek fat pad towards the lower third of
the face. Adding volume to the cheek will restore the more
rounded, full contours of youth to this region of the face.
This approach is ideal for a younger patient, as well as an
older patient who is seeking an alternative to facelift
surgery. The entire procedure can be performed in Dr.
Forley’s office with the aid of topical numbing cream, and
takes less than an hour.
HYALURONIC ACID INJECTIONS
Dr. Forley only uses FDA approved dermal fillers in his
practice. Juvederm™, Restylane®, and Perlane® are
FDA-approved dermal fillers that are fashioned from
hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is found naturally in the
body and provides volume and fullness to the skin.
Injectable hyaluronic acid has been modified to allow for a
greater longevity than that found in the skin. It is a safe
compound that is degraded gradually by the body over time.
In addition, these products contain no animal proteins;
therefore no skin testing prior to treatment is required.
The duration of effect from the hyaluronic acid fillers
ranges from 6 to 12 months in most cases. Dr. Forley will
select the best filler treatment for each patient based on
your specific needs and the extent of correction or
improvement required. Following the use of a local
anesthetic agent, a tiny needle is introduced into the skin.
The volume enhancing effect is created by layering the
filler in a series of fine tunnels within the undersurface
of the skin.
RADIESSE®
Radiesse® is an FDA-approved dermal filler that consists of
calcium-based microspheres suspended in a water-based gel
that will restore facial volume when injected into the skin.
It has a collagen stimulating effect and may produce results
of up to one year duration. Over time, the microspheres
degrade naturally into calcium and phosphate ions that are
safely metabolized by the body. Radiesse® may be used to
augment the nasolabial folds, corners of the mouth, as well
as cheek, chin and jawline contouring.
The FDA opened a new chapter in injectable anti-aging treatments with its July 2009 approval of the use of Sculptra®Aesthetic “for the correction of shallow to deep nasolabial fold contour deficiencies and other facial wrinkles.” Sculptra®Aesthetic is composed of an injectable biocompatible material, poly-L-lactic acid, that stimulates the production of the skin’s own collagen resulting in a gradual and very natural appearing restoration of facial volume. Dr. Forley brings a plastic surgeon’s aesthetic judgment and understanding of anatomy and aging to the use of Sculptra®Aesthetic in the face. Dr. Forley performs all injectable procedures himself and has developed an expertise, based on five years of experience, in the use of Sculptra®, the predecessor to Sculptra®Aesthetic, for facial volume restoration. The gradual replacement of collagen in the area of treatment over a three month period enables the natural appearing restoration of youthful facial contours. A dramatic lifting effect on the sagging tissues of the face can be achieved. Generally, a series of 2-3 treatments at 6-week intervals are necessary to achieve the desired effect. The youthful appearance that results from the treatment can last up to 3 years at which time maintenance treatments will be necessary.
The long term success that has been achieved in recent years with fine tunneling methods of introducing fat grafts has ignited renewed interest in using the body's own tissue to augment the face. Fat grafting is a minor surgical procedure that uses the patient's own tissue to achieve the desired result. Dr. Forley's safe and effective fat grafting technique allows for great flexibility in its application, and provides a soft, natural feel. Utilizing local anesthesia, the fat is obtained from an area such as the abdomen or hip with liposuction techniques and then centrifuged to concentrate the fat cells for injection. Longevity of fat grafts has been maximized by placing small amounts of fat in a very precise fashion, until the desired result has been achieved. If some absorption does occur, additional treatments may be performed at any time, but the final result of fat grafting can last for several years.
