Category Archives: Non-Surgical

liquid facelift

What is a Liquid Facelift? Will it Work For You?

Non-Surgical

If given the choice between a facelift that involved surgery or a liquid facelift, most people would probably opt for the liquid facelift. However, without an understanding of what a liquid facelift is and what it does, most of those people would probably be disappointed in the results.

This isn’t because a liquid facelift doesn’t work, because it can provide great results to those that would benefit from it, it’s because most people seeking out a facelift need more help than the liquid facelift can give.

A liquid facelift is a great way to help fix minor problem areas in people that wouldn’t necessarily require a full surgical facelift yet. It’s for younger people looking make minor adjustments to fat loss and small amounts of loose skin in the face and neck area. It’s not going to be the solution to fix major jawline issues or extreme sagging skin, but it can present a more youthful look overall.

What is a Liquid Facelift?

A liquid facelift technically is neither liquid nor a facelift. It is a minimally invasive procedure that uses injectables under the skin in the face and neck area, to help plump up certain problem areas. It can also help smooth out wrinkles around the eyes and in the folds between the nose and mouth.

A liquid facelift relies on injectable fillers like Radiesse, Restylane, Juvederm, and Sculptra to help fill in problem areas without having to undergo surgery. These fillers are injected under the skin to help replace fat and collagen that has been lost due to the aging process. It helps reduce that aging look that some people get as their skin begins to sag over time.

While this procedure is non-invasive, it still requires a needle to inject the fillers under the skin. Similar to the way that Botox is injected. In fact, when used in combination with Botox, patients tend to see better results.

But who will see the biggest benefit from a liquid facelift?

Patients in their 30s and 40s tend to respond best to the liquid facelift procedures as their skin still maintains a higher level of elasticity and the sagging and appearance of their face isn’t as drastic as someone in their 50s or 60s.

Now that’s not to say that a liquid facelift can’t be performed on older patients, it just means that the results may not be as good as a person may be expecting. Once the skin loses its elasticity and they lose more and more fat and collagen under the skin, adding fillers to the areas can cause the face to look bloated, puffy, and unnatural.

In these cases, a traditional surgical facelift is most likely the best option if you want to get the best results. But as with any surgical or non-surgical procedure, talk with your doctor before making any decisions on which method is right for you.

Benefits of a Liquid Facelift

The main benefit of a liquid facelift is that it is not a surgical procedure. Since the doctor will be using injectables as opposed to actually removing excess skin and tissue, the procedure is quicker, less uncomfortable, requires less recovery time, and is more cost effective.

However, because of those benefits you lose out on the longevity of the procedure. A liquid facelift will not last forever, whereas a traditional surgical facelift is more permanent and will last many years before you start to notice the effects of aging catching up with you.

The downside of the liquid facelift is that you’ll never be able to receive the results that you would get from a traditional surgical facelift, it’s not just possible.

How Long Does a Liquid Facelift Last?

As with most injectable procedures, the effects of a liquid facelift are only temporary. As time marches on, your body will slowly break down the fillers that have been injected into your body and you’ll start to lose the effect.

This process generally takes anywhere between 6 and 24 months, and depends on the type of filler used, where the filler was injected, and the amount of filler that was used. If you wish to maintain the look acquired after a liquid facelift, it would be best to setup a treatment plan with your doctor for regular visits.

How Much Does a Liquid Facelift Cost?

On average a liquid facelift can cost between $2000 – $7000 depending on how much work needs to be done, your geographical location, and other extraneous factors. But in most cases, you can expect to pay roughly somewhere between these amounts.

A traditional facelift can range between $7500 – $15000 depending on the location of the surgeon, the surgeon themselves, and how much work is required to achieve the desired results.

As you can see, a traditional facelift comes at a much steeper cost as well as a longer recovery period.

Liquid Facelift vs. Traditional Surgical Facelift

Both procedures have their pros and cons, but the important thing to remember is to listen to your doctor or surgeon. They have been performing these procedures for a long time and have firsthand experience with the results.

They will be able to give you a better understanding of whether or not you would even see the benefits of a liquid facelift, or if a surgical facelift would give you the results you’re looking for. There’s nothing worse than going through a non-surgical procedure expecting the results to look one way, and then being disappointed with how they actually turned out.

Liquid facelifts are not going to bring your face and neck back to what they were when you were in your 20’s, but if you’re looking for minor improvements as you reach your 30’s and 40’s, this procedure is a great way to bring back some of that youthfulness you may have lost over the years.

cooltone

What is CoolTone and How Does it Work?

Non-Surgical

Toning up the muscles on your body used to take months of hard work, and there was no real guarantee of success. Now there is a revolutionary new technology that can give your body a sculpted, toned look in just a few minutes and without any downtime!

This non-invasive procedure is called CoolTone and was recently given approval by the FDA as a medical device that can help people gain muscle tone. It’s manufactured by Allergen, the same company that introduced Botox and Coolsculpting to the world.

We’re going to look at what CoolTone is, how it works, and what you can expect from a treatment session.

What is CoolTone?

Despite the word “cool” in its name, CoolTone doesn’t freeze the fat like Coolsculpting does. Instead, it’s intended to help tone and strengthen the muscles in your body. The procedure is performed in the privacy and safety of a plastic surgery office in an outpatient setting.

The device itself looks like a box on four wheels. On top is a computer screen that allows the surgeon or highly trained technician to monitor and control the procedure. Attached to the box is a wand which is slowly moved along the target area of the body where the patient is trying to achieve more muscle definition.

How Does CoolTone Treatment Work? Does it Hurt?

CoolTone treatment works by a process called magnetic muscle stimulation (MMS). It sends electromagnetic energy into the muscles in your body, which then cause involuntary contractions. It feels like a light, but non-painful, muscle spasm.

The body then starts to strengthen the muscles underneath the treatment area. Over time, the muscles will become firmer, stronger, and more toned. CoolTone is primarily intended for the improvement and strengthening of the abdominal muscles as well as toning of the thighs and buttocks.

What Areas of the Body Work Best with CoolTone Treatments?

Based on the way that CoolTone works, by stimulating your muscles, it would make sense that it is best used on muscular areas of the body.

The areas of your body that are going to best respond to CoolTone treatment are areas like your abs, butt, arms, and thighs.

Sagging buttocks, loose muscle on the thighs and under arms, and even loose ab muscles are all great reasons to try CoolTone.

Remember, CoolTone is not designed to build or increase your muscles, it’s designed to help tighten and tone your existing muscles. So this will not have the ability to build muscle that doesn’t already exist.  

If you’re looking to tighten up areas of your body, then CoolTone is a great way to stimulate and work those muscles without having to exercise. It can give you more toned legs and abs, while also providing results similar to a butt lift, but in a non-surgical way.

How Long Does CoolTone Last? Is It Permanent?

Since CoolTone treatments are non-surgical procedures the results are not permanent. You can expect the results to last about six months before you may need to go in for another session, but keep in mind that everyone is different.

Everyone’s body will respond differently to the treatment and your results may vary from that of someone else. Six months is the general length for which you should expect to experience the results, but it could be less, and it could be more.

The results will be most obvious shortly after having the treatment and the effects will wear off the longer removed you are from the last session. If the muscles that were stimulated using CoolTone are not maintained, then they will begin to revert back to their original state over time.

If you love your new look and want to prolong the effects of the treatment, then light exercise and muscle toning workouts are a great way to keep your muscles looking and feeling great.

How Many Sessions Do I Need?

It is recommended that you have at least 4 sessions within a 2-week period to help get the results you are looking for. Each session lasts about 30 minutes, and you can go back to your normal routine after the session is completed.

If you would like to maintain the results from your initial sessions, then coming back for another treatment session of 3-6 months is recommended.

CoolTone vs. Emsculpt

Emsculpt is a competing device and was released in 2018. It was one of the very first muscle-building devices on the market. While it works similarly to CoolTone, the difference is that the latter has 50 percent more magnetic intensity (1.35 T versus 0.9 T) at the point of contact. It should also be noted that the clinical significance of the extra magnetic intensity has not yet established.

CoolTone is also manufactured by Allergen, the same company that owns Botox. Allergen is a well-known medical company and spends a lot of money on research and development of their products.

While there is very little difference between the two products, many surgeons and their patients tend to prefer CoolTone over Emsculpt because of their familiarity and reputation of the Allergen brand and family of products. That’s not to say that Emsculpt is inferior, but rather just a personal preference amongst those who have had the procedure performed.

Cooltone vs. Coolsculpting – Difference between Coolsculpting and CoolTone?

Coolsculpting is another FDA-approved medical device that has been proven to help reduce fat in problem areas and is one of the most effective non-surgical fat loss treatments on the market.

It uses extreme cold to freeze—and kill—fat cells. The human body will then naturally absorb and remove the fat cells. CoolTone, on the other hand, uses electromagnetic energy to stimulate the muscles, which encourages them to strengthen and tone up.

It’s entirely possible to schedule CoolTone and CoolSculpting in the same session. The abdomen is a very popular area to have both of these procedures performed, which can help reduce fat and build muscle without any incisions or recovery time!

What is the Cost of CoolTone?

The total cost of an entire CoolTone treatment depends on how many sessions the plastic surgeon thinks you’ll need to achieve the desired results. The best way to find out what it will cost is to make an appointment.

Generally speaking, most patients will need to undergo four treatments in two weeks. Many people who have gotten the CoolTone procedure performed have stated that they already can start to feel their core strength improved after just one session.

CoolTone Side Effects? Is it Safe?

There are some medical conditions where CoolTone isn’t recommended. This is why it’s highly advisable to speak with a plastic surgeon to learn if CoolTone is right for you. Some of the more common side effects can include temporary muscle spasms, muscular pain, localized skin redness, and temporary joint or tendon pain.

In most cases there are no serious side effects from the use of CoolTone. When performed by a properly trained specialist it is an extremely safe procedure.

CoolTone is performed in an outpatient setting, and most procedures last around 30-minutes. There is no downtime after a treatment session, and the patient can leave the plastic surgery office and return to their regular daily routine.

CoolTone for Muscle Toning

If you’re looking for a great way to tighten and tone those muscles in your arms, thighs, abs, or buttocks, then CoolTone is a great non-surgical option.

These non-surgical treatments are never going to be as good as an actual surgical procedure, but for areas that maybe don’t have a good surgical option, or for people that would rather not go under the knife, these non-surgical procedures have come a long way over the years and will only continue to get better.

loose skin

How to Deal with Massive Weight Loss and Loose Skin

Non-Surgical, Plastic Surgery

The goal of plastic surgery is to be able to help yourself look and feel your best, but plastic surgery isn’t the only option. Eating healthy and exercise are both great ways to help shed unwanted pounds and get your body back into shape.

When you start eating healthier and working out the pounds will start to fall off if you stick with it. Your body will start to feel better, you’ll have more energy, and you won’t feel as worn down as you might have in the past.

But depending on how much weight you plan on dropping, you could run into an issue that a lot of people face, loose skin.

Why Does Loose Skin Happen?

Loose skin is something that happens when you gain a lot of weight and then lose it. When you’re gaining weight, your skin stretches out to accommodate the added layers of fat that your body is developing, which in turn causes the skin to lose its elasticity.

After gaining the weight and then working to lose the weight, a lot of people notice that the skin that expanded while they were gaining weight, did not tighten up and go back to how it was after losing the weight.

Because the skin has lost its elasticity through the weight gain process, it is impossible for it to regain the strength it needs to be tight against the body again once you lose the weight. Because of this plastic surgery is often required to remove the excess skin that has formed.

Treating Loose Skin

There are non-surgical ways to help treat loose skin, but in the case of major weight loss, surgery is going to give you the best results.

Minor skin tightening can be achieved through procedures like CoolSculpting and SkinTyte, but these cannot help with large areas of loose skin.

Loose skin in the stomach, face, legs, and arms are best treated with skin removal surgery. This procedure will physically remove the loose skin from your body while helping you achieve the tight, fit, look you are striving for. It can also help remove stretch marks that may have developed due to the stretching of the skin.

There are a few downsides to having loose skin corrected via plastic surgery though.

Loose Skin Surgery Downsides

The biggest downside to having loose skin repaired is that oftentimes when you lose a significant amount of weight, you end up having loose skin in multiple places across your body. You’ll most likely end up with large amounts of loose skin around your mid-section, breasts, under arms and even your legs.

Because this loose skin is spread out across your body, it will require multiple surgical procedures in order to fix everything. This can be time consuming and painful to go through, but in the long run it will help boost your self esteem and help you feel better about the new body you’ve worked so hard to achieve.

The other downside of having your loose skin removed is that while the loose skin will no longer be on your body, the existing skin will still not have the same elasticity that it did previously.

Think of it like a rubber band. The more you stretch out a rubber band the less elastic the rubber band becomes. And no matter what you do to the rubber band after that, there’s no good way to return it to its original form. This is how our skin reacts to stretching as well.

Your doctor will be able to help explain what you should expect from the surgery based on your specific case. Every person is different in how they react to large amounts of weight loss. Some people develop loose skin in their face some in their mid-section, and some in your breasts. This is why it’s important to discuss all your options with your doctor to help manage expectations and get you the best results possible.

plastic surgery spending

Are People Spending More Money on Plastic Surgery Today?

Non-Surgical, Plastic Surgery

There’s no doubt that aesthetic plastic surgery procedures have increased recently, but to what extent is kind of mind blowing. With the introduction of non-surgical procedures that can present pretty remarkable results, some people thought that actual surgical procedures might start to slow down a bit, but the numbers reported by The Aesthetics Society for 2021 have shown that not to be the case.

Aesthetic plastic surgery and non-surgical procedures spending combined in 2020 for a total of over $9 billion, while for the first 6-months of 2021 we saw spending of upwards of $8.7 billion on aesthetic plastic surgery alone.

That’s $8.7 billion dollars spent on plastic surgery, not including non-surgical procedures, which continue to see a huge boom in popularity due to their non-invasive, less expensive nature.

Overall, there has been consistent growth in plastic surgery procedures for about the last 10 years, so we expected to see numbers rise as we continue to move forward, however with COVID and the economic impacts of the pandemic, I don’t know that anyone expected the numbers to be quite this good.

Why Are People Spending More on Plastic Surgery?

While the COVID pandemic did force a lot of doctors and surgeons to put their practices on hold, it also created new demand for both surgical and non-surgical procedures.

While a lot of people were left unemployed or struggling to get by during points in the pandemic, it also meant that people couldn’t spend money on the luxuries that they were before. Vacations, restaurants, and other events were put on hold due to the spreading of the virus, so people were left with a little more disposable income that they may have been saving up. Not to mention a few rounds of stimulus checks that people weren’t budgeting for at the beginning of the year.

This extra money saved and coming in meant that some people could now afford those plastic surgery procedures they had been thinking about getting. And once the doctors’ offices started to open back up, and cosmetic surgery was able to move forward again, it brought out a lot of people looking to improve their appearance.

But the money isn’t the only reason that more people have been opting for plastic surgery procedures this year.

Working From Home – More Time to Recovery

In addition to having a little extra income, most office workers were still working from home at the start of the year. This meant that they had more time to recover in the comfort of their own home and there was less need to take time off.

Work could still get done while laying in bed recovering from a breast augmentation, but most people would have taken a couple weeks off to heal had they been going into the office. Not to mention people could recover without having their nosey coworkers asking questions. Some people would love to have a cosmetic procedure done but are afraid of what coworkers and friends may think. So having the ability to recover at home with limited external contact is a great option for a lot of people.

Non-Surgical Procedure Boost

Non-surgical procedures saw a huge boost in 2020 and 2021 and a lot of that has to do with the pandemic, but not the way you may think.

We’ve discussed this before, but we couldn’t talk about the increase in dollars spent on plastic surgery without talking about the “zoom effect”.

Many people were forced to do most of their work through zoom, or video conferences, while being in lock down during 2020 and 2021. This caused people to have to stare at their own faces for longer periods of time than they normally would, which also meant they were able to see more imperfections.

HD cameras and high-def computer screens make it very easy to notice little things about your face that you may not like. And while your coworkers probably never noticed them, the fact that people had to stare at a screen that shows their face in the corner all the time, meant people were able to see those flaws more closely.

Non-surgical procedures are great at helping your face and skin look its best while on camera. They are inexpensive, effective, and usually don’t require any downtime to recover. Doctors saw a lot more patients coming in for quick non-surgical treatments this year than they have in the past and some of that has to do with the new work from home culture.

The Growth of Plastic Surgery

While the COVID pandemic and lockdowns did play a part in the boom of plastic surgery mid-2020 into 2021, it’s important to note that plastic surgery has been growing steadily for the last 10 years.

It used to have more of a negative connotation associated with it, but as techniques, procedures, and technology improve, a good plastic surgeon can make it less obvious that you’ve had work done. All of these things combined have led to incredible growth within this field and we’re excited to see where the future takes us.

If you have any questions regarding plastic surgery procedures or would like to setup a consultation, please contact us at Dr. Adams Plastic Surgery in Dallas, Texas today!

botox hair loss

Can Botox Help With Hair Loss?

Non-Surgical

Botox is well known in the non-surgical world as being a great tool to help reduce wrinkles as well as help provide a more youthful look to the face. Botox is injected underneath the skin and causes the muscles to relax to help produce that smooth look that most people desire. And while that is still the main purpose for using Botox, there has been much testing in regard to what else Botox might be able to help with, and one of those things is hair loss.

Botox and Hair Loss

There are two different methods for using Botox on the scalp that people are claiming will help with hair loss, or help hair grow in thicker. The first method is what we would traditionally think of when talking about Botox and that is injections under the skin. While the other method that has been discussed regarding Botox and hair is using it as a topical treatment.

Do either of these treatment methods using Botox actually help improve hair growth or reduce hair loss? Let’s take a look.

Topical Botox Treatment for Hair Loss

In the hair care world these topical “Botox” treatments for your hair are called “Hair Botox”, but they don’t in fact have any botulinum toxin in them, which is what is found in injectable Botox fillers. This can lead to a bit of confusion when discussing Botox treatments for hair loss.

Simply rubbing Botox designed to be injected into your scalp is not going to help with your hair loss. It’s not going to make your hair appear thicker, it’s not going to promote hair growth in patients that are starting to lose their hair, and it’s not going to show the results you are probably expecting. So, we would advise against getting traditional Botox and rubbing it into your hair. Not to mention it would be extremely expensive to do so.

These “Hair Botox” products are actually just deep conditioning treatments that coat the hair fibers with fillers to help give the appearance of thicker hair.

These flexible fillers can grasp on to the hair and fill in any broken or thin areas to add moisture and shine, as well as soften and repair the hair. These treatments can last up to a few months but are not permanent and use of these conditioners will have to be repeated multiple times a year to sustain the desired outcome.

There are a number of different brands of “Hair Botox” out there, many of which use different ingredients, but the idea remains the same. Oils, antioxidants, and vitamins are rubbed into the hair to help repair and enhance damaged hair, giving it a fuller look.

Botox Injections for Hair Loss

As we mentioned above, injectable Botox has been around for a while. It is mainly used for reducing wrinkles in the skin on the face, but recently more studies have been done regarding other applications for the treatment.

Hair loss has come a long way in the last decade, and it only makes sense that more and more researchers are looking into non-surgical techniques to help reduce hair loss and hair thinning. While hair transplant surgery is still at the top of the list when it comes to hair loss treatment results, non-surgical, medicinal, and even laser light therapies have all shown great promise in helping to stimulate hair growth.

And that’s where Botox injectables may benefit those suffering from hair loss.

A study from 2020 out of China has indicated that injecting Botox (or Botulinum toxin type A (BTA)) into the scalp every 3 months for 12 months showed that it was effective at helping with hair growth. It is thought that since Botox injections help to relax muscles, these injections are relaxing the muscles in your scalp which can enhance blood flow and increase the delivery of nutrients to the hair. This can in turn help promote hair growth and less thinning in the scalp.

Of course, this will only work on hair follicles that are still alive. So if you have areas of your scalp where you have gone completely bald, then there’s a good chance that injecting Botox into those areas will not help and a hair transplant may be your only option.

We know how disappointing it can be when you start to lose your hair, so it’s exciting to see that the continued research into hair loss and hair thinning is showing impressive results using treatment methods that we currently use in other areas of the body.