Do-it-yourself (DIY) cosmetic procedures are becoming more and more popular as the years go by. Many people are opting to try these procedures out in the high hopes they will work as advertised. At best, the vast majority of these DIY procedures don’t work. At worst, they will put your health and safety at risk.

There are a wide range of DIY cosmetic procedures on the market. There are facial creams and other DIY wrinkle-removers you can buy over-the-counter at reputable department stores. These creams only offer a temporary solution and need to be reapplied once you wash your face.

Then there are DIY home Botox kits, which are highly dangerous – and illegal. Some unscrupulous individuals will smuggle in Botox kits from other countries and attempt to sell them as a cheap alternative to visiting a qualified medical office. An in-depth knowledge of human anatomy is required to perform Botox injections. If you hit the wrong nerve or artery in the face it could result in a life-threatening situation.

One of the main reasons people seek out these DIY methods is to save money. Most non-surgical cosmetic procedures can cost several hundred dollars when performed by a qualified doctor’s office. Another reason is due to the nature of human beings. From makeup to dying our hair, we tend to want to perform our own beauty regimens. This is great when you’re having your friend cut your hair – not so much when you’re entrusting your life to them as they inject your face with fillers.

DIY Cosmetic Procedures

There is a wide spectrum of DIY cosmetic procedures on the market. Most them are considered somewhat safe, but ineffective. For example, a quick internet search on Amazon or Alibaba will produce thousands of DIY cosmetic devices that purport to do everything from raise your nose up to widening your eyes. They usually require some sort of plastic or metal device to be worn on or around your face. One gimmick requires you to put nasal struts in your nostrils. It claims to help your nose stick up more.

Not all DIY medical devices are dangerous and ineffective. Plastic surgery offices sometimes sell devices or creams you can take home that actually work. For example, if you suffer from acne and acne scarring, there is a microneedling device that is called a “skin roller”. It helps rebuild collagen inside the skin, thereby reducing the appearance of acne or scarring.

Hair removal devices are another product that tend to work very well. If the office of a plastic surgeon is selling a device or cream, there is a good chance that it works very well. Otherwise they would not put their good name and reputation behind it. Sometimes the plastic surgeons will suggest you use a particular device at home in conjunction with the treatment you’re being given.

Things to look out for

While the majority of DIY cosmetic procedures are relatively safe, there are some that you absolutely need to avoid. There is an alarming trend of DIY Botox kits that are being sold on the street and in some beauty clinics. They purport to be a safe and cheap alternative to getting Botox done in the office of a plastic surgeon. These kinds of products should only be administered by a licensed medical professional, done in the safety of a medical office.

If someone is offering a “group rate” for Botox or other injectables, you should be wary of them as well. A reputable doctor is not going to offer a cut-rate discount just to get people through their front doors.

You should also be wary of purchasing medical devices over the internet. Despite their seemingly low cost, almost all of them have not received FDA approval. A quick search for “medical device” on Alibaba produces many unconventional products such as oxygen therapy and vaginal tightening devices. You should steer clear of any and all products like these as the safety standards set forth in the country they’re manufactured in are completely different than those here in America.

Cosmetic Surgery in Dallas

When it comes to looking your very best, you shouldn’t put your health and safety at risk in order to save money. You could wind up with medical complications that will cost tens of thousands of dollars and even jeopardize your life.

Contact Dr. Adams at 214-965-9885 if you’re looking to get proper cosmetic procedures done by a competent and board-certified plastic surgeon. Dr. Adams will not only safely administer these procedures to you, but his skilled hands will ensure that you will be looking your very best after visiting his office.

The de-facto standard for beauty for men has long been the Clint Eastwood-esque rugged look. Sun-weathered faces and wrinkled age lines combined to make most men look like extras in a 1960’s western movie.

Not so much anymore. As more and more men reach age 30-40, they start to realize that proper diet and exercise are not enough to stave off the effects of aging. They are turning to injectable fillers to help retain (or recapture) their youthful looks. More commonly known as “Brotox”, the injectable filler for men craze is just taking off.

In this day and age, society places a higher than ever value on youth and beauty. Especially in such subcultures as tech, IT and finance. If you’re older than “29” you’re considered a dinosaur in these industries. It’s no surprise why more and more men are opting for injectable fillers to help remain competitive. Not only for women and love, but for their careers as well.

30 going on 50

One of the most noticeable signs of aging is the human face. As men get older, we tend to get wrinkles in places where there were no wrinkles prior.

• Forehead
• Sides of eyes (aka “crow’s feet”)
• Jowl area
• Chin and cheekbones

They say that the face is one of the first things we notice about someone new we meet, and within a matter of seconds our brains pick up subtle visual cues about that person. Wrinkles on the forehead, slightly greying hair, crow’s feet around the eyes are all signs that you’re not in your prime anymore.

While genetics and healthy living habits contribute greatly to how gracefully we do (or don’t) age, fillers can temporarily help thwart the signs of aging.

Women have been the biggest consumers of injectable filler products. In fact, it’s been reported that only 10% of men have gotten an injectable filler over the past 15 years. This is probably due in part to a cultural and social stigma regarding men who are would seem overly concerned about their looks.

Celebrities/Culture

Over the past 100 or so years, Hollywood has been a driving force in the cultural and fashion traditions of Americans. If you ask most people what they think is “manly”, the start to conjure up images of the rugged cowboy throwing bales of hay into the back of a Dodge RAM pickup truck. Or maybe such celebrities as Robert Redford and Clint Eastwood with their wrinkled foreheads and faces. Someone like Barry Manilow would never be thought of as a “manly” kind of man.

But times are changing. You’d might be surprised to learn that Clint Eastwood has lost the wrinkles on his forehead as have many other male celebrities. It seems as if the societal standard for beauty for men has gone from the rugged Marlboro Man to the guy who uses facial creams to keep his skin looking silky smooth.

A major part of men wanting to stay young looking is so that they can retain upward mobility in their careers. Especially in such industries as IT and tech, a high value is placed on youth because they are considered to be the innovators and the driving forces of change. Long gone are the wrinkled 60-year-old CEO’s and execs.

If you work in an industry that places a heavy value upon youth and looks, perhaps it’s time to start looking into injectable fillers to help remain competitive?

Injectable Fillers F.A.Q.’s

If you’re a guy and you’re considering (or at the very least researching) injectable fillers, there are a few things you should be aware of.

For example, injectable fillers are only temporary. It’s been said that the first application will last anywhere from 3-5 months, and then you’ll need to get them again every 3 months thereafter if you want to keep the wrinkles at bay.

The cost for injectable fillers for men is slightly higher than it is for women. This is because men tend to have more wrinkles on their faces than do women. You’re usually charged by the amount of filler that’s used on your face.

There will be somewhat of a small sting when the doctor injects the needle. The overall pain level has been described as a “small pinch”. Nowhere near enough to make you cry out in pain or wince, but enough to let you know it’s there.

It may take several days to several weeks for the injectable fillers to do their job (by completely ironing out the winkles in your face). You may notice some tightening of the skin depending on where it was injected.

It should also be noted that not all doctors are the same. Injecting fillers into the human face can carry a small risk, but more importantly, if not done properly it can make you look like a circus clown.

“Trout pout”, “Chipmunk cheeks”, and “Pillow Face” are all names given to people who have had poor quality work done to their faces. The best way to prevent this is to avoid doctors and “skin clinics” who offer discount injectables. Sometimes called “Groupon Botox”, these businesses only care about getting people in and out of the office…just like cattle. If they have to resort to offering a coupon to get people to visit them, chances are they’re not very good at what they do.

“Brotox”: Fad or Here to Stay?

Hollywood is no longer the primary driving force that dictates what we should look like. It can be said that the tech industry and the subcultures that spring up around it are influencing more and more people as the years go by. These kinds of subcultures place a heavy value and emphasis on staying and looking young. After all, the companies these subcultures come from were built on innovation created by the youth…not stuffy old men in 3-piece suits sitting in the board room.

Injectable fillers for men is exponentially growing in popularity, now that the stigma of vanity for males is gone. Age lines and wrinkles on a man’s face no longer symbolize manliness – it’s more of a sign that they’re beyond their prime and out of the proverbial game. Injectable fillers can help shave at least 10 years off of your face. If performed by a qualified and competent doctor, only you and your doctor will know that you’ve had work done.

If you’re a man and considering injectable fillers, contact Dr. Adams in Dallas, TX to set up an appointment. Having 10 years proverbially shaved off your face can do wonders for your career, love life and most importantly your self-esteem.

By now you’ve probably read in the news or heard from a friend that injectable fillers can potentially cause blindness. Several news stories and a few medical journals have told the story of someone going to get fillers injected into their face and within a few hours they go blind. While these stories are well-documented, the chances of them happening are extremely rare.

99.99% of injectable filler procedures go off without a hitch. The patient is happy with the end result and the doctor chalks up yet another successful procedure.

So how and why do problems arise?

As with all plastic surgery procedures there is some risk involved. You could have an adverse allergic reaction, the doctor could not have his/her head in the proverbial game for that day (and wind up making a mistake), or any number of complications could happen.

Blindness happens when the injectable fillers get into blood vessels. The filler material is then transported to the eye nerve where it can cause blindness in 60-90 minutes if not treated immediately.

What to look for in a doctor?

If you visit a qualified, competent doctor, there should be a very minimal risk when you get your injectable fillers done. Problems, complications, and issues tend to arise with the so called “Groupon doctors”. Those doctors who offer a coupon code that takes the normal price of fillers and drops it drastically.

Good doctors with years of experience have no reason to go on Groupon or other coupon code websites and offer cut-rate services. They have built up a reputation over the years as being a competent doctor with an excellent track record. As such, they can command a fair market value for their services. They’re not hurting for business like the “coupon code doctors” are because they have spent years building up a great reputation among their clients.

When it comes to getting work done to your body, and considering as with all plastic surgery there is a very slight risk factor, do you really want to take your chances with the doctor in a clown suit who’s honking an over-sized horn while offering a Groupon discount?

Or would you feel safer with a competent doctor who’s had years of experience and performed tens of thousands of procedures?

What can be done to prevent issues from occurring?

Several medical journals have come up with a list of safety procedures when getting injectables. Here are just a few of the suggested practices for safely getting injectables done:

• Avoid using sharp needles in high risk areas. Instead use cannulas .
• Use smaller syringes, .5 to 1cc is recommended so that the plunger will require less pressure.
• Slowly, gently inject and do so in small portions.
• Inject to the correct plane and depth. This is why you need to find a doctor who has intimate knowledge of facial anatomy.
• Do you have a risk mitigation plan? If there is a complication it has been said that there is a 60-90 minute window to reverse the damage before you permanently go blind.
• Do you have an intimate knowledge of the anatomy of the human face?

There are several other suggested “best practices” laid out in that medical journal that any competent doctor will be aware of (and probably a few more).

You should also look for a doctor who has in-depth knowledge of the anatomy of the human face. Some doctors will even allow their assistants to perform the injections. While the assistant can be a resident doctor in training (and be perfectly safe to give you your injections), there is always a chance they are a non-medically trained employee. This is especially common in cut-rate doctors who offer discounts for fillers.

Some unqualified doctors may use fillers for purposes not intended nor approved by the FDA. While 99.99% of procedures may go off without a hitch, there’s always a chance that something can go wrong if the filler is not being used in the way it was authorized by the FDA.

To stay on the safe side, steer clear of cut-rate medical offices that offer discounted fillers.

Questions to ask your doctor

While the majority of filler procedures go off without a hitch, there is always the risk that a complication can happen. Here are a few questions you can ask your doctor so you can rest assured that you’re in good hands:

• Do you have a risk mitigation plan? If there is a complication it has been said that there is a 60-90 minute window to reverse the damage before you permanently go blind.
• Do you use blunt tip cannulas?
• How will you inject the fillers into my face? (it should be slow, deliberate and in small portions)
• Do you have an intimate knowledge of the anatomy of the human face?

All qualified doctors will be able to answer those questions with the greatest of ease. Generally speaking, answers might differ slightly from doctor to doctor, but overall they should have a mitigation plan in place, they should be aware of the risks involved and will be able to clearly explain to you those risks and how the practices they use mitigate the chances of any complications.

Follow Up Questions

If you still have questions about injectable fillers or the safety of them, give us a call at (214) 965-9885 or email us for more info. Dr. Adams is a board qualified surgeon with years of experience. Dr. Adams also offers a virtual consultation for patients who reside out of town, and would like an opinion prior to traveling to Texas.

The Park Cities Surgery Center where Dr. Adams works is conveniently located within 15 minutes of Love Field Airport and 30 minutes from Dallas Fort-Worth airport.