The campaign is intended to educate women on the impact of small appearance changes, providing tips on how to keep your look fresh with non-invasive treatments like Juvederm injectable gel.

Become a fan of Juvederm on Facebook to receive Dayna’s tips on health, fitness and how you can maintain your best appearance.

Manufacturer Allergan Inc posted data about patient comfort obtained during clinical trials, reporting that over 90 percent of the 72 participating subjects said they experienced less pain with Juvederm XC.

That data is crucial, because some people have questioned the value of anesthetic contained in a dermal filler: Is it just for the sake of marketing? When Prevelle Silk came out in 2008, Dr. Joe Niamtu said this to Cosmetic Surgery Times:

“The issue with a hyaluronic acid filler with lidocaine is that it doesn’t work until you actually start injecting patients, and these injections are so quick, by the time the lidocaine takes effect, you’re almost finished”

I wouldn’t expect plastic surgeons to abandon the already effective methods of pain management, but if the Juvederm XC formula acts quickly enough and you get a more comfortable treatment, that can’t be a bad thing.  We’ll know more when the filler comes to San Francisco.

• Juvederm at Dr. Maddali’s office
• Juvederm website with info on XC

Lidocaine helps control discomfort and swelling

Today, a number of non-surgical facial procedures can be done with little or no discomfort, thanks to local anesthetics that numb one or more areas of the face beforehand. Lidocaine is the one most frequently used by plastic surgeons, and there’s no doubt it makes an injectable procedure more comfortable for the patient.

Your dentist uses Lidocaine as as a quick and simple way to numb the mouth prior to potentially painful dental work. Plastic surgeons have found that lidocaine is an excellent local anesthetic for injections. It blocks the pain signal sent by the nerve endings on the skin in response to injections of the dermal filler solution. Patients quickly feel the anesthetic taking effect, and numbness kicks in.

Lidocaine – the benefits for use in facial cosmetic procedures

• Reduces or eliminates pain when the doctor is injecting into sensitive facial tissue
• Minimizes tissue swelling after injection
• Without swelling, the doctor can resculpt and correct the targeted areas of the face with more accuracy to get the most attractive, natural looking result
• The patient can relax during the procedure
• Often eliminates the need for general anesthesia in more extensive procedures

More information

Medicine Net
Mayo Clinic
Juvederm San Francisco
Bay Area Radiesse

A middle-aged patient asked whether she could receive injections of Juvederm 3 weeks before a wedding.  “Is it too late?” she asked.

I told her that it wasn’t too late, but sooner is better!  Juvederm, like other fillers, can cause some minor bruising. When my patients get treated before a wedding or important social event, I prefer to do it at least 2 to 3 weeks before the date. The more time you have, the better.

I have many wedding packages for brides and their bridal group that involve Botox, dermal fillers, microdermabrasion, etc. I don’t hesitate to inject fillers 2 or more weeks before an important event.

If we have less than 2 weeks, then I would choose to forgo dermal filler injections. 

Evolence is a collagen-based filler that is said to cause little or no bruising. However, I generally prefer Juvederm since the bruising is minimal and the benefits are first-rate.

A patient inquired about her surgeon’s peculiar methods asking, “how do I know if she is administering the treatment correctly?”  I told her that the key is finding the right physician.

If you want your car fixed, you don’t just take it to any old mechanic. You get a referral from a friend, or maybe you browse reviews on Google. Then, if you are happy, you return to the same mechanic in the future. If you remain unsure about your choice, you might just get an oil change and “try it out.”

A similar approach could be used when choosing a physician. Look for a reputable plastic surgeon or dermatologist first. Ask your friends, look at reviews on the web, and check out websites. Get to familiarize yourself with the physician during the consultation. Ideally, you will like your physician and then you will trust them because you have “done your homework.”

Non-surgical treatments like Botox and Juvederm aren’t permanent. If you are satisfied with your results, you will likely go back to the same physician. If you are unhappy, then you should definitely find someone else. 

The findings indicate that wrinkle treatments, such as Botox or Juvederm, are more ‘mainstream’ than people once thought. Some of those noteworthy findings are as follows:

 - Most survey respondents described themselves as healthy individuals.  95 percent of them reported exercising and 78 percent cited healthy eating habits.

 - Nearly 70 percent of the respondents who had been treated with Botox also opted for dermal filler treatment.

 - Who is the ‘typical’ patient?  According to the survey results, she’s “a married, working mother between 41-55 years of age with a household income of under $100,000.”

 - 66 percent of the respondents said they received Botox treatment 2-3 times per year.

 - 72 percent of the respondents chose Botox to treat glabellar lines – the vertical lines that appear between your eyebrows.  

 - 63 percent of the respondents chose dermal fillers to treat facial wrinkles and folds, mostly the nasolabial folds or ‘smile lines’ that travel from the nose to each side of the mouth. 

 - 87 percent reported that they discussed their treatments with others, and 70 percent said they received support from the people they told.

A full summary of the results is available (in MS Word) here.

Author and ASPS surgeon Bahman Guyuron says, “we looked at identical twins because they are genetically programmed to age exactly the same, and in doing so, we essentially discovered that when it comes to your face, it is possible to cheat your biological clock.”

Participating subjects were photographed, surveyed, and members of an independent panel then analyzed the data.  The results yielded some interesting conclusions about lifestyle/environmental factors and their effect on facial aging.

Results provided by the panel revealed that subjects over 40 who were heavier than their identical counterpart actually exhibited a more youthful (facial) appearance. Dr. Guyuron speculates that this finding provides some scientific basis to support facial rejuvenation through volume restoration – i.e. the correction of facial lipoatrophy with dermal fillers like Radiesse or Juvederm.

The study also revealed that a higher perceived age difference was found in divorced subjects and those who had used antidepressants.