Cheek augmentation is a popular procedure since it reinstates lost volume, making the cheeks look fuller and younger. Depending on the current state of your face, there are multiple ways to enhance your cheeks. If the problem at hand is strictly a loss of fat, then injectables can plump up the cheeks. On the flip side, when the skin on the mid-face is loose and accompanied by more extreme volume loss, surgery, like a facelift, is necessary to address all the concerns.

If you have flat, sunken cheeks, then choose fillers like Perlane or Radiesse. Both hyaluronic acid fillers and collagen-stimulating fillers can add dimension and definition to cheeks that have become flat and sunken over time. After injections, your cheeks will be instantly fuller with a natural contour to them. Collagen-stimulating fillers (Radiesse) last longer (12 to 18 months) than hyaluronic acid fillers (Perlane), but neither is permanent.

Dr. Tanne is a specialist in facial revolumizing using injectable fillers, and uses her artistic eye and medical skills to give her patients youthful, natural-looking results.

Think fillers and injectables serve the purpose of just erasing lines and filling wrinkles? Guess again. While these “liquid miracles” may have originally made their mark as wrinkle eliminators, they are now just as well-known for their sheer ability to lift and contour ill-defined and aging features.

When injectables and fillers were first introduced, they pretty much served one purpose: to fill wrinkles. Over time, and with safe off-label experimentation, their use has became more widespread as the effects of volume loss is a constant complaint. In different compartments of our face there is a shifting of the fat pads and re-absorption. Reconstructing the face with filler allows the architecture of the framework of the face to be lifted and restores the youthful contours. With only a handful of product options available, the main difference between filling and lifting comes down to where the filler is placed and how deep.

Dr. Tanne likes to use different fillers in different compartments of the face, sometimes layering them if needed. With dermal fillers and neuromodulators are used in combination, the results is a “Liquid Facelift“.

1. Straight Lifting With Some Volume 
Perlane: Fills in deeper, thicker lines and folds. Because of its denser nature and thickness, it provides good lift to areas of the face like the cheeks and lower part of the face.
Radiesse: Lasts about 1 year. Immediately smoothes out folds around the mouth, lifts the cheeks and the area between the cheeks and the eyes and the jowls. In terms of the longer-lasting fillers, this is said to give more lift.

2. More Volume, Some Lifting
Restylane, Juvéderm and Belotero: Lift and contour but on a more superficial level for those that don’t need as much structural improvement for areas like under the eyes, marionette lines and for lip augmentation.

3. Freeze the Muscle
Botox, Dysport and Xeomin: These neuromodulators reduce the muscle activity that causes vertical frown lines to form (like those above the eyebrows) so muscle movement is limited (or minimal) to give a lifting effect, or Chemical Brow Lift.

When you want to look and feel younger, your face is the front and center battleground of that fight. And while there are a few ways to surgically make the face look years younger (facelift, neck lift, even a nose job), many women might not be ready for the commitment or cost of a surgical procedure. If not, there are “best practices” for rejuvenating the face without reaching for the scalpel. Here are some of the best treatments to get a younger face without surgery.

SKINCARE – First and foremost, start with a good skin-care routine. Routine skin care by trained, experienced estheticians is invaluable in producing, improving and monitoring the skin. Let’s face it – beautiful skin always creates a more youthful look. A comprehensive skin-care program that may include professional products and treatments (like microdermabrasion and facial peels) can minimize sun damage, soften fine lines, reduce acne, rehydrate dry skin and brighten dull, aging skin.

INJECTABLES – If you want to take it one step further, a cosmetic physician has more options available to make the face look younger. Before finding the best method for facial rejuvenation, your doctor has to take into account your age. When you are younger, we’re getting rid of wrinkles with products like Dysport, Botox and hyaluronic acid fillers such as Restylane, Juvéderm and Belotero. For restoring more volume in an aging face my choice filler is Radiesse.

LASERS – Noninvasive radio-frequency treatments, on the right patient, can work wonders. I am a big fan of eMatrix Sublative Rejuvenation and Sublime Skin Tightening (the eTwo duo). I also love to treat with FotoFacial RF for color correction and eMatrix for texture improvement with my FotoMatrix combo.  For a more significant result CO2RE Fractional CO2 Resurfacing is my go-to treatment. It is an ablative laser, but it’s not as invasive as making incisions. It is a very effective tool in treating fine lines, irregularities and brown spots. With one treatment, a major improvement can be obtained.

There are many upsides to injectable fillers like Radiesse, Juvederm and Restylane (as well as Botox and Dysport). They work pretty instantly and when done correctly, they can take years off your face by softening wrinkles and adding volume to the face. However, one of the downsides of injectables, albeit temporary, is the potential for swelling and bruising.

As the use of fillers continues to progress in what they can do, so do the technologies that go along with how they are injected. Needles are still a popular choice for injections, but the new wave is cannulas—about 100 times smaller than what is used during liposuction and they have a blunt tip for less trauma when placing volume deeper. A  lot more product is injected via one puncture mark. The cannula is moved into various locations before the filler is inserted, to give really good lift. The other upside: Because there are fewer punctures made in the skin, there’s less of a chance of bruising and swelling and when properly done is just as comfortable as when a needle is used after significant numbing.

As for other methods to keep bruising at bay: Prep yourself at least one week before your scheduled procedure. It is best to avoid aspirin, fish oil supplements and Vitamin E supplements. Dr. Tanne also advises her patients to remain off ibuprofen and all other NSAIDS for a few days before filler treatment. Dr. Tanne also recommends that her patients use Arnica pellets, a natural homeopathic medicine placed under the tongue, before and after injections as they say it helps lessen bruising. She also suggests eating some pineapple, which contains the anti-bruising enzyme Bromalain, before filler treatment .

As we age not only do we experience a loss of collagen in the skin but reduced skin elasticity too, causing wrinkles and sagging skin. Fortunately, there a few ways to improve elasticity so that you can maintain a more youthful appearance and keep your skin functioning at a younger age too.
With each passing year we lose collagen and skin elasticity in our face. This means wrinkles and sagging skin. While there’s no way to completely stop the clock, you can increase your skin’s elasticity for a lifted, firmer and younger looking face with a couple of proven methods. Maintain a more youthful appearance and keep your skin functioning at a younger age too.

First, let’s test your skin’s functional age to find out if its aging younger, older or the same rate as your biological age. Here’s what to  do. Lay your hand on a flat surface, palm down. Then pinch the skin on the back of your hand for five seconds. Let go and count how many seconds it takes for your skin to flatten back out. If it took one to two seconds your functional age is under 30; three to four seconds and it’s about 30 to 44; five to nine seconds and it’s about 45 to 50; and ten to 15 seconds it’s about 60 and so on.

TIME:            FUNCTIONAL AGE:

1 – 2 sec        Under 30
3 – 4 sec        30 – 44
5 – 9 sec        45 – 50
10 – 15 sec    60
35 – 55 sec    70
56 sec+        Over 70

There are cosmetic procedures that help with skin’s elasticity like dermal fillers which help stimulate collagen as well as lift and contour your features. Laser and other energy based treatments such as eMatrix Sublative Rejuvenation, Fractora Fractional Skin Resurfacing and CO2RE CO2 Fractional Skin Resurfacing (a newer, better version of Fraxel Repair) create significantly improved texture and firming. Fractora Firm and ReFirme/Sublime are non-invasive technologies to tighten the skin. Ingredient driven skin care such as our Tanne MD Medical Skin Care give you a twice a day at-home opportunity to nourish and hydrate your skin. Ask us about the right treatments for you, so you can look as good as you feel.

When injectables and fillers were first introduced, they pretty much served one purpose: to fill wrinkles. Over time, and with off-label experimentation, their use has become more widespread as the effects of volume loss are a constant complaint. Today, the “Liquid Lift”—the use of fillers to give a more lifted and youthful look to the face—is gaining popularity as replacing lost volume via injections allows the skin to take on a lifted appearance and redefines the natural contours of the face.

With only a handful of product options available, the main difference between filling and lifting, comes down to where the filler is placed and how deep.

Wrinkle Fillers!
Still… the quickest, easiest way to erase 10 years!

You wake up one morning and look in the mirror. Suddenly, you notice facial lines that just weren’t there yesterday. Are fine lines and wrinkles getting you down? With each and every look in the mirror, do you concentrate on them so much that you would love for them to instantaneously disappear, but you are not sure about your options are or what your cost would be to reduce them?

Studies have shown that wrinkles can have a profound impact on self-esteem, so much so that over 16 billion dollars is spent each year simply on camouflage make-up to hide the signs of aging. If you are tired of wrinkles, worry no more. Education is the first step to making the best decision, and education about your options is what we are here to provide.

Facial wrinkles and creases begin to appear as the under-lying collagen and elastin fibers begin to break down and wear out. While this breakdown is part of the natural aging process, it can also result from excessive squinting, frowning and smiling.

As people live longer and healthier lives, more and more of them are looking for ways to look young without surgery.  Because the aging process causes the face to lose underlying fat volume and collagen, the skin starts to look deflated and droops, sags, and wrinkles. The result is the permanent tired and aged face look we hate to look at in the mirror.

Fillers or injectables have become a popular means of wrinkle corrections and addressing loss of facial volume that results from aging, sun damage, stress, age related hormonal decline, weight loss, chronic illness, trauma and or scarring, and lip enhancement. The results are instantaneous and the easiest way to erase 10 years, just like that!  No surgery, minimal down time and natural results.

Because there are so many filler options, Dr. Tanne at Cosmetic Laser MD always consults with patients first, and after a careful examination and discussion recommends the filler(s) that is/are best suited to best address each patients’ unique issues.

There are many types of fillers, including the following that are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and widely available at Cosmetic Laser MD.

Hyaluronic acid gels such as Juvederm Ultra, Juvederm Ultra Plus, Restylane and Perlane may be used to treat lines around the mouth, under the eyes and to plump lips  or to provide a 5 Minute  “Non-Surgical” Nose-Job.  Results last 6-12 months depending on which injectable filler used and which area is filled.

Radiesse which is made of Calcium-based microspheres in a carrier gel is longer lasting than the hyaluronic acid fillers mentioned above and is used to fill deeper folds and lines or to add volume to the face.  Radiesse can also be used to fix dents and divets in the face and to provide a 5 Minute “Non-Surgical” Nose-Job. 

Select a filler that best suits your particular needs!  Selecting the proper filler is an important part of the process.  Some fillers are intended for superficial wrinkles and some work best for deeper folds and wrinkles.  Others are better for deep cheek hollows and more generalized facial fat loss.

A consultation with Dr. Tanne is your next step for a more youthful look which is only one phone call away.  Call us at 973.716.9000.

What causes wrinkles

• Smiling, frowning, squinting and other habitual facial expressions cause wrinkles to become more prominent. · Your facial muscles degrade over time and weaken. · Some muscles weaken sooner than others due to the way one sleeps.
•  Small muscle contractions are believed to develop frown lines (lines between eyes) and crow’s feet (lines jutting from the corners of the eyes)
• With age the ability to repair itself weakens.
• Cells divide more slowly and the inner layer of skin starts to thin, causing wrinkles.
• Elastin and Collagen fibers loosen and unravel and can no longer spring back to their initial position.
• The sweat and oil secreting glands atrophy, depriving the skin from water-lipid emulsions, which enhances the skin’s ability to retain moisture.
• Time, using gravity and stress, continually pull the muscles downward.
• Smoking is one of the worst causes of wrinkles. · Exposure to the sun can be another culprit.

Options for Wrinkle Reduction.
Botox, Dysport and Xeomin (neuromodulators) treat wrinkles, those little annoyances known as frown lines, worry lines, laugh lines and crow’s feet. These neuromodulators relax the muscles so your wrinkles begin to smooth away.

Wrinkle Fillers or injectables are injected underneath the skin, underneath the wrinkle itself, and act as a physical support system for the skin. Fillers are treatments for deep wrinkles, or lines for smoother skin as well as volumizing and plumping up areas on the face such as hallows under the eyes or cheek.

Chemical Peels can reduce fine lines, wrinkles, pore size, scars, age spots, and other signs of premature aging.

DiamondTip™ Microdermabrasion gently and painlessly exfoliates your skin while vacuum suction removes the crystals with the dead skin cells. It revitalizes your skin’s appearance, promotes production of new cells in the deepest skin layers, cleanses pores, and stimulates collagen.

There are a wide variety of Laser and/or Light Treatments such as eMatrix Sublative Rejuvenation, ReFirme/Sublime Skin Tightening, or FotoFacial that offer everything, from those that stimulate collagen to replenish itself improving skin tone, to those that encourage the elastic fibers to tighten, resulting in vibrant skin.

Treatments can soften the appearance of wrinkles, giving youthful-looking skin. Some also kill acne-causing bacteria, healing blemishes and preventing future eruptions. We have applied our quality professional skills in choosing only the latest in technology, offering the finest results.

How long do wrinkle treatments take?
A typical procedure will take about 45 minutes, but the length of time may vary depending on the amount of filler you require.

Will my treatment hurt?
Although most people find the treatment relatively painless, you may notice a slight pricking sensation while the injection is given.  Depending on what area you are correcting, (lips or folds) Dr. Tanne will provide a topical and/or injected numbing medication.

What can I expect following my treatment?
Reactions are rare, but mild side effects may include swelling, tenderness, pain itching and discomfort around the injection site, and minor bruising, which will all disappear within a few days.  You will notice a visible change immediately that will last several months, but depends on several factors including the filler being used, skin structure, lifestyle and age.  Most people choose to repeat treatments every six months, except Radiesse which usually lasts longer.

Please call 973.716.9000 today to schedule a complimentary consultation to find out which injectable filler is right for you.

You probably think that all we think about at COSMETIC LASER MD is skincare, fillers and wrinkle treatments, but the truth is that we actually think about our wonderful patients – a lot!  We are so grateful to our patients, and wanted to thank you in a meaningful way this Thanksgiving season.  We know that this time of year can be a little hectic, and a little expensive.  We also know that you want to look their best for the upcoming Holiday Season.  COSMETIC LASER MD has wonderful news!  We’re offering a significant PRICE ROLLBACK on all of our Fillers from now until New Year’s Eve.

Because we’re a designated “high volume” location, our vendors have all been able to offer us very attractive pricing on our fillers.  Rather than increase our margin on these products, we have decided that our customers deserve the break; we appreciate your support and are glad to pass the savings on to you.

Our new, reduced Filler Pricing for the remainder of 2011:

RESTYLANE                         600

PERLANE                             675

JUVEDERM ULTRA              600

JUVEDERM ULTRA PLUS    675

RADIESSE                            750

In addition to these rock-bottom prices, you will now earn SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL Loyalty Reward points for every dollar you spend.  See our website for SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL details – the points add up very quickly!  On top of all of that, there are also rebates available from each manufacturer – we will provide the forms for you when you treat.

We appreciate our patients, and want to wish you and your families a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

The Liquid Facelift Association (www.liquidfacelift.com) has named SUSAN STEVENS TANNE, MD, Medical Director of COSMETIC LASER MD as one of their “preferred” physicians for all types of injectable treatments.

As we say to patients “anyone can buy paint; it’s the best painter you really want.”

Come this spring, you may have yet another option to choose from in terms of injectables that erase, and prevent, wrinkles. Xeomin, a new botulinum toxin from the makers of Radiesse and Asclera, just received approval by the FDA to temporarily improve the appearance of lines between the eyebrows (glabellar lines).

While it’s still unknown how Xeomin will be used differently than Botox or Dysport, we do know that Xeomin is formulated as a more pure form of botulinum toxin without any additives, possibly making it less likely to cause adverse reactions. Xeomin is also the only FDA-approved botulinum toxin that does not require refrigeration. Xeomin is currently used in 14 countries including Germany, the UK, France, Italy and Spain, under the name Bocouture.