In our article we will talk about the most popular methods of "beauty medicine".
Injection techniques in cosmetology
Injections are popular mainly because they allow you to get the desired result without surgical intervention. The types of injections differ depending on the depth at which they are performed: from the superficial layers of the skin to the deep layers of the muscles. The duration of the effect also varies: from a few weeks to a few years.
Let's characterize the main injection techniques used in cosmetology today.
Botulinum therapy
This is the introduction of drugs made from botulinum toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Its action blocks the transmission of nerve signals to the muscles, so they relax. Initially, botulinum toxin therapy was used to treat disorders associated with spasms, such as tics, and later began to be used to smooth wrinkles.
Indications for the use of botulinum toxin in cosmetology are facial wrinkles - in the corners and around the eyes, on the forehead, in the corners of the mouth, nasolabial folds, as well as changes in the oval of the face. Wrinkles of medium depth are smoothed with the help of botulinum toxin, reversing a number of age-related changes.
The procedure is not performed if the patient has inflammatory skin diseases, bleeding disorders or has been treated with antibiotics and anticoagulants. Contraindications also include kidney or liver failure, individual intolerance to botulinum toxin drugs, and facial muscle paresis. Injections are not given to women during pregnancy and lactation. Doctors carefully treat patients who tend to face swelling, eyelid hernias and cerebrovascular accidents.
Preparation for the procedure does not require serious restrictions: it is recommended to avoid physical activity and not to drink alcohol. Injection using fine needles usually does not cause discomfort. The doctor can perform up to 25 injections in one area of the face during the procedure. This takes 10-15 minutes. The effect can be evaluated after 2 weeks. Wrinkles are softened due to muscle relaxation, but with professionally performed injections facial expressions and facial expressions are preserved.
The result of botulinum therapy is reversible, the effect lasts from 3 to 6 months. After that, the mobility of the facial muscles is completely restored.
On a note
One unit of action is equal to 3 × 107 molecules of botulinum toxin. The dose (number of action units) is determined by the cosmetologist. On average, we are talking about the following figures:
- forehead area - 20–30 units;
- beard - up to 10 units;
- area around the eyes - 24 units;
- nose and bridge of the nose - 10 units.
Plastic outline
During the procedure, the doctor uses special fillers to correct wrinkles, the contour of the face and its individual areas. Modern injections in cosmetology are performed using fillers, which make it possible to achieve the so-called 3D modeling effect while preserving all facial features.
On a note Most modern fillers are based on hyaluronic acid. It is part of the intercellular substance and plays an important role in maintaining the water balance of tissues and restoring them in case of damage. Hyaluronic acid injections not only help to hydrate tissues, but also stimulate the body's production of framework proteins - collagen and elastin.
Indications for contour plastic surgery include wrinkles, folds and a vague oval face. Contraindications: cancer, diabetes, connective tissue diseases, skin diseases, blood coagulation disorders, pregnancy and lactation, individual intolerance.
Contour plastic surgery does not require special preparation. A number of drugs contain an anesthetic, otherwise the doctor can give local anesthesia. After contouring, swelling, bruising and stiffness are possible in the injection area, which pass on their own within a few days.
The contouring effect can last up to two years.
Bioreinforcement
Hyaluronic acid has found application in bioreinforcement, a special procedure that results in the formation of the "inner frame" of the face. If the patient's skin has lost its tone, looks pale, dull, if there are fine wrinkles and signs of ptosis, then the doctor injects drugs along the "hanging lines" that preserve the skin tone from the inside. In this case, the doctor can predict exactly how wrinkles will form and, by introducing hyaluronic acid preparations, prevent their appearance.
Biorevitalization
Injections are also indicated to hydrate and saturate the skin of a certain area with nutrients. In this case, we are talking about the biorevitalization procedure. With its help, you can improve the condition of the skin of the hands, décolleté, neck and face.
Injections are contraindicated if the patient has inflammatory skin diseases or allergies to the components of the drug. The period of pregnancy, lactation, as well as the aggravation of somatic diseases are also an obstacle for both biorevitalization and bioreinforcement.
No special preparation is needed before the administration of hyaluronic acid. The slight redness of the skin after biorevitalization disappears within a few hours. The effect lasts up to 12 months. Biorevitalization is usually performed once every 1-2 months.
Vector lift
To tighten the skin of certain areas (for example, on the cheekbones, chin), doctors use vector lifting. It is similar to bioreinforcement, only the drug is injected along several parallel lines in the direction of the desired lift.
For raising the vector, preparations of hyaluronic acid and calcium hydroxyapatite are used. The choice in favor of the latter is made if it is necessary to raise an area prone to swelling. The resorption time of this drug is longer than that of hyaluronic acid - up to 3 years.
Plasmolifting
The essence of this technique is to give the patient his own blood plasma containing platelets. Plasma contains many biologically active components that stimulate cell growth, participate in metabolism and, most importantly, its blood plasma is not a foreign substance for the body. This means that it is not rejected and does not cause allergic reactions.
Plasmolifting improves microcirculation in the skin, normalizes water balance and strengthens local immunity. The procedure is performed if the patient begins to develop fine wrinkles, the first signs of age, to restore the health of the skin (for example, after a sunburn). Plasmolifting can also improve the effect of other cosmetic procedures.
Plasmolifting also has a number of contraindications, although they are few:
- oncological diseases, hepatitis, blood diseases;
- pregnancy and lactation;
- infectious and inflammatory skin diseases;
- exacerbations of chronic diseases, acute infections.
To perform the plasma lift, 20-40 ml of blood is taken from the patient's vein. Then, it is centrifuged in a special way to obtain a plasma fraction with a high platelet content. Then the doctor injects the resulting fraction intradermally into micropapules throughout the treatment area. The standard course includes 4 sessions with an interval of 7-14 days and the effect can last up to two years. However, it is recommended to repeat the course once a year.
Mesotherapy
Administration of drugs by microinjection directly into the skin to improve its properties. Mesotherapy is used to also nourish and hydrate the skin and prevent aging. It is also used to fight stretch marks and stimulate hair growth and vitality. For injections, you can use not only single drugs, but also mesotherapy cocktails that have a complex effect. With surface administration, biorevitalization and plasma lifting are also considered mesotherapy options.
For large areas to be treated, doctors use special equipment - injectors. The need for anesthesia is determined by the individual sensitivity of the patient.
Injection techniques are attractive primarily to patients who fear surgery. But it is worth considering that it is always possible that an individual reaction to a drug may occur, which is difficult to predict in advance. In addition, injections carry the risk of hematoma formation, changes in skin color, fibrosis - the formation of a seal at the injection site. All these risks should be discussed in advance with your doctor.
As the statistics show. . . Women aged 35 to 64 make up about 60% of all those who seek help from cosmetologists.
Laser technologies in aesthetic medicine
The essence of laser exposure can be understood by deciphering the abbreviation LASER - Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation - "amplification of light using stimulated radiation". That is, a laser is a device that "focuses" electromagnetic radiation into a very powerful directed beam. Because of this, the laser beam can be aimed, precisely, and pulsed.
The use of laser in cosmetology is possible in several areas.
Laser rejuvenation
The technique is based on heating the skin with a beam. This effect is short-term, meaning it does not cause serious damage. However, it is enough to cause inflammation in response. As a result, collagen production is stimulated in the skin and is a structural protein that gives elasticity and tone. With this effect, wrinkles are "pushed" outward.
Indications for laser rejuvenation are fine wrinkles, visible vascular network, enlarged pores, soft tissue ptosis, damaged facial contours, presence of scars on the skin, post-acne, double chin, excessive pigmentation. The procedure is contraindicated if the patient has inflammation and tumors in the treatment area, psoriasis or skin diseases. Laser rejuvenation is not performed during pregnancy or if the patient has a strong tan. The procedure requires special attention in patients with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, angina pectoris, in patients with blood diseases, etc.
Deep laser rejuvenation does not require special preparation and is performed without anesthesia. To get a lasting effect, you need to do 3-4 procedures at intervals of one month.
Fractional photothermolysis
Wrinkles, age spots, enlarged pores, marks on the skin, crow's feet, stretch marks, small vascular defects - all these problems can be solved if you undergo a partial photothermolysis procedure.
This is also a laser technology for aesthetic medicine, but here the beam has its own characteristics. It is divided into several microbes (fractions), each of which is no thicker than a human hair. All of them affect microscopic areas of the skin, and thus a kind of "grid" treatment is obtained - the areas that have been affected by the laser beam alternate with the areas that have not been affected. In the treated areas, collagen and elastin are destroyed, and in the cells remaining intact, the processes of restoring the "losses" begin. This rejuvenates the skin, increases its elasticity, tone and improves appearance.
Fractional photothermolysis is a procedure that can also be performed on sensitive areas of the face, such as the eyelids. Contraindications to it are pregnancy, cancer, diabetes, infectious diseases or skin diseases in the acute phase.
Recovery after fractional photothermolysis occurs quickly, literally within a week, and the basal layer of the epidermis returns to normal within the first day. To make the effect more pronounced, doctors recommend attending 3-4 sessions at intervals of one month.
In case of increased sensitivity, the patient undergoes a procedure using an anesthetic gel, but in most cases this can be avoided.
SMAS Lift
The English abbreviation SMAS - superficial muscular-aponeurotic system - stands for "subcutaneous muscular-aponeurotic layer". It is formed by muscles and ligaments. Raising this layer allows you to achieve good results. That is, by tightening the skin, we fight surface wrinkles and by acting on the SMAS, we smooth the deepest folds.
SMAS lift is performed using an ultrasound machine. By heating the deep layers of the skin and muscles, the ultrasonic wave causes them to contract and activates the production of structural proteins. Acceleration of metabolic processes leads to improvement of appearance.
Very often, the SMAS lift is recommended for patients who, for one reason or another, do not want to undergo a surgical lift. The second category of patients who are suitable for a SMAS lift are those who have undergone a surgical lift and are looking to prolong the result.
During the procedure, using ultrasound, the cosmetologist "sees" the deep layers and assesses the condition of the muscles and fascia. Therefore, the therapeutic effect of energy ultrasound is directed by the doctor to the required depth in the desired muscles, fascia and ligaments.
Raising SMAS does not require special preparation. The procedure is moderately painful; taking an analgesic allows you to tolerate it comfortably. The effect is partially visible immediately after the procedure, and the lifting results can be fully evaluated after three months.
How to choose a cosmetic clinic
Perhaps every visitor to beauty centers will say that one of the key points in choosing "your" clinic and "your" doctor is an individual approach, which is applied (or not) by a specialist. A cosmetologist will tell you about the nuances of combining personal and objective approaches:
Aesthetic medicine and cosmetology make it possible to correct many appearance imperfections, such as wrinkles, scars, acne, which improves appearance and prolongs youth.
Expression wrinkles that show age can be eliminated using cosmetic procedures such as intradermal facial contouring.
Modern technologies in medicine help to solve many cosmetic problems without the use of radical measures.
The cost of cosmetic procedures depends on the complexity of the task, the area of correction and the amount of work.
You can ask any questions you may have in your initial consultation with a cosmetologist.