Our Blog

• Medical Community Member - November 1st 2018
• General Public

With the advent of cosmetic injectables, lip augmentation has become the leading aesthetic enhancement procedure that uses dermal fillers. There are many advantages to using injectable fillers for lip augmentation, not least because it is a convenient and simple procedure for the patient that gives immediate, visible results. The lips are an important facial feature, and age often thins the lips as volume is lost through various intrinsic factors, including the depletion of hyaluronic acid from tissue. Patients also seek enhancement due to the perception (especially in western culture) of full, well-defined lips as the societal standard of beauty and youth. Lastly, some patients look to cosmetic injections to improve various defects of their lip that are not necessarily age-related. This includes problems with asymmetry, disproportion, a flattened Cupid’s bow, or an undefined lip border. Professional tips: choosing Restylane for lips If your patient has been thinking about gett [Read more]

• Medical Community Member - October 22nd 2018
• Professionals

Sculptra is an injectable that contains poly-L-lactic acid as one of its main ingredients. It is often packaged into a vial as a dry powder that must be reconstituted. Poly-L-lactic acid is a cosmetic filler material that, when injected into the tissues, stimulates collagen production by being targeted by the immune system as foreign bodies. This is the mechanism behind its augmentation function. This article will focus on the technical aspects of using Sculptra for facial rejuvenation. Preparation Reconstitute Sculptra at least two to seven days before treatment with 6ml of bacteriostatic water. On the day of the injection, add 3ml of lidocaine with epinephrine to make a solution of 9ml in the vial; this reduces the need to introduce a local anesthetic injection before the treatment. Do not shake the vial when attempting to mix the solution; instead, just gently roll the vial, make sure no bubbles are formed. Use a 21-gauge needle to draw the solution from the vial and use a 25-gaug [Read more]

• Medical Community Member - October 17th 2018
• General Public

Juvederm Volbella, a dermal filler product in the Juvederm family, is a filler that is manufactured using cutting-edge Vycross Technology. As a low-viscosity hyaluronic acid filler, Juvederm Volbella is designed to be soft and spreadable for complete and even integration with treated tissue. Many patients may not have a complete understanding of what Juvederm Volbella can achieve in comparison with other Juvederm products, as it is a relatively new product. Here, we take an in-depth look at this lip filler to rectify this issue. Where and how should you use Juvederm Volbella? Juvederm Volbella is indicated for treating lips and for correcting wrinkles around the mouth. In a study evaluating the effectiveness of Juvederm Volbella for lip enhancement, it was found that Juvederm Volbella was as effective as Restylane-L and results in less swelling. When treating the lips, Juvederm Volbella gives optimal results when used subcutaneously to coat the orbicularis oris muscle in the cutaneou [Read more]

• Medical Community Member - October 10th 2018
• General Public

Each year, more and more soft tissue fillers are making it to market to cater for the ever-increasing demand. The sheer number of dermal fillers and their wide variety of applications can sometimes make it challenging to select the most appropriate dermal filler for the job at hand. With this in mind, this article will compare and contrast two popular dermal fillers: Fortelis vs Juvederm. To begin with, let’s take a closer look at each of the fillers discussed here individually. Fortelis Extra: Developed in 2007, Fortelis Extra was produced after the successful release of its related products, Esthelis Soft and Basic. While Fortelis Extra is made using the same technology as its predecessors, its high hyaluronic acid concentration and high degree of cross-linkage makes it best suited for the correction of deep wrinkles, such as nasolabial folds. Fortelis Extra has special properties that enables it to optimally fill furrows and folds, which is aided by its ability to maintain e [Read more]

• Medical Community Member - October 5th 2018
• General Public

Intraarticular injections of hyaluronic acid-based Monovisc, a product manufactured by Anika Therapeutics, and Synvisc, made by Genzyme, are used in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Patients considering such viscosupplements may need more information before deciding on the right product for them. To this end, this article will discuss the benefits of viscosupplementation, and describe the characteristics of Monovisc and Synvisc as well as the differences between them. Monovisc or Synvisc for viscosupplementation Patients with knee osteoarthritis, a type of arthritis in which the knee suffers damage due to the wearing down of the protective cartilage, often find themselves in pain or with joint stiffness that limits their mobility and impedes on their daily activities. Thus, managing this condition by alleviating the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis is of prime importance, so that the patient can improve their quality of life. Currently, the methods of managing knee osteoa [Read more]

• Medical Community Member - October 4th 2018
• General Public

What is Juvederm, and how does it differ from Bellafill? Juvederm is a brand of hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers that are manufactured by Allergan. There are two main lines of Juvederm fillers: Hylacross and Vycross. The Hylacross line includes a variety of designed to correct various concerns, such as thin lips, nasolabial folds, marionette lines, and volume loss. They are produced to have a high cohesivity in order to increase their lifting capabilities. Vycross fillers, on the other hand, include Juvederm Voluma, Vollure, and Volbella. This product line is different mainly due to its moldability, which is enhanced by a lower cohesivity compared to the Hylacross line. The indications of the Vycross products are specific to each model, but there are some overlaps in between. Treatments with Juvederm can cost around $750 or more. Bellafill, also known as ArteFill, is the only FDA-approved non-resorbable implant that is currently available in the commercial market. The main indica [Read more]

• Medical Community Member - October 3rd 2018
• General Public

Both Belotero and Juvederm are ranges of hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers. The Belotero range is now produced and distributed to Merz Pharmaceuticals, Anteis S.A. remains the manufacturer of the Belotero brand. Modern fillers nowadays, including Belotero and Juvederm fillers, use butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDE), which is a compound used to cross-link hyaluronic acid molecules, so that they can better resist the rapid degrading enzymes of hyaluronidase and other factors when injected into the skin. In other words, the cross-linking process helps increase the duration of action of the hyaluronic acid dermal fillers, and this is true of Belotero and Juvederm fillers. A long duration of action, in turn, results in a longer-lasting aesthetic change after a treatment. Patients can also benefit by having a longer time frame until their next hyaluronic acid filler treatment. The duration of effect for both Belotero and Juvederm filler products ranges from six to 12 months. [Read more]

• Medical Community Member - October 2nd 2018
• General Public

Recent findings regarding new mechanisms of action of Botox has resulted in novel indications, including as therapy for pain-related conditions. One new indication is for the treatment of urinary incontinence stemming from overactive bladder. This condition could be related to a neurologic condition (such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, or spinal cord injury). Patients with this condition are not able to control the contraction of bladder muscles involved in urination, and exhibit symptoms of urge urinary incontinence, urgency (strong, sudden urge to urinate), and frequency. In patients with neurologic conditions, urinary incontinence is usually due to overactivity of the detrusor, which is the smooth muscle found in the wall of the bladder. When traditional anticholinergic medications are not an option for patients or do not work for them, Botox injections present a viable alternative means of treating their bladder dysfunction. Why use Botox for bladd [Read more]