Posts

,

Why we love Tear Trough Training (and you should too!)

Cosmetic Courses: banner showing an introduction to Tear Trough Training

 

Cosmetic Courses are delighted to announce our brand new peri-orbital training course, otherwise known as Tear Trough Training!  

What is a Tear Trough deformity?

Tear trough deformity is diagnosed by a sunken appearance that results in the casting of a dark shadow over the lower eyelid, sometimes giving a fatigued appearance even if recommended amount of sleep is achieved. Dark circles can also be present, however there are other factors that need to be taken into consideration when these are first noticed. Changes in the skins thickness, laxity and hyperpigmentation can also play a role in creating dark circles.
Tear troughs can also be described as a depression centred over the medial inferior orbital rim and bounded by the infraorbital protuberance. As people age, infraorbital fat starts to displace anteriorly, and is more commonly known as ‘eyebags’. This bulge can become deeper over time, and become more pronounced due to loss of soft tissue and osseous support.

What treatments are available?

The peri-orbital area is one that many individuals are concerned about and would like to be treated, but it is also one of the most challenging. Traditional techniques for treating the tear trough area have been removing the skin, muscle and fat surgically, as well as skin rejuvenation treatments such as chemical peels for those that wish to not go down a surgical route. In recent years, non-surgical volumising treatments such as dermal fillers and botulinum toxin have been introduced to restore the volume rather than remove it. This treatment is less invasive than having surgery with instant results and minimal downtime for the patient, and with a 150% mark-up per patient for clinics, the earning potential speaks volumes! One of the techniques used would be injecting dermal fillers using a cannula, a safer and more controlled way to treat this intricate and delicate area.

What are the benefits of tear trough training?

• There is a high client demand for this treatment as the peri-orbital region is the focal point of the face
• This advanced treatment will keep you way ahead of the competition
• With a potential 150% mark-up per patient, the earning potential is huge

Why attend training with Cosmetic Courses?

With 13 years of experience in medical aesthetic training for registered Doctors, Dentists and Nurses, there are numerous reasons why you should complete your peri-orbital training with us:

• Our training in this treatment focuses on the entire peri-orbital region, not just the tear trough, making it a unique course to others
• We offer a small ratio of delegates to trainers to ensure you build up the confidence to go straight out and practice

• All models and resources are provided by us making it a completely hassle-free training day

• We offer a balance of theoretical and practical hands-on teaching to ensure a complete understanding of the techniques are learned

Our next tear trough training day is on Wednesday 1st July 2015 at the Paddocks BMI Hospital in Buckinghamshire. If you would like to receive any more information about the course, please call 01844 390110 or email our course co-coordinators, [email protected] to book  your place now.

For a more in depth discussion on Dermal filler treatments for Tear Trough Deformity, please click here for the Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery.

/by
, , ,

Youthful Skin Without Surgery

Dermatologists have some encouraging news for everyone who wants to recapture Youthful Skin and skin tone but are hesitant to undergo any type of surgery.Youthful Skin According to new dermatology studies, there is a new method that uses a combination of soft dermal fillers and tissue tightening techniques that can practically rub out your wrinkles and renew old skin.

The landscape of dermatology and how it deals with aging has changed dramatically. Dermatologists no longer look at aging skin as particular wrinkles or folds. Instead, dermatologists look at the entire face. This new approach treats soft tissue as support below the visible layers of skin which in turn supports the deeper underlying fat layers for Youthful Skin.

With this view, dermatologists now realize that cheek volume is an important part of re-establishing the skin care balance and assignation most patients want in a younger looking appearance. Volumetric loss of this underlying cheek fat layer makes wrinkles and folds more pronounced.

There are many dermal filling agents available today that can fix facial contour imperfections that result from aging. First, a dermatologist will make sure to determine what a patient wants to improve about their face. What follows afterwards depends on patient preference and what needs to be treated. It is then determined what substance will be best suited to treat the patient’s unique contour imperfections and volume irregularities.

Deeper and denser dermal fillers, like calcium hydroxylapatite, polylactic acid, dimethyl methacrylate, hydrogen dioxide and hyaluronic acid, are are typically employed to add volume to volume irregularities. These compounds also diminish the wrinkles formed from bottom of the nose to both corners of the mouth.

The reason dermatologists are excited about these developments is because the more the field determines about facial anatomy, especially the varied lipid sections of the cheek and the deposits of discrete lipids that collect in middle of the facial structure, the more exacting they can be. These studies can greatly increase a dermatologist’s ability to restore vitality, voluminosity, youthful appearance to the face. It aids in adding the right shape the cheek during the volumetric lifting process.

In conclusion, dermatologists conclude that volumetric enhancement using thicker and deeper dermal fillers is rapidly becoming the key lynch pin of an effective facial and dermal revitalization for patients seeking a youthful appearance without having to undergo any major surgery.

/by
,

Dermal Fillers: Cosmetic Treatment without Surgery

Research shows that more and more people are opting to undergo cosmetic procedures, and one of the main factors preventing them from doing so is financial, rather than emotional. Among the cosmetic procedures being pursued, on of the newer options is the dermal filler. These are injections of a gelatinous substance which is used to fight off some of the effects of aging, such as wrinkles and folds in the skin. The active ingredient in these injections is hyaluronic acid. The name may sound dangerous, but hyaluronic acid is a substance found in the human body. Some of its properties are the ability to contain moisture, and to tighten up wrinkles, folds, and lines in the face. In addition to this, it is much less likely to cause allergies than most of the other options available.

Dermal fillers allow a person to achieve a more youthful appearance without the need to undergo a surgical operation. The gel is injected through the use of needles which are very tiny and cause minimal scarring. The procedure is usually undergone on the face, and anesthetic is used so that the person receiving the injections does not feel anything during the injection process.

Dermal fillers give the patient a natural looking appearance of youth. It is used to minimize frown lines, smile lines, cheek lines, and lines below and around the eyes. It can also be used to puff up a person’s chin and cheeks if they become saggy, as well as to give volume and shape to their lips. Acne scars can be reduced as well, and the nose can be sculpted in to a slightly different shape without the use of invasive surgery.

The visual signs of aging occur when collagen and hyaluronic acid levels decrease. Collagen gives flexibility and shape to human skin, while hyaluronic acid provides it with much needed moisture and volume. Dermal filler may contain both of these substances, replacing the portion that was lost with age, giving the face a more youthful appearance. Small particle fillers can be used to reduce thin lines, while larger particle fillers can be used for deeper folds and wrinkles.

Dermal filler injections typically take roughly half an hour. In some cases their may be swelling and discomfort, or redness and bruising. In most cases these effects are temporary. If they last for more than a few days than you should contact your doctor.

/by
,

Lip Augmentation Through Restylane

Much of the focus in plastic surgery lately has been moving north…to the lips! A simple lip augmentation can give you a dramatic and sensuous look with the fullness of celebrities like Angelina Jolie. This procedure can give you more self-confidence and balance your appearance. Since aging can cause you to lose collagen and volume in your lips, lip augmentation can even make you look younger!

But with something as noticeable as your lips, you should take care to make sure the procedure is done right. It is difficult to cover up a mistake right on the front of your face! If you are considering a lip augmentation procedure, take the time to research the best products on the market.

Restylane is one of the more common products on the lip augmentation market, and its results are quite promising. Unlike other injectable fillers like fat and collagen, this substance is a biodegradable gel that contains no animal products. It is based on hyaluronic acid, a substance found naturally in the body with the purpose of providing fullness and elasticity.

Lip injections with Restylane are fast, easy, and relatively pain-free. You do not even need a skin test, since the product is not animal-based and the risk of an allergic reaction is low. Because Restylane does not contain lidocaine like collagen, you may experience pain upon injection. Using a small needle, the gel is placed in the inside of the lips in little amounts. The volume it adds, though, is impressive. The entire procedure can take from just a few minutes up to half an hour, and you can go home shortly thereafter. The full recovery time is only about two to three days, and there are relatively few side effects besides some tenderness and swelling at the site of the injection.

Since Restylane is one of the latest developments in lip augmentation procedures, costs will vary by physician and location. But Restylane is sure to be a great value for your money, since it can stay effective for six months (much longer than other treatments). Using Restylane can enhance and regenerate your lips to add volume and shape. The product has also been approved by the FDA for the improvement of facial wrinkles, aging lines, and crow’s feet.

/by
,

The Effects of Overnight Wrinkle Reducers

The effects of overnight wrinkle reducers often vanish just as quickly as they appear. It seems that instant results and lasting results do not always go hand in hand. However, reports from the 2009 American Society of Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) meeting show impressive results by a new and exciting dermal filler called AquamidR. There is potential that this product may be more effective than the current treatments on the market for treating facial wrinkles known as nasolabial folds.

The active ingredient in AquamidR is 2.5% polyacrylamide hydrogel. This injectable filler is currently being investigated to determine the drug’s lasting effects. So far, tests have shown that patients have tolerated the drug as well as hyaluronic acid, a popular and commonly-used treatment.

Even more importantly, however, is the fact that it was as effective as its competition after six months. Polyacrylamide hydrogel is non-biodegradable and stays in place when injected, so scientists are predicting that the effectiveness will continue beyond even the study period. Also, because the drug will not be reabsorbed into the body, patients do not require periodic re-injections like with other treatments. This saves patients time and money while preventing side effects like bruising and pain when injected.

The study performed to compare the effectiveness of the two drugs uses an objective measuring system called the Wrinkle Assessment Scale. This scale is widely accepted among medical professionals. Among patients injected with polyacrylamide hydrogel, the average improvement was 1.8 points on the Wrinkle Assessment Scale in six months. This is compared to 2.0 points with the conventional hyaluronic acid method, but both treatments were beyond the 0.5-point cut-off needed to declare the drugs as clinically relevant and statistically significant. Twelve months later, there was an average 1.7-point improvement in both treatment groups.

Developers of the drug caution against too much excitement just yet; there is still more time needed to do longer follow-ups on patients to ensure the long-term safety of the treatment. Five-year data collected in Europe currently supports the safety of polyacrylamide hydrogel. But if you are one of the many people looking for non-surgical solution to facial wrinkles, keep looking toward this new developing treatment option.

/by
, ,

Treating Frown Lines and Facial Wrinkles

Frown lines around your mouth or forehead can make you look tired and older than your age. However, there are methods for preventing and eliminating these wrinkles.

Skin maintains its elasticity with the natural substances of collagen and elastin. However, your body produces less of these chemicals with age and your skin has a harder time staying taut and bouncing back when stretched. Think of a worn-out rubber band that is too stretched to return to its original size. The aging process is made worse by factors like sun exposure and smoking. With years of repetitive movements like frowning, laughing, and squinting, frown lines form.

To prevent frown lines, protect your skin from the sun. Wear large sunglasses, a hat, and sunscreen. Make sure to reapply sunblock often. Wrinkle creams are good for both treatment and prevention since they nourish your cells and help replenish your depleting collagen. Look for lotions and creams that contain retinol or vitamin A, vitamin C and alpha lipoic acid to moisturize. Alpha and beta hydroxy acids can also help to remove or exfoliate dead skin cells and reveal more youthful skin underneath. For an effective and relaxing solution, facial massages may actually help prevent frown lines. A massage stimulates blood flow to the area, and exfoliation reduces the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. If you’re concerned about wrinkles on your entire body, use oils like coconut or almond oil to keep skin soft and well-hydrated.

Diet can also be a factor that affects the health of your skin. Foods that contain antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids are known to affect the firmness of your skin. Instead of processed foods, go with fruits and vegetables and drink ample water.

Once you have the wrinkles, though, it is difficult to reverse the curse. One of the most popular treatment options for frown lines is the use of Botox. Botox injection can almost immediately reduce the appearance of wrinkles, and it lasts for months. Similar treatments include fillers like hyaluronic acid, collagen and calcium hydroxylapatite. Surgical brow or forehead lifts are more expensive, but they last for years. Less extreme treatment options include non-surgical procedures like chemical peels, dermabrasion, and laser skin resurfacing.

/by

Lip Enhancement Options

Full lips are unquestionably considered to be attractive and youthful, and one of the leading symbols of sensuality today. Since so many of the world’s top movie stars and models have the full-lipped look more people are starting to seek out ways to get the same plumped up lips. Today there are several different options for cosmetic lip enhancement, both temporary and permanent.

Injectable Fillers For Lip Enhancement

Injectable fillers are the most common method of lip enhancement today. These fillers are made of either bovine collagen or hyaluronic acid. Bovine collagen fillers such as Zyderm and Cosmoderm are injected via a very thin gauge needle into the borders of the lips or the body of the lips. Bovine collagen fillers are capable of filling out the lips immediately and of adding volume to any area of the lips. Bovine collagen fillers generally last for between three and six months. While bovine collagen fillers are extremely effective at adding volume and creating any change in the lips desired, they do have one potential drawback. Patients who have an allergy or sensitivity to bovine collagen cannot use this particular type of injectable filler. Most physicians require that lip enhancement patients undergo a pre-treatment bovine collagen allergy test to make certain that there will not be any problems with the treatment. In cases where the patient demonstrates an allergy to bovine collagen hyaluronic acid fillers are the preferred option.

Hyaluronic acid injectable fillers are used in a very similar way to bovine collagen fillers as they are injected through a long thin needle into any area of the lip that needs added volume or enhancement. Hyaluronic acid fillers such as Juvederm and Restylane are derived from non-animal sources and very closely mimic the hyaluronic acid that is found naturally in the human body. Fillers that are composed of hyaluronic acid do not require any pre-treatment allergy testing since the product is virtually identical to the collagen builders already in the body. One of the advantages of hyaluronic acid fillers is that they have more longevity than their collagen counterparts: Most hyaluronic acid fillers last from six to twelve months.

Permanent Lip Enhancement Methods

Some patients who are seeking a permanent lip enhancement may choose to use implantable synthetic materials such as Gore-Tex and SoftForm. These materials are soft, pliable, and can be surgically inserted into the lips to provide a permanent increase in volume. These options are more expensive than the injectable fillers but their permanent nature makes them a better long term value for some patients. Some patients may experience side effects from lip implants such as allergic reactions to the implanted material. In some cases migration may occur, meaning the implants will travel outside the area where they were inserted. In such cases surgical removal and repositioning is required.

/by
,

Juvederm Versus Restylane

Hyaluronic acid is the human body’s natural way of providing volume and a fresh faced appearance – in fact there are large quantities of hyaluronic acid present in the skin. However, as the body ages the amount of hyaluronic acid steadily decreases, often leaving behind sagging and wrinkled skin due to the loss of volume. Today hyaluronic acid is being produced in the laboratory for use in the fight against aging. Hyaluronic acid based dermal fillers such as Juvederm and Restylane are able to plump up the skin in specific areas where volume has been lost. These fillers also have the helpful effect of binding to water molecules in the body, allowing for a long term facial correction.

Since there are now a number of different dermal fillers on the market, selecting the right one can be difficult. Two of the most popularly used hyaluronic acid based dermal fillers are Juvederm and Restylane. Both have specific advantages, and for a patient to make the proper choice it is necessary to carefully compare the two and decide which one is best for their needs.

Overall, Juvederm and Restylane are very similar products. Both are made from hyaluronic acid and are nearly identical in composition. While Juvederm is slightly thicker than Restylane, it is considered by many physicians to be easier to mold and shape into the facial tissue. Both Juvederm and Restylane are injected into the nasolabial folds (the area extending from the edge of the nose to the edge of the lips), the tear troughs underneath the eyes, and the frown lines in the brow area. Both products are also used in the lips as a plumping agent, or for overall lip reshaping.

The primary difference in the products appears to be the texture. Many doctors prefer to use Juvederm in areas such as nasolabial folds or other large areas since it molds into the skin more easily. However, other doctors feel that the two products work equally well even though the texture of Restylane is slightly thinner. In terms of longevity, Juvederm appears to have a slight edge over Restylane. While this effect may vary with each patient, Juvederm is generally considered to be the longer lasting of the two products due to the fact that Juvederm contains about 10 percent more cross-linked hyaluronic acid by volume.

Overall the two products are very similar and in most cases will produce virtually identical results when administered properly by a licensed practitioner. Each patient and doctor may find that they have personal preferences after trying both products, however.

/by
,

How do Dermal Fillers work?

Cosmetic surgery is a way to achieve a youthful appearance. It is particularly helpful in erasing marks of aging associated with skin changes,Dermal Fillers ranging from wrinkles to the loss of subcutaneous fat and dermal collagen with Dermal Fillers.

While the most well-known method of tightening the face around the skin is through a surgical face lift, a less well-known, but equally effective, method is dermal filling.

Although dermal filling may sound like a revolutionary new trend in aesthetic medicine it has been around for over a century. In the 1890s, dermal filling consisted of removing fatty tissue from one part of the body where it was not needed, like from sagging fat in the arms, and injecting it to another part where it was needed, like the wrinkling skin of a face. Today, a variety of many more filler choices are available. These fillers are said to work better and to last longer than their earlier counterparts.

Bovine collagen was popular in the United States in the 1980s. Results were claimed to last as long as eighteen months, but the reality was closer to five months, with three months being the average. Nevertheless bovine collagen became the standard by which other fillers were assessed.

Human collagen, collagen derived from human beings that was cultivated in the laboratory, replaced bovine collagen in popularity. Then researchers began to look for something even more compatible with the patient’s body. They arrived at the autologen method. In this method, human collagen is still used, but this time it comes directly from the patient‘s own tissues. This collagen, derived from the patient’s own body, is made into a sterile suspension of fibres. Three square inches of skin can be manufactured to supply 1 ml of 3.5% collagen. This collagen is used to treat wrinkles, lines, scars, and sagging lips.

An alternative to injecting fillers has been autologous collagen. By stimulating an inflammation in the patient, the resulting new collagen deposits are harvested and fat is then mixed with sterile distilled water.

Other viscous fluids have also been tested and used in cosmetic surgery. These include the use of fillers made out of recycled skin, hyaluronic acid, and hybrid technologies.

The recycled skin came from rehabilitation centres for burn victims and was processed for use in aesthetic medicine. Hyaluronic acid, a protein in the skin of mammals, including humans, has been used to form a gel. Finally, artificial Dermal Fillers suspended in bovine collagen have been used to treat wrinkles and scars.

/by

Collagen, Hyaluronic Acid and Elastin

When fine lines develop around the forehead, crow’s feet around the eyes and wrinkles around the mouth, it is a sign of aging that is more obvious than a change in hair colour and density or a change in body posture.

Skin, consisting of bonded layers, begins to sag and become lumpy as a person ages. What is basically happening is that the skin loses its elasticity. This is usually a result of a depletion of three proteins common in skin: collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid.

Collagen is a fibrous protein found in skin, bone, cartilage, muscles, and tendons. It works to connect body tissue. It makes up 25 percent of the protein in the human body, and it is even found in teeth. Like a glue, it holds the tissues of the body together, including the layers of the skin.

Elastin is a protein that pulls back the skin when it is stretched. In addition to keeping the skin elastic and flexible, it keeps the skin smooth. This is why your mouth returns back to its normal shape after using the muscles of your face when talking.

The third essential protein for a youthful, healthy skin is hyaluronic acid. The more of this protein that is lost, the more aged a person begins to look. Fortunately, apart from cosmetics, it is also possible to take nutritional supplements to restore levels of hyaluronic acid. Moisture is lost because of lower amounts of hyaluronic acid. Diets rich in kelp, seaweed, and fish help maintain hyaluronic acid. People with Mediterranean or Asian diets appear to age slower with “plumper skin” than those people who live in cultures where refined foods filled with additives have become the norm. In cultures with poor diets, an enzyme called hyaluronidase begins to work against hyaluronic acid. Part of the process of restoring hyaluronic acid is to reduce the hyaluronidase enzyme.

Depletion of these three skin proteins is exacerbated by indulging in poor health habits like smoking, drinking alcohol, not drinking enough water, not eating nutritious food, not exercising, and getting an excessive sunburn. While taking care of your health by reversing all these conditions will go a long way to restoring your youthful appearance, you can also get relatively quick results by using lotions that provide the skin with what it needs to maintain its elasticity. Most anti-aging skin care programs work on restoring collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid.

/by