Archive for December, 2009

Minus Eleven
For patients who have tired eyes and heavy brow furrows, a simple outpatient procedure can solve both problems under local anesthesia. The groove between our eyes above our nose can give a person a grumpy, unapproachable or tired look. These glabellar lines are sometimes termed the 11’s lines; and they have several options for treatment. Botox can reversibly treat them adequately, but a brief surgical procedure can eliminate them! Using the same incision as an upper lid lift, the muscles (called corrugators) in the brow furrow can be removed without an incision in the brow. The excess eyelid skin and fat is removed and then the muscles are accessed through the same incision for reduction. You have a softer, rested and approachable appearance in about a week. You can return to most activities in a few days after surgery.

PS While we have Botox every day for the furrows, it won’t change the heaviness that can be reversed surgically.

Got tired eyes? Please contact my office at (440) 205 5750 for a consultation to discuss your options! Go to PaulVanekMD.com to see results you’d love.

An exciting laser technology that actually works for tissue tightening is the new Sciton SkinTyte laser. The longer wavelengths traverse the skin to induce a post-treatment tightening. The infrared energy gets under the treated area without any surface wound and stimulates collagen remodeling and skin tightening. Unlike the poor-performance profile of Thermage, the SkinTyte laser has a predictable outcome and provides for a more comfortable patient experience. It does not have the risk of facial lipo-atrophy (a gaunt look) seen with the radio-frequency energy used in Thermage. A series of 5 SkinTyte treatments, each about a month apart, will dramatically improve the laxity of the face & neck. You’ll see the results within a few hours of treatment, and they improve over the next 2 to 3 weeks. While nothing beats the outcome of a facelift, the SkinTyte laser has literally no down time and requires no anesthesia. Patients who have treatments done on loose skin around their elbows and knees can see a great improvement as well.

P.S. SkinTyte laser can be combined with other laser energies that treat skin surface problems such as acne on the same treatment day for a great effect!