Cutting Cost and Down Time, Injectables Like Botox, Juvederm and Restylane Skyrocket in Popularity

When it comes to fighting the signs of aging, we’ve come a long way in the last 20 years. Facelift and eye lift cosmetic surgery procedures continue to produce dramatic results, but require downtime and days away from work. Now, a new generation of non-surgical rejuvenation procedures are revolutionizing the world of plastic surgery in Boston and nationwide.

Safe and effective, injectables like Botox can help eliminate facial wrinkles while hyaluronic acids like Juvederm and Restalyne can plump skin to restore youthful appearance – all with little or no down time and at a fraction of the cost of surgery.

With these barriers removed, more people than ever before are able to look younger and feel better about themselves at every age. According to the most recent statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, injection with Botox is the most popular cosmetic procedure performed today. Over 5 million Botox injections were administered in 2008, up 8% from the year before despite the economy. Injection with hyaluronic acids is also skyrocketing, with over 1.1 million injections administered in 2008, an increase of 6% from 2007.

The first injectable was bovine collagen, used for filling in fine facial lines, wrinkles, and grooves. Derived from cows, the product required skin testing to make sure that the patient did not have an allergy to cow protein. Even when the test was negative occasional allergies would develop. The product also seemed to last only a few months. Although popular, bovine collagen injections never took off the way modern injectable treatments have. Other collagen products were developed, such as collagen from cadavers and collagen grown in tissue culture, but caused concern about disease transmission or cost.

The advent of hyaluronic acid fillers revitaliized the field. The best known are Restylane and Juvederm. Although they are manufactured products, hyaluronic acid is a natural component found in the human body so there is no concern about foreign proteins, cadavers or artificial materials with their use. And while collagen lasted a only few months the new hyaluronic acid fillers have an effect for 9-12 months.

In my Boston-area office we specialize in facial rejuvenation using hyaluronic acid injectables. The injections are done with a nerve block similar to ones used at the dentist so there is minimal pain. The most common areas for treatment are the deep grooves between the nose and the mouth (nasolabial folds), grooves below the mouth on the chin (melolabial folds or marionette lines), and the lips. Costs range from $600.00 to $2,000.00 for most patients.

Of course, the best known and most popular of the injectables is Botox. Unlike the hyaluronic acid fillers, Botox does not fill in a line or groove but instead turns off a muscle that causes facial creasing. The most common area of treatment is between the eyes, although the forehead and crows feet area may be treated as well. Botox also can be helpful for fine lines on lips and dimpling on the chin. Botox treatments generally cost between $400 and $800 and last for about 4 months.

There are other injectables including Radiesse, Sculptra, and fat injections where the patient’s own fat is used for the filler. As always, each patient is unique and specific circumstances will determine which one of these or other options may be best. A consultation in my Boston-based cosmetic surgery office can determine which treatment will achieve optimal results for you.