Facial Rejuvenation with Injectables
Boston Botox – Dr. Richard Moss, tells you more about facial injectables: BOTOX®, Restylane®, and Radiesse® for facial rejuvenation.
The holidays are here and everyone wants to look their best. Now! And with all the shopping, parties, and decorating, most people don’t have a lot of spare time. So what’s the answer? If you were to ask Dr. Moss he would tell you that facial injectables: BOTOX, Restylane, and Radiesse would be excellent choices for someone who wants to look better within a few days, and doesn’t have much time to spend doing so.
This article was written by Dr. Moss’ wife, office manager, and avid fan of facial injectables. This article will provide you with some basic information about these products, treatments and the results you may achieve. It will also offer you some with some “down to earth” tips on choosing a doctor for your injections.
BOTOX® Cosmetic is a purified protein that is administered via a few tiny injections. It is used to treat the frown lines between the eyes, the horizontal forehead lines, and the crow’s feet. It can also improve a droopy eyebrow. There is very little discomfort associated with this treatment and patients usually see results within four days. BOTOX® Cosmetic is considered to be a very effective treatment by physicians and patients. It is the number one cosmetic treatment provided in the United States.
Dr. Moss provides a “gold standard of treatment” when administering BOTOX® Cosmetic. Before any patient receives their injection, Dr. Moss discusses with the patient what the goals of the treatment are. He wants to make sure that he completely understands what the patient is bothered by and what she/he wishes to achieve. In addition, he feels it is important that before he starts any treatment, that the patient has a clear understanding of what can be achieved.
Dr. Moss pays particular attention to patient comfort during all injectable treatments. He uses a very tiny 32 gauge needle, which he purchases just for BOTOX® Injections. This has considerably reduced discomfort of patients during their injections. In addition, the saline that he uses to dilute the BOTOX® (BOTOX® is shipped as a dry powder) contains a preservative. This has been reported to cause less discomfort than saline that does not have a preservative. And lastly, when he mixes the BOTOX® with saline he does so in a way to have the injectable material at its strongest solution. This results in the actual volume needed to be injected being lower, while maintaining the strength of the BOTOX® being injected.
While most patients do not need any type of an anesthetic for BOTOX® injections, Dr. Moss does have a topical anesthetic cream that he or staff members can apply, prior to injection. Dr. Moss also has cold gel packs for all patients to apply after their injections if they so wish. Patient comfort is important to Dr. Moss. It is not unusual for patients to comment on how much more comfortable their treatments are with Dr. Moss.
Another important aspect to any facial injection treatment, including BOTOX® is the effectiveness of the treatment. BOTOX® injections are considered to have a high efficacy. However, the amount of BOTOX® that is injected needs to be at a sufficient level to produce the required results. The BOTOX® product itself is very expensive and is available from only one manufacturer. Dr. Moss always injects a sufficient amount of BOTOX® (usually 25 or 35 units) to get the expected result. He does not under treat and he always purchases genuine BOTOX® Cosmetic product from the manufacturer, Allergan.
The skill and training of the person providing your BOTOX® injections is critical to a good result. Dr. Moss is fully trained in BOTOX® injections and he is also a board certified plastic surgeon. This means that he has one of the highest levels of understanding of the facial anatomy of any of the specialties that provide BOTOX® injections to patients. Plastic surgeons are one of the two specialties trained to perform facelifts. (The other specialty is facial plastic surgeons.) This means that Dr. Moss understands the anatomy including the muscles and nerves underneath your facial skin. And that is what BOTOX® Cosmetic actually treats. Again, Dr. Moss provides the “Gold Standard of Care.”
Cost is another issue for patients receiving BOTOX® injections. BOTOX® lasts on average for 4 months. Therefore cost can be important, especially on a long-term basis. A patient can choose to not be retreated with BOTOX®, however they should expect their facial wrinkles to return. A complete listing of Dr. Moss’ pricing for BOTOX® is provided on his website: www.drmossthebeautyboss.com. A standard injection of BOTOX® for 1 site costs $375.00. Dr. Moss’ staff will review all costs over the phone with you and you will always be provided with an actual cost before you receive your injections. Dr. Moss wants you to be completely informed of the prices and costs at all times.
Dr. Moss’ wife has had BOTOX® injections many times in all three sites, (forehead, frown lines between eyes, and crow’s feet). Feel free to call her if you have any questions and are considering BOTOX®.
The other category of facial injections is referred to as “facial fillers.” The two products that Dr. Moss uses in this category are Restylane® and Radiesse™. These two products do not compete with BOTOX® but rather can be used to complement the results achieved with BOTOX®. A patient can also receive Restylane® or Radiesse™ without receiving BOTOX®.
Dr. Moss uses Restylane® or Radiesse™ to treat the wrinkles and lines in the lower part of the face. Both Restylane® and Radiesse™ can be used to soften the nasolabial lines that run from the nose to the mouth or the marionette lines that run down from the mouth. In addition, Restylane® can also be used to plump up the lips. Radiesse™ is not used to plump up the lips because it tends to form nodules when used in this location.
Dr. Moss is very experienced in the technique of facial filler injections. He has been providing this service for approximately 20 years. The original fillers that were used back then were the collagen products. Because Restylane® and Radiesse™, newer products to the market, last considerably longer, most patients no longer request collagen injections. Restylane® lasts on average 6 months while Radiesse™ lasts on average 1 year.
An important factor in the treatment with “facial fillers” is the local anesthetic that is provided at the time of treatment. Unlike BOTOX®, which requires no anesthetic for treatment, facial filler injections do require some type of local anesthetic in most patients. Dr. Moss is well trained in providing a “dental block” with a Novocain-like product to patients prior to their facial injections. He first uses a topical anesthetic on the gums to make the “dental block” itself as easy as possible for patients. Then after the numbing injections, he will have all patients wait at least 15 minutes before injecting with any filler. He has found that patients feel very little discomfort if he provides enough time for the “dental block” to take effect.
In addition to the dental block, Dr. Moss also applies a topical numbing cream to the facial sites that are to be injected with Restylane® or Radiesse™. Again, he finds this little bit of extra attention reduces treatment discomfort to the absolute minimum. Occasionally, Dr. Moss has a patient who wishes to forgo the “dental block” when receiving Restylane® or Radiesse™. Dr. Moss will perform “facial filler” injections without “dental blocks” if that is the patient’s choice. All patients receive a cold gel pack at the end of their injections to help minimize bruising. There is no additional charge for any of the local anesthetic services provided with the facial filler injections.
Dr. Moss provides the same high level of service with all facial filler injections. He will sit down with the patient in the examination room and ask what areas of her face she would like to see the wrinkles reduced and softened. He always tries to correct the areas that bother the patient. In addition, Dr. Moss will provide guidance to the patient so that she/he receives the best possible result.
Dr. Moss prices Restylane® and Radiesse™ treatments by the syringe. While these products are very expensive, he does offer them at attractive pricing. Dr. Moss charges $550 for one, 1.0ml syringe of Restylane®. He charges $1000 for two syringes of Restylane®, when injected at the same visit. He charges $750 for one 1.3ml syringe of Radiesse™. Patients can choose to have treatment with multiple syringes if they feel that the correction they want warrants more than one syringe. Patients can also elect to come back for additional syringes at a later date if they feel they want to further improvement. Carla Moss, Dr. Moss’ wife has had multiple injections of both Restylane® and Radiesse™, and is happy to discuss these treatments with interested callers.
If you feel that facial rejuvenation is something you would like to have Dr. Moss perform for you, please call 508-747-1322 or 781-337-2421, to set up an appointment.