This is a picture of Carla Moss having her broken capillaries (telangiectasias) around her nose treated. The treatment is painless and you look normal after treatment.

Dr. Samaha has a cosmetic surgical practice similar to that of Dr. Moss and like Dr. Moss performs many procedures such as breast augmentation, abdominoplasty surgery, and liposuction as well as many facial procedures. In addition to his surgical practice Dr. Samaha has opened a Skin Wellness Center within his practice and also offers many of the current treatments for skin care such as Photodynamic Therapy (PDT), the Titan Laser, Photo Laser, and the Genesis Laser Treatments. These treatments provide improvements to the skin with very little down time. Dr. Samaha also provides treatments with an Erbium laser. For more information on specific treatments please go to www.bostonplastic.com This link will take you directly to Boston Plastic Surgery website pages that are specific to the laser skin care treatments.

Because Dr. Moss has chosen not to include laser skin treatments within his practice, his wife, Carla, needed to seek treatment in another physician’s office. Well aware of the quality work provided by Kathy Antonowicz R.E., R.I., she chose to have her treatment provided by Kathy. “There is an absolute proliferation of medical skin spas but unfortunately many of them are not overseen by physicians that have a background in cosmetic surgery,” states Carla Moss. “Many of these spas are in the local malls and the main streets of many of our towns and cities. The actual facilities may be very impressive from an aesthetic standpoint, but it is often near impossible to figure out who is the physician in charge is and what specialty he/she is board certified in,” she further explains.

It is so important that potential patients understand that while many of these treatments are performed by licensed medical aestheticians, they are done so under the medical license of a physician. It is important that the medical aesthetician has easy access to this physician for questions and advice and that the physician has extensive training and education in the area of cosmetic laser procedures and safety. Plastic surgery is one of the few board certified specialties that include training in the use of lasers for cosmetic treatments in both their residency programs and in their courses for continuing education.

Medical lasers are usually classified as Class IV lasers. These are considered the lasers having the strongest effect and capability and need to be operated under the safest of conditions. “I always feel very comfortable with my safety when I am being treated at the Skin Wellness Center in the office of Boston Plastic Surgery,” Carla Moss says. “Kathy is very knowledgeable and follows all the safety precautions.”

The new spring colors in the Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup

On a lighter topic it should be noted that a new order of Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup has arrived. “I was so excited to look at the new spring colors,” said Carla Moss. “I started using this makeup at my very first laser session and found it to be my favorite brand. I love the way it evens out my skin tone in a very natural way. In addition, I have very sensitive skin and have had no allergy or irritation problems with the Jane Iredale line.”

This picture shows Kathy and me selecting my Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup purchases. Please note that my skin shows no discoloration or irritation from the laser treatment I had just received from Kathy.

It should also be noted that Dr. Samaha moved his practice and the Skin Wellness Center a few months ago to a lovely new location at 2300 Crown Colony Drive, in Quincy. This new office also houses an in office accredited Surgery Center as well as Dr. Samaha’s medical practice and the Skin Wellness Center. Anyone interested in an appointment can call 888-806-4844 or 617-786-7600 and ask for an appointment.

Boston Botox patient brow at rest before	Boston Botox patient brow raised before
Boston Botox patient brow at rest after	Boston Botox patient brow raised after

Most patients have the full benefit of BOTOX® about four days from their BOTOX® injections. Allergan Inc. the corporation that markets BOTOX® states that all patients should wait up until 2 weeks before determining whether or not their result is satisfactory or whether they want additional BOTOX® injected to improve their result. Most patients find that their initial injections with Dr. Moss are satisfactory and do not require additional material to be injected.

The results from BOTOX® injections last on average for four months, at which point patients should expect to be re-injected in order to maintain their result.

So if you don’t like the New England weather, wait a few days. It will change. If you don’t like the wrinkles on your face, don’t wait. Call Dr. Moss at 508-747-1322 and schedule an appointment for BOTOX® injections.

Not enough kisses under the mistletoe this year?

Boston facial filler expert, Richard A. Moss M.D. has the perfect solution. Restylane® injections to fill out and plump up your lips! “Restylane® is one of the most popular ‘fillers’ currently being used to plump up thin lips,” states Dr. Moss. “It is an ideal filler in that it fills out the lips while still leaving them with a natural feel. It can also be used to improve the appearance of nasolabial folds (those pesky vertical lines that run from the nose to the side of the mouth).

Richard A. Moss M.D. finds that around the holidays the number of patients interested in facial injectables sharply increases. “The number of patients scheduling appointments for BOTOX®, Restylane®, Perlane®, and Radiesse®, dramatically rises around Thanksgiving and remains at a very high level until after New Years Day. We stock a number of facial injectable products so that I can personally tailor a patient’s treatment to her individual needs and desired results”.

A Restylane expert, Dr. Moss explains that most women want to look their best around the holidays for all the family, friends and business celebrations. “Many of my patients just want a freshening up. Some are concerned that while they want to look younger they don’t want a radical change. Something that says you look ‘rested’ but not an obvious ‘overhaul’ is often what the goal is”.

Dr. Moss further explains that lips are starting to play an increasingly greater part in the rejuvenation process for many women. “No longer are they satisfied with reducing the wrinkles, they also want the lip fullness that is recognized as an important part of a youthful appearance. This is all part of the trend in the anti-aging industry of not just removing excess skin but replacing ‘lost volume.’ Even facial cosmetic surgery is trending towards the replacement or realignment of lost facial fat pad volume, not just redraping the facial skin and excising the excess.”

“Even those patients who are avid cosmetic surgery patients are supplementing their surgical results with facial fillers (Restylane®, Radiesse®, and Perlane®) for a more natural look,” explains Dr. Moss.

Another popular reason that many patients turn to Restylane® injections in their lips is that, if it is injected along the edges of the lip, (referred to as the vermilion border), there can be a reduction in the depth of lip lines around the mouth. “Women especially hate these lip lines. Lipstick bleeds into them, accentuating an already unpleasant feature of their face. And unlike men, then can’t grow a beard,” Dr. Moss further explains.

Dr. Moss has two different injection techniques for the lips. He can inject along the vermilion border of the lip to help reduce lip lines and improve definition or he can inject into the body of the lips to plump them up. He can also perform a combination of the two techniques. “One of the challenges of injecting along the vermillion border is to avoid overdoing it so that the patient still retains a natural appearance. Often times I will utilize both techniques for an optimum result. If a patient has no lip lines then I might inject just into the body of the lip as it is unnecessary to inject the vermilion border,” explains Dr. Moss. “It is so important to individually tailor the injection treatment to the patient’s specific issues and goals.”

Before	After

This Boston facial filler patient had 1 syringe of Restylane®. Dr. Moss injected part of the syringe along the vermillion border of her lips and the remainder of the syringe into the body of her lips. No other area of her face was injected.

When looking for facial injectables, patients should direct as much attention to the qualifications of the injector as they are to the material they are selecting for injection (BOTOX®, Restylane®, Perlane®, and Radiesse®). Dr. Moss is board certified in Plastic Surgery and has twenty six years of experience. All of the training that he continually receives to stay current is in the area of cosmetic surgery and facial injectables. So before the holidays are over, call 508-747-1322 or 781-337-2421 to schedule an appointment. Dr. Moss’ staff will be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Facial Injectables are a great way to refresh your appearance for the Holidays!

Dr. Moss recently performed a number of facial injectables on his wife; Lisa a new staff member photographed the entire process. Lisa also photographed the before and after pictures. Carla routinely has Radiesse® injections to lessen her nasolabial folds (lines from nose to mouth) and Restylane® injections in her lips to make them fuller. She also has BOTOX® injections to eliminate the lines on her forehead and brow as well as around her eyes to reduce the crow’s feet.

Carla Moss before her facial injectables	Carla Moss after her facial injectables

For more close up before and after pictures please scroll to the bottom of this article!

Dr. Moss first applies an internal topical numbing gel

Dr. Moss then injects a “dental block” of a Novocain like substance. This injection is identical to what a patient has in a dentist’s office.

Dr. Moss then applies an external topical numbing cream to the sites that he will inject with Radiesse® and Restylane®

Dr. Moss then marks the sites of injection for BOTOX® with a red iodine ointment. The red color is easy to identify and iodine has an antibacterial effect on the skin. He has the patient move their facial muscles to mark the sites of injection. Please note that because Dr. Moss uses a very small 32 gauge needle, Carla can barely feel the injections.

Dr. Moss then injects the BOTOX® into all of the spots that he has marked with Betadine ointment. Here he is injecting the forehead.

This picture shows Dr. Moss injecting around the eyes to eliminate some of the lines that are commonly referred to as crows feet.

Before starting the injections of facial fillers Dr. Moss has patients wipe off all of the Betadine ointment from the BOTOX® injections and also all of the numbing cream around the mouth.

Please note that during Carla’s injections in the pictures shown below she can barely feel any of the needles as she has been numbed by the “dental block” and topical numbing creams.

Dr. Moss then proceeds to inject the upper lip with Restylane®. Restylane® is the product used most frequently for injections in the lips.

Dr. Moss then proceeds to inject the lower lip with Restylane®.

Dr. Moss will often ask the patient to take a look in the mirror at the result so far, during the injections. He then will ask the patient where they want more of the product injected. This way the patient has a better chance of getting the correction of wrinkles and the fullness to the lips “where they want it.” Some patients want fuller lips than others and Dr. Moss always wants to accommodate what a patient wants concerning the final result. In addition, some wrinkles bother patients more than others. It is important that Dr. Moss address those first in order to ensure that there is enough injectable material to handle a patient’s concerns.

Dr. Moss then injects Carla’s nasolabial folds with Radiesse®.

Some patients choose to have Restylane® or Perlane® injected in their nasolabial folds. Patient choice usually dictates what product the patient wants injected. Dr. Moss reviews each product and its characteristics with every patient.

Dr. Moss tries to even out the nasolabial folds. Most patients have one side that is more pronounced than the other.

This picture shows Carla immediately after all of the injections. There is very little indication of the BOTOX® injections while there is some swelling and bruising evident from the Restylane® and Radiesse® injections.

This shows Carla Moss the day after injections. There is some bruising but it can be covered with makeup.

The before and after pictures! The after pictures are taken about 1 week later.

Forehead before	Forehead after
Brow before	Brow after
Crow’s feet before	Crow’s feet after
Lips and nasolabial folds before	Lips and nasolabial folds after

Moss prides himself with the quality of service offered to his facial injectable patients. All facial injectable treatments are performed by Dr. Moss himself. He prides himself in the attention given to the details of both the injection itself and the numbing process. “Even though it takes a little longer, we have the patient wait 15 minutes after the injection of the “dental block” and the application of the numbing cream to make sure they really are anesthetized, before I inject the facial fillers,” says Dr. Moss. “All injectable material is company name branded product meant for use in the United States. I provide only the top level of service when it comes to injections of BOTOX®, Restylane®, Perlane®, and Radiesse®, Dr. Moss exclaims!

Are you unhappy with ugly brown spots or broken capillaries on your face? Perhaps you find that fine mustache embarrassing?

Or maybe it’s those dreaded fine lines above your lips that so many women call us about. “My lipstick keeps bleeding into these lines!” they tell us. “I hate it!” they further emphasize. Or maybe you are one of the lucky callers who can wear a bikini, but are tired of the continual “bikini wax” treatments and are looking for something more permanent in the area of hair removal. Or maybe you would be delighted to just be able to wear some shorts without your legs screaming “spider veins, spider veins!” to anyone who happens to walk behind you.

If you can relate to any of the above, read on. This blog article is just for you. Today’s technology can help you achieve your goal. You just need to know where to start and who to see for treatment. This article is going to be somewhat different because instead of taking another close look into the practice of Dr. Moss, his wife Carla is going to take you on a “field trip” to another plastic surgeon’s office. We are going to visit the office of Dr. Fouad Samaha, who is a colleague of Dr. Moss’ and “board certified” in Plastic Surgery, just like Dr. Moss is. We will also introduce you to Kathy Antonowicz, R.E., R.I., who is a Medical Aesthetician employed by Dr. Samaha. Dr. Samaha’s practice is also known as Boston Plastic Surgery.

As you will learn in this blog article, to have the capability to properly treat the myriad of skin conditions discussed above, requires that certain technology (such as lasers) be available in the office. The purchase of this equipment can run in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. It also requires employing a medical aesthetician and keeping her training current (as well as that of the physician overseeing this medical aesthetician). In addition it requires an office that is large enough to house the various equipment as well as space for the medical aesthetician to consult and see patients. And lastly, it requires the time and willingness of the physician to run and oversee what is in many ways another business, in addition to his/her existing plastic surgery practice. For these reasons some plastic surgeons have decided to get into the “Medical Skin Spa” business and some have decided they would rather not, and just concentrate on their existing plastic surgery practice of cosmetic surgery and facial injections (BOTOX, Restylane, and Radiesse).

This is the Cutera XEO Platform. It provides multiple treatment devices and multiple energy sources, such as various wavelength laser energy, and intelligent pulsed light energy. It is considered state-of-the-art-technology for treatment of skin conditions. This equipment provides treatment for conditions such as:

Dr. Moss chose not to open a “Medical Skin Spa.” He preferred to concentrate on his existing practice of breast augmentation surgery, tummy tuck surgery, (abdominoplasty surgery), rhinoplasty surgery and facial injectables such as BOTOX, Restylane, and Radiesse. Dr. Moss also performs many of the other commonly performed cosmetic surgery procedures. Therefore, whenever his patients or callers have need of skin care treatments that require the technology such as laser treatments Dr. Moss will refer them to another office that he feels will provide the same high level of care as provided in his own office.

Dr. Moss refers patients that are in need of these laser treatments to the office of Dr. Fouad Samaha. Dr. Samaha has the same credentials as Dr. Moss in that he is “board certified” in plastic surgery. His cosmetic surgical practice is very similar to that of Dr. Moss in that he performs a wide variety of cosmetic procedures such as tummy tucks (abdominoplasty surgery) and breast augmentation surgery. Dr. Samaha decided to include Medical Skin Spa services within his office a few years ago. He has expended much time and energy in providing patients with a safe and pleasant experience. When Dr. Moss’ wife needed some laser skin care she chose to have her treatments at Dr. Samaha’s office. The following is a recap in Carla Moss’ own words about her experience with Kathy Antonowicz, R.E., R.I., Medical Aesthetician for Dr. Samaha.

“I am 55 years old and had been noticing an increasing number of unsightly red marks on my face. I knew from being “in the business” that I would need to have treatment with either a laser or intense pulsed light (IPL). Since this was not a service we provided, I knew that I would need to go to the office of one of our colleagues. I am fortunate in that I have an inside knowledge of the available choices. I had met Dr. Samaha and his Nurse, Practice Manager, Maureen Walls and found them both to be extremely pleasant. I also have a personal background in medical lasers before I worked in my husband’s office so I had the capability and expertise to evaluate an office more closely than most patients would be able to.

I was extremely pleased with Kathy Antonowicz, R.E., R. I., Medical Aesthetician for Dr. Samaha. First let’s just say she is a nice person and easy to be with. And that means a lot to a patient. Secondly, she excels in her profession. She understands the technology and how it affects the different layers of skin. This is so important. Patients often think that lasers are these magical wands we just wave around that perform miracles without much effort on anyone’s part. Laser (and other energy sources such as intensed light pulse or radio frequency) are extremely complex and their interaction with the various tissue levels can be mind boggling. You don’t want an amateur working on your face with this equipment. You want expertise and experience.

Kathy has both. Kathy has a strong medical background with formal training as both a dental assistant and a registered electrologist. She has over ten years experience with lasers in the field of plastic surgery. I felt that in speaking with her she had an excellent understanding of the procedures, their efficacy and most importantly my safety. Another plus is that she is working under the direction of a “board certified” plastic surgeon and not some other medical specialty that has nothing to do with my face. Please understand that the FDA has mandated that these lasers be used under the care and responsibility of a physician. So if you ever walk into a “Medical Skin Spa” where the décor is beautiful but you can’t tell who is the physician in charge is; I suggest you decline treatment.

First Kathy and I discussed my goals. She understood exactly what my issues were and we proceeded with treatment that very first visit. The office offers free one hour initial consultations where patients can go home and think about it first. I did not need to think about it. So we proceeded with treatment.

Here is Kathy and I reviewing risks and complications after deciding what treatment is appropriate for me.

I found the treatment to be easy. I hardly felt any discomfort at all and at the end found myself almost falling asleep. Kathy uses very cold gel to make the treatment more comfortable.

Here I am receiving my treatment for my broken red capillaries. Please note the use of patient eye shields on me and laser safety glasses on Kathy. Kathy uses the nd:yag laser handpiece for this treatment.

In addition to the broken capillaries Kathy is also treating my face with Laser Genesis. This treatment utilizes the same nd:yag handpiece (as shown above) but with different settings. This treatment works deeper in the dermis and has been proven to stimulate the creation of new collagen, giving one’s face a more youthful appearance. It has also been found to soften fine lines, shrink pores and decrease or eliminate redness found deeper in the epidermis.

The third treatment (hence the terminology 3D Skin Rejuvenation™) that Kathy is providing me is called Titan™. She is using this treatment to enhance the skin tone under my chin, which has some laxity due to my age (55 years old). The Titan™ utilizes the XEO Platform by Cutera as its energy source, but utilizes a different hand piece specifically designed for the Titan treatment. This treatment uses infrared light to heat tissue to the deep dermis. During the procedure, the skin’s top surface (epidermis) is protected through continuous cooling with the Titan hand piece.

Here I am being treated with the Titan™. Notice that the hand piece has a wider base. I have had a mini face lift in the past (over ten years ago), but mini face lift does not address the area under the chin. I am not ready for a full face lift which does address under the chin. This is giving me a non surgical method of addressing the area under my chin. If a patient has a large amount of sag in the neck area and under the chin, a face lift might be a better choice.

A patient needs to keep in mind realistic expectations for these treatments. Some results are more dramatic than others and some skin conditions require more treatments than others. During the initial consultation, Kathy will discuss what she expects the treatment duration to be. She is able to offer patients “package prices” to make the treatments more financially attractive. To get your best results patients should be willing to have the number of treatments that Kathy recommends.

So how do you look after treatment? My face was a little red but certainly presentable to go back to work or about my daily schedule.

Here I am immediately after treatment with both laser and infra light. Kathy has performed an individualized “3D” Skin Rejuvenation for me. I have no make up on.

Now for the fun part! Kathy can apply make-up so you look fine when you leave the office.

Kathy uses the Jane Iredale line of mineral cosmetics. I think this line is wonderful! It goes on so smoothly and gives such a nice look to your skin. Plenty of color choices to choose from. Plus Kathy explains how to apply it for best results. I have cheek bones! I had no allergy or irritation problems with the Jane Iredale line, which is something I have experienced in the past with many of the commercial lines, even the expensive lines found in high end department stores.

Great products from Jane Iredale are available from Kathy. They are not overpriced and she carries a complete line with many shades. My favorite product this summer was the bronzer. It gives natural color to my face without looking like I had a double dose of “spray on tan.” They are available for immediate purchase in the office.

Here I am ready to leave. There is a little redness to my face. By the following morning my skin had no redness and had returned to normal (minus some of the unsightly red spots).

So what are my results? Before treatment I had unsightly broken capillaries around my nose. My face was blotchy. I was starting to use my under eye concealer as an all over makeup base. I did not want to be seen without foundation on.

Today those unsightly broken capillaries are greatly diminished in the worst areas and gone in other areas. The treatments have evened out my skin tone and I have seen improvement over the three treatments with skin texture. When I look at my face without any foundation or cover up on, I see a noticeable difference. Although I have had only one treatment with the Titan™, I sense some improvement there as well. The skin does not seem so lax.

I am delighted with my results. Treatment has far exceeded what I expected. I feel that what has contributed to my result is a combination of Kathy’s expertise and the state-of-the-art equipment that she has to work with. She tailors her treatment and the technology used to the patient’s specific issues and problem(s).

Although this blog article has dealt primarily with my skin care issues, I would like to mention that Kathy’s services go beyond the Cutera XEO Platform and lasers. Kathy has other lasers available, specifically one that treats acne. She also performs micro dermabrasion as well as various skin peels.”

Here’s a picture of Kathy with the Cutera XEO Platform and two of the hand pieces.

You can make an appointment with Kathy by calling Dr. Samaha’s office Monday through Friday 9-5 at: 781-331-3222.

Appointments with Kathy are available for consultation and treatment on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

You can also learn more about Kathy at Dr. Samaha’s website: www.bostonplastic.com.

Dr. Samaha’s office accepts credit cards as well as cash and checks.

Learn More About Non-Surgical Options in Boston

• Read About Cosmetic Injectables in Boston
• Get Information About Cosmetic Injectables in Boston