High School Reunion: Look Better than You Ever Have!

or at least look like your Facebook photos!

Ok, so I haven’t yet gone to any of my reunions… I run into people from my High School every now and again (you know… While I’m Botoxing them in my office….).  It is always great to catch up with the people who knew you when… Unless you don’t like them.  Then it’s great to look better then they do.

As as for the ex-boyfriend factor… Personally, I ran into one of my high school ex’s recently… Ehhhh what was I thinking?!?!?!!!!!!  (Dad, you were right about all my boyfriends!).  Even so, it can’t hurt to look uber attractive at a big reunion.  I just picture Romy and Michelle… Inventing post-it notes.  Ugh… And that AWEFUL football player.  Insert theme music:  time after time.  Love that song.  Sorry… I digress!

A reunion is as good a reason as any to want to look good.  Feeling good about yourself physically boosts your positive self-image and brings out an all-around better you!  And what could be more attractive then that?

So get pumped, start that diet, buy some AMahZing shoes, check out my video, and make them jealous.  Or just have fun… 🙂

VBlog Reunion

Restylane Silk for Aging Lips

  

A New Addition to the Restylane Family

Restylane Silk is now FDA approved for submucosal implantation for lip augmentation and dermal implantation for correction of perioral rhytids (smoker’s lines) and it is currently available on the US market.   This product provides a subtle solution to aging signs around the lip and mouth area.  It’s greatest quality is subtle enhancement; your lips will not look “done” or “artificial.”  

  

Hyaluronic Acid for Lip Augmentation

Although Restylane Silk is the first product to be FDA approved for lips, we have been using other products for years.  Juvederm and Restylane are commonly used to augment the lips in an “off-label” treatment (FDA approval costs millions of dollars and takes many years.  These products are all very safe to inject in the lips by a trained professional).  

These products, along with Belotero, are all in the hyaluronic acid family.  Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a sugar your body naturally produces; these products are synthetic gels.  Because your body naturally makes this sugar, the chances of being allergic are almost zero.  This family of products IS reversible, if for any reason, you are unhappy with the results.

The molecular structure of Silk is smaller, and the product flows to where it is needed.  It doesn’t over bulk, and is a perfect finishing agent for fine lines.  

Which product is best is really dependent on who the client is, and what result they want.  If you are looking for subtle and natural lip augmentation, Restylane Silk is the product for you!  

My Experience 

At the beginning of March, I was told this product would be available and I was so excited to try it.  Lip augmentation has always been a specialty of mine, and I was told “I would love this product for the vermillion border” (where the color changes from pink to skin-toned).  

 

I was excited to try it, but my idea of an “ideal” client for this product was way off!  I first tried it on a 24 year-old patient.  She (and I for that matter) were not impressed, it looked like nothing was done.  Then I realized I was supposed to be using it for a whole different population of client.  The older patient who didn’t want to look like anything was done!   Oops… Probably should have read the email about the product FIRST. 

So then I tried it on an employee in her 50’s.  The results blew me away!  Like always, the pictures do the results no justice.   

The final result is very natural looking.  It is hard to see from the picture, but the before has a defined ridge above the lip, which is SO much improved with the Silk injections.  (The spray tan and make-up can throw you off in the after pictures.) 

The technique used to inject this product is VERY different than previous products used to treat lips.  If incorrectly injected, the product will not give you the best results, cause swelling, and has been reported as painful by patients.  This product requires the knowledge and expertise of a skilled injector.  

I had a few clients trial the product (including my awesome mom!).  They sent me their after pictures via text.  Again, not the greatest quality pictures, but every client was extremely happy with the results and gave great feedback.  (Thank you ladies!). 

    

Final Thoughts

Because the typical Silk client is older, make sure you consider timing in booking an appointment for this procedure.  Like any injectable product, swelling and bruising are always a possibility.  You want to avoid icing post-procedure to allow the product to smoothly integrate into the tissue.  If you have a big meeting at work the next day, you probably should reschedule (…the meeting OBVIOUSLY!  Who wants to wait for such amazing results!  Plus, then the meeting will go better with your new confidence!).   

How long will a bruise last?  Remember everyone is different.  Some people don’t bruise at all.  Check out my blog on bruising info.  

Other Uses

I read Silk was also a fabulous filler to use in the glabellar crease… Blog post coming soon!   

For questions or to book an appointment with me, call my office at 781-235-4957.  You can also book online at http://www.LauraKimberleyRN.com.  

When Tear Trough Fillers Go Bad…

Don’t worry!  You can be fixed!

There are plenty of scary things on the internet about aesthetic injectables gone wrong, and although I hate to add fuel to that fire (because majority of the time the result is amazing!), I had a client come see me over the holidays who was having one of such situations (not from me!).  She allowed her pictures to be used, so should someone else experience a similar situation, they would hopefully find her story!

Remember, no one is every perfect, and filler is meant to improve your natural beauty.

I have had many people contact me about tear troughs.  Belotero is a game changer for this area, and I LOVE the results from it.  I am very experienced with this area and this product.  If you are seeking tear trough augmentation, make sure you seek out someone who specializes in it!

Because Photoshop doesn’t work in person… only on the internet!

Want a good photographer?  Everyone should have one!  Check out one of my favorite fashion photographers, Alyssa Silvestri.

More info on Belotero?  Check out my previous blogs!

Video Blog: Tear Trough Augmentation.

Video Blog: Tear Trough Augmentation

Check out my video blog on YouTube: 

One of my favorite procedures to do since the introduction of Belotero Balance in the United States last October.

The tear trough is a grooved demarcation where the cheek skin meets the much thinner and highly vascular eye skin.  Because of the anatomy of this area, a thinner hyaluronic acid like Belotero is the perfect product (Belotero: The Buzz.).  It does not last as long as the more viscous hyaluronic acids, but it also has fewer complications.

Treatments in the middle third of the face, which contains the eyes, nose, and cheeks, require an aesthetic eye and advanced knowledge of facial anatomy.  Filling the tear trough area often requires cheek augmentation as well in order to look natural.  The cheeks can require a large amount of product depending on the degree of volume depletion.  Make sure you discuss this with your injector prior to injections!

This is a very advanced procedure, make sure you check out before and after pictures before being injected!  Many practioners do not offer this procedure because of the advanced training and skill it requires.  When done correctly, it looks AMAZING.  I’m not even a very good iPhone photographer, and I have some great before and after’s on my Pinterest and in other blog posts:

More Belotero!.

I hope you enjoyed my video.  They are really hard to make!

Preventative Botox

The 40-52 year-old age group continues to be the majority of Botox recipients, but injections continue to become increasingly popular amongst younger clients (ASPS 2013 Plastic Surgery Statistics Report).

It’s Never too Soon to Start Botox!

One in four women over the age of 30 is interested in learning more about Botox injections. It is around this age we start to really notice fine lines on our faces. It is actually better to start treating the fine lines of the face at a younger age, preventing the fine lines from becoming deeply etched “railroad tracks,” as one patient of mine in her early 30’s, L.M., so lovingly called her forehead.

There is no specific age that is “perfect;” it’s never too late to start, and so long as you’re over the age of 18 and you have wrinkles forming at rest, you are a candidate for Botox injections. I have a few clients in their lower 20’s with the skin of a 40 year old. The scale we use to determine the age your skin looks is called the Glogau Scale.

Does your skin look the age it should according to the Glogau Scale? If you think your skin looks older than it should don’t put off trying Botox because you think you need to wait to be a certain age to start. Botox will prevent the premature advancement of mild to moderate wrinkles to “railroad track” status. Botox will completely erase mild to moderate lines with small “natural” looking doses. As lines progress into the advanced to severe stages, higher doses are necessary to soften the lines. At a certain point, Botox will not completely get rid of deep wrinkles, and fillers are needed in conjunction with Botox treatments. Yep… starts to get expensive. Starting early means less Botox needs to be injected, and if you keep up with it regularly, the amount you need will decrease in number of units and periods between treatment times, due to muscle atrophy (your muscles become weaker and more sensitive to the product. And your metabolism slows down… the one good thing about that is that the body doesn’t metabolize your Botox as fast. Or cake. Unfortunately. 😦

Being preventative is always the best approach to your health. SUNBLOCK is your first line of defense! But if you feel like your skin is looking older than it should, a lil Botox never hurt anyone.

I’d say a majority of my patients are in the 20-45 year old age range. It’s becoming more acceptable to openly talk about doing Botox amongst younger people. (Although there’s always that one person who has to put their negative opinion in the mix when it comes up. THEY would NEVER do it. Yea… I’ll see them in five years, when all their friends are doing it!).

L.M. started doing Botox a few years ago, and doesn’t regret it at all! Her cousin started coming with her to see me, who then brought her friends and her sisters. These women are all starting in their early 30’s, and they look amazing. You would have no idea they are doing Botox unless they told you. They are all health-conscious and hard working (ie not Desperate Housewives!). It is also such a bonding experience to share amongst your close friends. Nothing says friendship like a needle to the face… Errrrr…

If you’re thinking about doing Botox, talk to a professional about whether or not it’s right for you. And if there’s one quote I’ve heard over and over again it’s

No one ever regrets having kids, getting divorced, or doing Botox.

What is Beauty?

The secret factors that contribute to defining human beauty.

A Youthful Appearance

This being my area of expertise, it’s hard to know where to start, but first and foremost, I consider myself a bio-dork, so I’ll start there!

Biology of Youth–Universal

The biological purpose of reproduction creates attraction to a youthful appearance by both men and women.

Researches have found the female perception of beauty changes throughout the month (just like us woman to change our minds!).  Women typically prefer a mature, masculine looking man.  These characteristics include a heart-shaped face and small chin with full lips.

During menstruation, however, woman are typically more attracted to softer, more youthful features.  These include a small nose, large eyes, and defined cheekbones (which males find to be attractive characteristics for females).

Work, work, work! –Cultural

Thanks to medical advancements, we’re living years longer, and thanks to the economy, we now have to work during those extra years!  The lines on our faces reflect the years of hard work, dedication, and stress from work and life in general.  And let’s face it, the depth of the lines are in direct proportion the difficulty of life experiences.  Although not technically visible, these experiences have a direct effect on our psychological traits as well.  Therefore, one could make the jump that an older appearance on the outside reflects negative traits on the inside (I’m not saying it’s right or it makes sense).

“I want to look the age I feel” -Personal

Yes, it is our culture to jump to conclusions from physical characteristics to psychological traits, making personal beauty to many a reflection of how they feel on the inside.

Yes, life makes us feel tired sometimes, but it’s also full of exciting events!  Graduations, marriages, reunions, divorce (hey, for some people it’s a good thing!), children, grandchildren!  All these things make us happy; they spark that joy we associate with being young and excited.  Is it wrong to want your face to reflect this youthful joy?

Youth, No Longer Wasted On the Young