When you seek cosmetic enhancements, you should have options when it comes to the results you desire. For example, you may want to reduce signs of aging in your face, but are hesitant to undergo invasive surgery to look younger.

At Medicare, you have several procedures to choose from that can rejuvenate your face, but only some involve invasive techniques. Injectable treatment is just one way to improve your appearance in a minimally invasive manner.

What causes facial aging?

Over time and as you expose your skin to numerous environmental factors, your skin will begin to change. The continuous production of collagen and elastin — the natural growth factors responsible for turning over damaged skin cells — starts to slow down, and the fat lining your face begins to decrease in volume, causing your skin to sag.

As you age, your skin continues to lose elasticity. Your face may also start to show facial folds after years of normal muscle contraction. Although facelift surgery will correct noticeable signs of aging, so too will injectable treatments.

The difference between injectables

Injectable treatments target facial aging in different ways, depending on the imperfections you exhibit. Treatment with BOTOX and Xeomin targets specific muscles in the face that cause creases on the surface of the skin. Dermal fillers, on the other hand, are administered below the surface of the skin to reduce wrinkles that occur as a result of volume loss.

You may benefit from both forms of injectable treatment, but a consultation with Dr Hobson will confirm the cause of your facial aging and find the right regimen for you. If you have wrinkles that appear whenever you use muscles on your forehead or around your eyes, you may benefit from BOTOX or Xeomin. Otherwise, your nasolabial folds, marionette lines and overall volume loss will respond better to dermal fillers.

Are injectable treatments right for you?

Whether or not you benefit from injectable treatment depends on the extent of your skin aging, as well as your cosmetic goals. You may consider BOTOX, Xeomin or dermal fillers if you desire a minimally invasive process and more subtle results than surgery would offer.

Injectable treatments are ideal for patients who are displaying some of the beginning stages of aging and who don’t want to appear as if they have had work done. They also don’t mind that injectables should ideally be administered every 6-12 months.

If you desire both permanent and more significant enhancement, then surgery may be better suited for you. The best way to determine the most beneficial treatment option is to consult with Dr Hobson. During a personal consultation, you can determine which procedures will meet your needs, and afterward, he can design a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to your cosmetic goals.

Your options with injectables

Injectables are highly innovative and use various formulations to produce patient-specific results. Depending on your particular characteristics, Dr Hobson may employ one or more of the following injectables:

BOTOX
BOTOX is a neurotoxin used to temporarily treat crow’s feet around the eyes and frown lines in between the eyebrows. The injection works by blocking the neurons in the muscle that enable it to contract, reducing the appearance of wrinkles lining the face. The treatment is one of the safest ways to reduce wrinkles without undergoing surgery.

Xeomin
Xeomin is similar to BOTOX in that it targets nerve activity in the muscles and prevents them from producing wrinkles. The difference between the formulas is that Xeomin undergoes an additional purification process to eliminate surface proteins; however, both BOTOX and Xeomin are safe and effective.

Kybella
Kybella specifically treats submental fullness, otherwise known as the double chin. In a series of six injections, Kybella uses deoxycholic acid to break down and metabolize unwanted fat around the chin. Once Kybella eliminates fat cells from the body, they cannot return, resulting in a noticeable and long-lasting reduction in submental fullness.

Restylane
Restylane is another hyaluronic acid dermal filler used to treat nasolabial folds, volume loss around the cheeks, lip lines, and marionette lines. Restylane is also able to increase fullness in the lips.

Radiesse
Radiesse plumps skin using calcium hydroxylapatite as an active ingredient. The filler provides near-immediate visible improvement, while also working to stimulate collagen production over time. Although the body eventually metabolizes Radiesse, your natural collagen remains and maintains the volume in your skin.

Belotero
Belotero Balance is a hyaluronic dermal filler used to treat fine lines and moderate wrinkles along the face. Often known as a beginning filler for patients, Belotero is capable of treating delicate areas, such as vertical lip lines or smile lines.