Botox – a technical art

Posted in: Botox | August 27, 2010 | 22 Comments »

I had a few friends visiting this week from Europe.  They had a lot of questions about Botox including safety, when to start using it, and if who should get it.  Although Botox is from “botulinum toxin” – the name is scarier than need be.  Most people don’t know this but prior to being used for cosmetic reasons, Botox was used for facial spasms, sweating, migraines, and many other medical indications for over 20 years.  It was introduced as a cosmetic product and approved by the FDA to treat glabellar lines in 2002.  Approximately 11.8 million Botox cosmetic procedures have been administered in the U.S. since then.

As to when to start?  There isn’t a set age.  Myself and many of my patients started in our late 20s’ to prevent deep wrinkle formation.  I think of it like folding a piece of paper – if you don’t keep folding it, you don’t get a deep crease.  Botox definitely helps soften lines in slightly older patients as well.  However, for patients with deep wrinkles, especially in the forehead, it may not be indicated.  Some people use their forehead muscles to raise their eyebrows and eyelids to see – if they get botox, this worsens their brow and eyelid droop.  Another plastic surgery procedure like a brow lift or blepharoplasty may be needed in this case.

As a rule of thumb, each patient is different.  I evaluate my patients individually and ask them what aesthetic look they are searching for.  Botox is a technical art and should not be taken for granted.  Every patient’s anatomy needs to be carefully considered as well as what they want to look like.  Too often I see patients with poorly placed botox resulting in abnormal joker looking eyebrows or asymmetries.  Also, Botox should be administered differently for men to keep them looking natural and masculine.  See http://www.makeyouperfect.com/services/botox-for-men/.  Patients should be wary about just choosing the cheapest place to get their botox and should consider the differences between getting treatment from a nurse, a general MD, or a plastic surgeon.  For more information you can also log onto my website http://www.makeyouperfect.com/services/botox/

Dr. Catherine Huang Begovic M.D.

Liposuction – reshape yourself!

Posted in: Liposuction | August 12, 2010 | 10 Comments »

I’ve had a few patients come into the office recently for liposuction.   Liposuction is great for targeting specific areas of fat and for re-shaping.  We all know those pesky fat pockets that won’t go away no matter how hard we work out.  Liposuction can help change the contour of your leg, chin, and waistline.

Patients sometimes ask about the scars.  Tiny stab incisions less than a centimeter in length are made in discrete areas.  They heal really well – in most patients you can barely see their liposuction scars, especially a year after surgery when they are completely healed.  Patients also worry about skin dimpling and abnormal scarring.  Though these complications can happen – using the appropriately sized liposuction cannula with good, careful technique should minimize these problems.  Also, a lot of the way the skin sits after liposuction depends on the individual person’s skin quality.  Liposuction is one of the most common plastic surgery procedures performed – especially in young women.  My patients like the way they fit better in clothes and in swimwear.  For more information on the procedure, please log onto my website http://www.makeyouperfect.com/services/liposuction

Dr. Catherine Huang-Begovic M.D.