Monocheek syndrome: What to do if you have been overfilled with fillers.
Advantages of Fillers
One major appeal of hyaluronic fillers like Perlane, Restylane, and Juvederm–arguably some of today’s best facial fillers for many individuals–is the relative ease with which treatment can be given, modified, and even reversed. Opting to have facial filler strategically placed in areas of volume deficiency can greatly enhance your facial contour and restore the full features that are associated with youth. The type of filler or fillers you need and their placement will depend upon your unique facial structure and concerns, as well as medical history. In many cases, treatment of dark circles under the eyes can be achieved with Restylane and greatly complimented by Perlane placed in the upper cheek.
Treatment by facial fillers is a nonsurgical, comfortable procedure that can be performed as a comfortable, simple office visit to a qualified and experienced cosmetic surgeon who specializes in fillers and facial balance. The benefits of these hyaluronic fillers are long-lasting. Patients often find that under eye treatments can last a year and in some cases up to two years. This means that these nonsurgical results rival the longevity of surgical results and often exceeds the results of surgery.
Flexibility and Corrections with Fillers in the Cheek
However, if for any reason you are dissatisfied with your treatment, need a simple adjustment, or desire further consultation, your doctor can alter or essentially erase your filler results by using the enzyme hyaluronidase. In the case of an individual who has been overfilled with fillers, such as too much Perlane in the cheek. Overfill can take a couple of common forms. One type of over treatment is described by Dr. Steinsapir as the “monocheek” syndrome. This describes the situation when the top of the cheek is overfilled causing the lower eyelid crease to be filled up. It appears as though the cheek extends right up to the eyelashes. Another overfill syndrome is when the doctor overfills the cheek to low. This look is called the “New New Face” by Jonathan Van Meter. It makes the face look like a caricature of one’s face.
These overfill syndromes do not look natural. These treatments can be shaped to make the effect look much more natural. Correction by hyaluronidase is accomplished via small injections, which are comfortably and performed in the office. Typically, Dr. Steinsapir can help you completely resolve your concerns in just one or two office visits. The ease and safety of the correction means that there is just no reason why an individual should have to put up with dissatisfactory results. Dr. Steinsapir finds that some individuals put off being corrected because they are hoping the results will resolve on their own. However, because these treatments last a very long time, he advises having the service adjusted as early as possible to get the longest benefit from the treatment.
Expertise
The key with any satisfactory cosmetic treatment is choosing the right doctor. In most cases, your original cosmetic surgeon will be eager to correct your filler treatment with the hyaluronidase enzyme. Unfortunately, there are also underqualified medi-spas and nonspecialists performing these services, and this lack of expertise can be the reason you received too much filler, or filler that was not optimally placed in the precise anatomic areas where you need it. In such a case, it’s advisable to seek a second opinion from a board-certified cosmetic surgeon who makes facial fillers a major focus of his or her practice, and who has proven success and leadership in the field. As one of the top 3% users of Restylane and Perlane within the U.S., and as a Physician Consultant for Medicis, Inc. who distributes these fillers, Dr. Steinsapir provides unparalleled filler services and experience. If you are dissatisfied with treatment or desire a second opinion, you do not need to wait any longer. Please call us today to learn how you can improve your experience and achieve immediate benefits.
About Dr. Steinsapir
Dr. Steinsapir is a board certified eye surgeon and fellowship-trained in oculoplastic surgery and cosmetic surgery in Los Angeles where he specializes in balanced facial cosmetic surgery for natural results, with an emphasis on minimally invasive techniques, fast recovery time, and leadership in medical technology. Dr. Steinsapir has a private practice and also serves as an Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Contact us today to learn how Dr. Steinsapir’s experience and training make him an expert in cosmetic surgery, which can be a vital part of your evidence-based treatment plan.
Services described may be “off-label” and lack FDA approval. This article is informational and does not constitute an advertisement for off-label treatment. No services should be provided without a good faith examination by a licensed physician or surgeon and an informed consent with a discussion of risks, benefits, alternatives, and the likelihood of treatment success. Only you and your treating physician or surgeon can determine if a treatment is right for you.
Will photo facial treatments affect my Restylane service?
Minimally invasive procedures have become a very popular way of improving one’s appearance. Several different treatments can be performed at one time minimizing downtime. Photo facial and facial filling with Restylane and Perlane is a very common combination of services. The fillers address volume deficiencies like under eye dark circles, lip lines, loss of facial fullness and Photo facial can improve sun damage, facial redenss to even the complexion. The filler is placed sufficiently deep in or below the skin that it is unaffected by the Photo facial. So there is no reason to be concerned if you are having both services at the same time or if you previously were treated with fillers. Your suitability for either or both of these procedures is best determined at a private consultation with a qualified oculoplastic surgeon or cosmetic surgeon. The good news is that these procedures are compatible, safe, and comfortable.
Understanding the basis for how Restylane and Fotofacial both work will clarify why it is safe to receive both treatments. Photo facial is an intense pulse light treatment (IPL) that improves red spots, small blood vessels, and sun damage. These treatments are the basis for photo facials, and they are generally delivered over the course of four to six sessions at three weeks intervals. This is sufficient time to see improvements in your skin’s appearance, creating a more even tone and skin firming. Fotofacial works by directly treating your skin where the sun damage, pigmentary, and capillaries responsible for redness reside.
Restylane treatment, on the other hand, is carefully placed under the skin to correct deficiencies in facial volume, such as the under eye circle. For example, under eye Restylane is safely placed beneath the skin to address the volume needs, thus improving what we perceive as dark circles under the eyes. Because Restylane works from under the skin while Fotofacial directly targets the skin itself, Restylane treatments are unaffected by IPL treatment, and vice versa.
It is important to always disclose your complete past and current medical history with your physician as you develop your treatment plan. This will ensure that your care is as safe and personalized as possible. Dr. Steinsapir specializes in both Fotofacial and Restylane treatments and is the inventor of of Deepfill Restylane method, the breakthrough approach to correcting under eye hollows. Dr. Steinsapir is friendly and approachable, and will gladly answer your questions and help you feel confident in your treatment choices. Call us today to schedule an individualized consultation and see results.
About Dr. Steinsapir
Dr. Steinsapir is a board certified eye surgeon and fellowship-trained in oculoplastic surgery and cosmetic surgery in Los Angeles where he specializes in balanced facial cosmetic surgery for natural results, with an emphasis on minimally invasive techniques, fast recovery time, and leadership in medical technology. Dr. Steinsapir has a private practice and also serves as an Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Contact us
Feeling Pressure to Look Feminine
With an abundance of fashion magazines like Cosmopolitan, Vogue, and Elle there is a lot of pressure to look a certain way in order to be considered “feminine;” full pouty lips, large eyes, flawless skin, and high, full cheeks are the aesthetic standard these days. The internet has only become a tool to fuel this obsession with female perfection, but the reality is, makeup and Photoshop go a long way in making starlets and models meet the modern standards of beauty. Nevertheless, the desire by women to meet the ideal is strong, and it doesn’t always require major surgery to achieve. More often than not, it’s the little touches that make the big difference and starting small can preserve a more natural look and prevent you from looking like you’ve had major surgery.
Lips
Your lips are one of the first parts of your face to appear aged. With a loss of volume and an increase of lines around the the mouth makeup has a tendency to exacerbate the problem by feathering. Full soft lips are not just a sign of beauty, but also a sign of youth. Fortunately, your lips are one of the simplest fixes without the need for surgery. Fillers can provide a very natural solution to lips that are thin or losing volume.
With so many fillers available on the market today – Restylane®, Radiesse, Perlane, Juvederm, Artefill, Sculptra, Matridex, and even silicone oil – it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the options. However, not all of these fillers should be used as lip fillers under normal circumstances. Hyaluronic acid fillers like Restylane, Juvederm, and Perlane are much more suitable for lip augmentation than permanent and semi-permanent fillers. This is because they are much more forgiving, do not tend to lump, and can be simply and easily adjusted with the enzyme hyaluronidase.
Dr. Steinsapir prefers the use of Restylane as the best filler for lip volume deficiencies. This is because the lips are very sensitive and irregularities can arise. Fortunately, Restylane doesn’t tend to form bumps, and an experienced physician specialist can skillfully place Restylane for natural looks and long-term benefits.
Under Eye Fill
Dark circles under your eyes, or even a hollowness above your cheekbones is easily improved using a similar method as with the lips. Dr. Steinsapir also prefers Restylane to reduce the appearance of dark circles because it can be easily adjusted. Despite what the old wives tales say about dark circles and getting enough rest, persistent dark circles are actually the result of your lower eyelid muscle showing through the delicate and thin skin of your lower lid area. When there is no subcutaneous fat between the skin and the muscle, the area appears dark and sunken.
The treatment requires a skillful hand but once placed and adjusted, the treatment is completely natural and can’t be detected by others. No wonder this has become the most popular eye dark circles treatment.
It is critical that the injecting physician assess how you do after the treatment because a certain percentage of treatments require an adjustment. Dr. Steinsapir explains that everyone holds a slightly different amount of water in the tissues and small areas of fullness can spoil an otherwise great result. For this reason, he encourages his patients to follow up about a week after treatment to assess how the service has settled.
Microdroplet BOTOX® and Dysport®
Of course, forehead wrinkles and brow lines are considered unfeminine, even among the older generations of stars like Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, and Jane Fonda. Despite all of these women being over 60, all their photographs show them with smooth foreheads and full cheeks despite their features showing other signs of aging. Maintaining a youthful appearance is a large part of looking feminine because it’s these features in women that are signs of femininity.
Unlike standard treatment methods, Microdroplet™ BOTOX® and Dysport create brow lift without forehead paralysis. Microdroplet™ BOTOX® works with greater precision with your facial muscles. The care and interest Dr. Steinsapir has shown in inventing this treatment demonstrates his dedication to achieving a beautiful, more youthful appearance without impeding the ability to express emotion.
Standard injection methods tend to freeze the forehead. The forehead can’t move and the eyebrows drop like stones. What looks good is a gently lifted eyebrow, no crows feet lines or brow pinch, and a forehead with reduced lines that is still able to move. Imagine a BOTOX® or Dysport® treatment that allows you to have natural expressions!
Chemical Peel
Flawless skin has always been the ideal for beauty and as we all age, men and women alike, our skin develops flaws and spots that may not have been there when we were young. But cosmetic products are not marketed to men so there is even more pressure on women to maintain clear, beautiful skin.
There are many types of chemical peels available and they treat many types of concerns, so it can be difficult to figure out which chemical peel is right for you. But the chemical peel is truly an art form with versatile abilities depending on your needs, so it’s vital to understand that for a successful face peel with profound results, you’ll need an expert in performing facial peels who has extensive treatment experience and understands how to combine science and aesthetic planning for the best results possible.
Chemical peels can effectively treat facial concerns like aging skin, fine wrinkles, dark spots, acne, creases, loss of elasticity in the skin, and other concerns. This frequently makes the chemical peel an excellent alternative to surgery that removes excess skin for the lower eyelid. A chemical peel in the eyelid region is a minimally invasive procedure that preserves your natural features while rejuvenating your appearance.
Pigmentation is always an important consideration to any chemical peel. The range in skin colors and complexions is complex, so this is something to consider with your doctor on an individual basis. Fortunately there are many people who can and do benefit from chemical peels. Your doctor can tell you more about skin-types as classified by the Fitzpatrick scale, and let you know what that means for you and your candidacy for a chemical peel. A chemical peel can also help improve concerns with irregular pigmentation.
About Dr. Steinsapir
Dr. Steinsapir is a board certified eye surgeon and fellowship-trained in oculoplastic surgery and cosmetic surgery in Los Angeles where he specializes in balanced facial cosmetic surgery for natural results, with an emphasis on minimally invasive techniques, fast recovery time, and leadership in medical technology. Dr. Steinsapir has a private practice and also serves as an Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Contact us today to learn how Dr. Steinsapir’s experience and training make him an expert in cosmetic surgery, which can be a vital part of your evidence-based treatment plan.
Services described may be “off-label” and lack FDA approval. This article is informational and does not constitute an advertisement for off-label treatment. No services should be provided without a good faith examination by a licensed physician and an informed consent with a discussion of risks, benefits, alternatives, and the likelihood of treatment success. Only you and your treating physician or surgeon can determine if a treatment is right for you.
Are the Current Fillers Better Than Collagen?
Collagen was the original facial filler and, for much time, it was the only viable filler available. It was offered as Zyderm I, Zyderm II, and Zyplast. The Zyderm benefits did not last very long, and the Zyplast effects only lasted a couple months. While these proved to be great products for treating problems in facial deficiencies like the edge of the lips, their relatively short life span made them a solution essentially only viable for the wealthy who could afford frequent treatment. Today collagen products have largely been replaced by the hyaluronic acid fillers called Restylane, Perlane, and Juvederm. Since both of these types of facial fillers can successfully improve the facial contours, let’s examine the hyaluronic fillers further before drawing any conclusions.
What Is the Difference between Collagen and Hyaluronic Acid Fillers?
Collagen is a naturally occurring protein that works as the primary building block to hold together our tissues. As the original injectable facial filler, it’s typically derived from bovine, porcine, or human materials. In the example of bovine-derived collagen, the collagen is extracted from cows raised in a controlled environment free of disease and closely monitored. Allergan, Inc. creates Zyderm and Zyplast from a highly purified collagen taken from a closed bovine herd, ensuring that their product is safe and high quality. You do need to obtain an allergy test before receiving bovine collagen filler because there is a three to eight percent chance that of an allergic reaction. The other collagen fillers like Cosmoplast and Cosmoderm come from cultured human cells, and you do not need an allergy test before treatment. These later products have replaced the original bovine Zyderm and Zyplast products. Finally, Evolence is the newer collagen product that is derived from porcine and has a longer life than other forms of collagen.
While the amount of time that collagen lasts depends on the individual, it generally does not last nearly as long as the hyaluronic acids. Both collagen and hyaluronic acid injections are effective in treating concerns like fine lines, deep wrinkles, crow’s feet, brow wrinkles, and frown lines. Hyaluronic acid is found naturally in the human body as well, and it is an important part of the processes that regulate cell renewal and growth. When we put hyaluronic acid into the body, it is non-immunogenic, meaning that it is not seen as a foreign substance by the body. Therefore, while it is possible you could be allergic to a hyaluronic acid filler, the chances are minimal and unlike collagen products usually no allergy tests are recommended before treatment. Furthermore, hyaluronic acid fillers last longer, and they are easily and comfortably adjusted with the enzyme hyaluronidase.
Is Collagen or Hyaluronic Acid Better?
The filler that’s right for you will depend on many individual circumstances. Your doctor will consider your goals, the site(s) of treatment, your health and medical background, and many other factors when helping you to choose the best treatment plan for you. For example, if you are getting a lip filler, both collagen and hyaluronic acid fillers can work well, with the results of hyaluronic fillers like Restylane lasting longer and being more easily adjustable. If you are seeking a filler for under eye hollows, then under eye Restylane is usually the best choice. If you have nasolabial folds, Juvederm may be a suitable filler. The top choice will really depend on your consultation with a qualified cosmetic surgeon who specializes in cosmetic facial fillers, although in most cases the modern hyaluronic acids will be recommended.
Seek Advice from a Doctor Who Cares
Dr. Steinsapir specializes in minimally invasive facial cosmetic procedures and is a physician consultant to Medicis, Inc., who distributes Restylane and Perlane. He has developed a highly effective undereye treatment method called DeepFill Restylane, which is widely used by other cosmetic surgeons and world-acclaimed. As a board certified ophthalmologist, fellowship trained in both cosmetic and eye plastic surgery, Dr. Steinsapir strives for natural results that achieve complete facial balance and fast healing times. To speak with a doctor who listens, and to learn more about how a facial filler might help you, contact us today to set up your risk-free consultation with Dr. Steinsapir.
