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Cosmetic Procedures Cosmetic Procedure Basics

The Latest Weapons in the Battle Against Wrinkles

Summary & Participants

Find out about the latest weapons in the battle against aging.

Medically Reviewed On: August 01, 2008

Webcast Transcript

ANNOUNCER: For many people, the fountain of youth can be found in a needle.

SPENCER, PATIENT: “It’s a wonderful opportunity to be able to make a real refreshing change without having surgery which is incredible.”

ANNOUNCER: A revolution is taking place in cosmetic surgery and BOTOX has led the charge. It’s a highly purified form of a nerve toxin related to botulism. It works by temporarily paralyzing muscles that cause wrinkles.

JOSEPH A. EVIATAR, MD, CHELSEA EYE & COSMETIC SURGERY ASSOCIATES: BOTOX is probably the most commonly known agent for what we call movement-related wrinkles - wrinkles related to frowning, wrinkles related to smiling. And we use BOTOX to lift. By relaxing certain muscles we have the other muscles that can lift.

ANNOUNCER: But BOTOX isn’t the only weapon in a doctor’s arsenal.

JOSEPH A. EVIATAR, MD, CHELSEA EYE & COSMETIC SURGERY ASSOCIATES: Patients think BOTOX treats everything. They think the line around the mouth they can treat with BOTOX. And then we have to explain to them, "Well, why do you have this? It's because you've lost fat here.

ANNOUNCER: Facial fillers are the lesser known foot soldiers in the battle against aging.

JOSEPH A. EVIATAR, MD, CHELSEA EYE & COSMETIC SURGERY ASSOCIATES: We use facial fillers, both superficially for lines in the skin to actually fill them and to recontour the face for depressions, for areas of fat loss, for areas that we want to lift by giving more volume.

ANNOUNCER: Collagen has been used since the early 80s to plump up wrinkles and acne scars. But in the last few years several new fillers have been developed that are more effective and last longer. Used in conjunction with BOTOX, they can sometimes delay or even replace cosmetic surgery.

JOSEPH A. EVIATAR, MD, CHELSEA EYE & COSMETIC SURGERY ASSOCIATES: In some cases they're just better than surgery. It's a question of giving a better outcome where it looks more natural.

ANNOUNCER: Since these treatments are temporary, patients need regular treatments to maintain the look. They also need to keep in mind - these are medical procedures.

JOSEPH A. EVIATAR, MD, CHELSEA EYE & COSMETIC SURGERY ASSOCIATES: There are absolutely risks to these procedures. They're low risk, because most of them are reversible.

ANNOUNCER: Thanks for joining us on today’s Once Daily.