Christine Eros, MD

Hi. You are noticing lines from smiling so much! The muscle called the Orbicularis Oculi is responsible for the eye movement. The contracting of this muscle will cause lines eventually. Things that cause cause lines to appear sooner are lack of hydration, sun exposure without sun screen and genetics. It is important to stay hydrated and eat a health diet. Wear SPF 30 with Zinc and Titanium . Getting Botox or Dysport is a great way to prevent the lines from forming. Botox last 3 months and really helps to smooth out those lines. If you are consistent with Botox you will see a huge difference!

The shape of the lip comes from the muscles, fat and dentition. Genetics also have a lot to do with this. Check with your dentist to make sure you have a normal natural bite. If that is ok, then a permanent solutions can be lip implants, although those with symmetrical lips do best. PDO threads can lift the mouth area. Try a lip flip with Botox, this is a simple procedure and lasts 3 months. It can help to see what your lip can look like a little lifted. Try a filler like Kysse by Restyalne for a smooth and natural appearance. I suggest trying something less invasive before going to a more invasive and permanent solution. In reality your lips look great just the way they are.

Lip Augmentation with hyaluronic acid ( Restylane, Juvederm) can be painful. Many providers use topical lidocaine cream that can cause numbness in the lip and inside the mouth. Other people use Dental blocks with Lidocaine or Bupivacaine. Bupivacaine lasts longer. But if you don't want any of the lidocaine products then ice can help. I like to use ice to numb the area before I inject. I do this for lip fillers and Botox. In my practice all use all these methods, dental blocks, topical numbing cream and Ice, depending the the individual.

Hi. Retinol, Retin-A and Tretinoin are all formulas of Vit A. Vitamin A is extremely important for skin health. Tretinoin is a stronger form of Retinol and Retin-A and prescribed by a physician for treatment of acne, more commonly. It will cause increased cell turnover and diminishes acne pustules. Retinol, Retin-A and Tretionin will help with fine lines, melasma, sun spots and acne. It is important not to use any of these Vitamin A products at least a week before any resurfacing treatment that includes IPL. It can cause the skin to burn with IPL, Laser and any other resurfacing treatment. But it is only located to the area where the resurfacing is being done. So if you apply the tretinoin to your face and the IPL is done on your arms it will not cause problems.

Hi. The white dots on your skin are from loss of Melanin in those areas. This can happen after laser treatments, chemical peels, and laser hair removal. It can also be caused by medical problems, such as tinea, eczema and psoriasis. The best thing to do is use sunscreen with SPF 30 with Zinc and Titanium. It is important to always protect your skin from the sun especially after any cosmetic treatment. With time this can resolve. Have a good diet full of Vitamins that include Vit D, Vit C and Vit A is also important. You can use a Vit C serum and put sunscreen on top. Vit C by itself can make the skin sensitive to the sun.