I was inspired by my 87 year old neighbor who shared that the time after she turned 60 has been the best part of her life! She recommended that I do what I want to do and not worry so much. I decided to spruce up my face and appearance and take care of some old acne scars, discoloration, and wrinkles. After doing quite a bit of on-line reasearch, I settled on the Halo Laser treatment. I liked the idea of getting great results without so much down time. I feel the investment in how I greet every person (with my face) was a worthy one. I selected Dr. Noll due to her outstanding reputation and top-notch training. I had several friends who shared their great results with her, and that was enough for me. She agreed that it would be a good procedure and I set up the appointment, All went well and the numbing cream really helped with the discomfort of the procedure. The actual time under the laser wasn't that painful. The first passes with the wand felt warm with some prickles - not painful at all. She then repeated going over the area a few times and it did feel warmer and a bit stronger, but nothing that made me wince or feel any real pain. I was prepared for the upper lip to be a sensitive area, but it wasn't any worse than any other area. I had my neck done too, and felt no pain at all. After she was done, they put a full face ice pack on me and gave me a cooling blower to control myself. By this time my face had heated up and felt like a very serious sunburn! I was so grateful for the ice and fan. After awhile (20 minutes?) an assistant came in and applied a cooling water gel, some Cicalfate cream, and then a rich emollient - reminded me of solid coconut oil that warms in your hands. I was covered with thick white cream over my whole face and neck. I then continued with the cooling wand. This was the surprise part. After everything had gone so smoothly and with very little pain, my face really stung and burned! I worked hard to control the pain with the wand, but it was hard for me to get any real relief. This went on for over 2 hours! I finally asked for other options as my face felt like it was on fire (pain 7 out of 10). I was given a white cloth with cut outs for my mouth, eyes, and nose sprayed with lovely Spring Water Mist! Ahhh....relief! I left about 30 minutes later. Ask for this earlier than me if you experience the same challenges. Not everyone has pain during the recovery part so you don't need to worry so much ch about this. However, even though the pain had subsided, my face still felt sunburned and going to my car in the 100 plus degree heat and getting into the even hotter car was really bad. It was hard for me to drive with holding the ice pack and getting the emollient cream all over anything I touched in the car! It was a misery. My suggestions: 1) Have someone else drive you to and from 2) Buy a portable fan to use on the car ride home and for any needed cooling at home. 3). Do It! I can already tell the difference in my skin. It looks smoother, the acne scarring looks less pronounced, the color is more even. The good news is that the improvements keep coming over several months and the results are permanent. Nothing slows the aging clock, but this turns back the hands just a little! Hello 60s - Here I come!
I have always had some belly fat and I'm short waisted. I've tried diet and exercise which does help but not enough. I tried Vanquish in hopes it would make a noticeable improvement AND IT DID! I'm very happy at how it melted away the fat I had under my bra line. Now I don't have a roll of fat below my bra. Fabulous! It has also noticeably reduced the fat on my belly and lower abdomen. You have to drink a lot of water and exercise 30 minutes a day (a brisk walk will do it) but that all there is to it. The procedure is quite comfortable and painless. It's like laying in bed & watching tv with a heating pad on your abdomen for 45 minutes. Updated on 12 Oct 2014: I have always had some belly fat. I'm 5'2" and short waisted. I've tried diet and exercise which does help but not enough. I tried Vanquish in hopes it would make a noticeable improvement AND IT DID! I'm very happy at how it melted away the fat I had under my bra line. Now I don't have a roll of fat below my bra. Fabulous! It has also noticeably reduced the fat on my belly and lower abdomen. You have to drink a lot of water and exercise 30 minutes a day (a brisk walk will do it) but that all there is to it. The procedure is simple, comfortable and painless. It's like laying in bed & watching tv with a heating pad on your abdomen for 45 minutes. I want to get the procedure on my back next.
You may want to try the other neuromodulators (Dysport and or Xeomin). I have found that patients who do not respond to one may respond to the others. You may also consider hyaluronic acid fillers, I recommend Belotero, once you have tried the other neuromodulators. I prefer for patients to do neuromodulator then filler, if needed especially for the forehead and eye areas. Keep in mind, however, that fillers will not soften your ability to contract your forehead or around the eyes. I also recommend that you only entrust your care to a board certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon. Good luck.
Dysport, Botox, and Xeomin are neuromodulators that can achieve amazing results when done properly. Unfortunately,one of the risks of having any of the neuromodulators like Dysport placed around the eyes is called eyelid ptosis or eyelid droop. This side effect typically happens as a result of either improperly placed neuromodulator or too much neuromodulator. Similar droop can happen to the eyebrows for the same reasons. Iopidine eyedrops can be used to alleviate the eyelid ptosis, but time will also be an important factor. (Iopidine requires a prescription.) Good luck.
Based on your photos, you appear to be a good candidate for liposuction, assuming that you are otherwise in good health. It is best, however, to be evaluated in person. From your photos you seem to be fit and I think it is great that you have already incorporated exercise into your routine. As you may know, liposuction is best utilized as a body sculpting procedure and not as a weight loss procedure. Finding the right surgeon to perform your procedure can be tricky. The best way to start is to look for a board certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon trained in liposuction. Do your homework on the one you choose and be sure to meet with the actual surgeon who will be performing your procedure before signing anything or paying a deposit. I think it is important to like your surgeon, as post-surgical follow-up, at least in my office, is about 5 office visits after the actual surgery. Ask to see before and after photos. Liposuction is considered minimally invasive and requires a few days of down time. There are non-surgical options like Vanquish, Exilis, and Coolsculpt, with no downtime. (My personal favorite for this area is Vanquish.) The right procedure for you will be based on your treatment goals, schedule, and finances. Take some time to do your research. RealSelf is a good start. Best of luck. Dr. Noll
Response to any neuromodulator whether BOTOX@, DYSPORT@, or XEOMIN@ may be affected by many variables like: authenticity of product, dilution, age (if expired), injection technique, and individual patient response. In my experience, 15 units to treat the glabella area or the "11s" is a starting number I often use for females. Typically women receiving this amount are either happy or prefer a little more neuromodulator for less movement. I personally, like a little movement, so tend to under treat, because it is easier to add a little more than try to take it away. I have found that males generally require more than 15 units, sometimes twice as much because male muscles tend to be larger. I have new patients follow-up in 2 weeks to assess response. I recommend that you request a follow-up with your injector. You will likely either need more BOTOX@ or need to try one of the other neuromodulators. I have found that there are some patients who will not respond to BOTOX@, but will respond to either DYSPORT@ or XEOMIN@ and vice-versa. Remember, it is best to choose either a board certified Dermatologist or Plastic Surgeon when considering injections to the face.
