After 10 years of struggling with antibiotics, topical creams, and face soaps that would not get rid of my acne problem, I decided to get a 3rd opinion on a more effective long term solution. I found a dermatologist who suggested Accutane as the solution; one that she had personally used. Seeing her results helped me to decide to give Accutane a try and as my last form of hope. The actual medicine I took was called Claravis, which I believe is the generic form of Accutane. The treatment period was for 6 months. Once a month I had to visit the doctor’s office for a pregnancy test. I also had to visit a lab to give a blood sample. Both visits were required on a scheduled monthly date in order for the medication to be filled on a monthly basis and they were extremely important to keep them on the regimented time in order to insure that the medication is taken correctly and working efficiently. I took one pill every morning and every night for the 1st four months. Then I took one pill every morning, noon, and night for the last two months. The last two months were more aggressive because the healing was starting to plateau. The pros to the treatment of Claravis for me were: 1) the doctor and her assistant were always helpful and extremely nice, returned phone calls, gave plenty of samples to help with the dryness, flexible on appointment times and I would recommend them to anyone needing a dermatologist 2) the medicine cleared up ALL my acne – face, back, and chest 3) very few “break outs” and black/white heads have appeared sense. The cons to the treatment of Claravis for me were: 1) minor achy muscles, similar to what you may feel when you start working out after extended periods of not working out 2) mild dry eye, which made my contacts feel scratchy at times 3) very dry skin everywhere, minor symptoms of eczema on my arms which left them slightly discolored but is gradually changing back to its normal pigment 4) my nasal passages became very dry as well, there was minor discomfort when blowing my nose and showed small traces of blood on tissue 5) my lips felt chapped all the time, which would cause redness, cracking and burning 6) the worst symptoms from the dryness affected the vaginal area. While most dryness that I mentioned resolved itself within 2 months of completing the medication, the natural moisture in the vaginal area I had before Claravis has yet to return. After seeing a gynecologist and informing my dermatologist about this issue, I have been informed that the dryness may be a symptom from changing birth controls following the completion of the Claravis. Regardless, I still have dryness 4 months following the completion of the acne treatment. Some things I would also like to note are: 1) if you are a female, it is EXTREMELY imperative that you DO NOT get pregnant while taking this medicine or shortly after completion because it will likely cause serious birth defects 2) you must also be a very responsible person who can stick to a fairly strict time line when it comes to attending the appointments, giving blood, and taking the medicine correctly 3) this is not an inexpensive treatment, so be aware of the costs and check with you insurance on the coverage – 6 months of treatment means medication, labs, and doctor’s visits. If I had the chance to do it all over again, I would probably choose to take Claravis. If my fiancé had an opinion on me doing it over again, he would say no. No one knows what side effects that they will personally experience so I would suggest to do your research and ask your dermatologist plenty of questions.
I sought out her help because I was tired of my face looking red all the time, and I was afraid of scarring.
I am getting up there and my lips were looking very thin and I wanted a fuller lip. We also did a little Juvederm around the nasal folds which turned out great and Botox around my eyes and forehead...boy and I cute now! Figure this will last close to a year so well worth the cost and no down time!
I went in for mole removal --- over 2 YEARS AGO -- and was disfigured with scars. Instead of freezing off surficial moles, they were cut out. Not only were they cut, i was so disfigured i have to dress to cover up the DISFIGUREMENT. This was from APRIL of 2010. It is very distressing, day after day after day, to get dressed every day and have to find ways to cover the disfigurement. Dressing up to the NECK in the summer. And no swim suit ever again.
Hyaluronidase (Vitrase) can be injected to dissolve the filler. This will most likely be injected with a small needle which is a similar size to the needle used to inject the Juvederm. The good news is it is completely reversible. The bad news is you will dissolve the filler you paid for. Therefore, when considering options on which provider should inject your lips, you should see an experienced lip-injector with a nice portfolio of before and afters for you to look at. This lets you know the injector's style and philosophy on lip enhancement. Not all providers are created equally! Most patients want natural lip enhancement, which complements their features.
Dysport injections are effective in decreasing the sweat production of Hyperhidrosis since Dysport has a similar mechanism of action as Botox Cosmetic. Some potential side effects include bruising, swelling and mild tenderness post injection. Multiple small injections are made into each axilla (armpit). The same rare complications that can occur with Botox Cosmetic can also occur with Dysport.
Since both are injected with a fine needle, they both carry risks of facial bruising and swelling. The risk is the same for both products. Some of the swelling may depend on the amount of product placed into the skin (i.e. the dilution). This varies by physician-preference and practice.
Permanent fillers usually need to be surgically removed. Temporary fillers such as Juvederm, Radiesse, and Restylane will degrade slowly over time (usually over the course of several months to a year). Sculptra bumps can be broken up with a needle or injected with saline to break them apart. This requires consultation with the physician who placed your product.
Most patients return for follow up visits around 6-12 months. The filler is maximal the day the patient is injected, then slowly degrades over time. For this reason, many patients come in at 6-9 months so as to avoid letting the product degrade all the way back down to baseline.
