Kristen A. Richards, MD

This is a very common question.

Technically, you dont have to wait at all between taking Aleve, advil or any other nonsteroidal pain reliever and recieving Botox. The two medications will not have any interactions. The Botox effectiveness will be just the same. You will still have the same great result!

The only downside is that Aleve, advil, asprin and the like, along with alcohol use, can potentially increase your chances of bruising.

Even without use of these medications or alcohol, there is still a chance of bruising, since we are using a needle. if there is a bruise it will be very temporary and usually subside in a few days.

For my patients who are planning ahead for Botox or fillers, I recommend avoiding those medications for a day or two ahead of the procedure and a day or so after the procedure. I also recommend having the patient start Arnica a couple days before and a couple days after. This really does seem to help with avoiding bruising.

The only time i DO NOT recommend stopping Aleve or Asprin is when my patients are taking it for chronic pain control or low dose asprin is recommended by the patients doctor for prevention of a more serious medical issue. 

Go get your Botox. Youll love it!

Fillers such as Sculptra are designed for the exact areas you described so perfectly. When these recessed, sunken, valley type areas are "filled", then your face will look more youthful and rested....not just round or puffy.

Im afraid you will love it.

Practicing daily Birkam yoga will have NO effect on an increased metabolism of the Sculptra recently placed. Enjoy your yoga!

great question.

the answer is yes.

laser hair reduction/ removal can safely be used on the majority of our body regions--for women and men.

since hairs, in a given area, grow at different cycles--unfortunately the procedure is not a one time event. usually appointments are scheduled about a month apart.

the procedure is relatively short and not too uncomfortable--even in this delicate area.

you will start seeing results after the first 1-2 treatments.

call your dermatology provider.

they can schedule an appointment today.

great question.

first you should run it by your treating surgeon. if they give the green light for laser hair reduction then it is only a matter of your comfort level.

we would want you to be healed, no redness or inflammation present, and ideally pain free from your previous procedure.

laser hair reduction/ removal is at a different level of the skin than your recent procedure--so you should not have any harmful interaction, but the laser hair procedure can cause its own redness, inflammation, and pain.

most patients are extremely satisfied with laser hair reduction.

Luckily the ingredients in Botox are not related to any of the antibiotics you listed.

Allergies to Botox are also very rare.

However if you are a sensitive individual i would ask your dermatology provider to do a test spot-- to see if you have any unwanted reactions.

unfortunately there is no "one time" procedure for hair reduction.

you will see a difference with the one treatment, regardless of the device used.

for best results, we recommend treatments spaced 4-6 weeks apart.

we usually recommend to patients to start with 6 treatments... in order to maximize the results. 

your dermatology office should be able to manage all your needs and expectations.

IPL ( intense pulsed light) therapy is a great treatment option for eliminating over all sun spots, brown spots and redness.

we recommend a series of treatments, usually start with 3 treatments spaced about 4-6 weeks apart.

we can generally eliminate 60-80% of unwanted spots and redness.

however, the most important element to consider before spending money on any photorejuvenation treatment is your day to day skin protection.

regardless of any procedure, it is important to use a daily sun protection.

a good sun protection would have the ingredients of a clear zinc oxide and/ or titanium dioxide. these ingredients are physical barriers to the suns harmful and spot producing rays.

these sunblocks should be applied every morning regardless of weather conditions and should be reapplied every 3 hours that you are outside....a wide brimmed hat and use of UV clothing is also helpful.

after spending money on eliminating our blemishes--we want to do everything possible to protect our investment.

your dermatology office will be able to point you in the right direction regarding which photorejuvenation treatment option and what type of sunscreen is best for you.

unwanted facial hair can be distracting and at times discouraging.

we can pluck, tweeze, wax, thread, dermaplane, and laser our unwanted facial hairs--but they usually grow back.

vaniqa has been found to block a certain enzyme, which is needed for cell division and growth inside the hair follicle...therefore, it slows down the time it takes for a hair to grow back once it is removed.

in my experience, hairs do not necessarily grow back finer, but rather-- just not as fast.

vaniqa works.

your dermatology office will be able to help you manage those unwanted hairs.

Sun spots treated with IPL can take 1-2 weeks to resolve. Initially over the first week you will see a "coffee-ground" like substance form where the sun spots once were. Gradually, over the next week to 2 weeks, the pigment gradually dissipates. A vibraderm or silk peel 10 days following the IPL can speed up the process.