When my patients tell me they’re interested in facelift surgery at my Denver area practice, they often envision a procedure in which their entire face is “lifted.” In reality, facelift surgery is designed to restore the lower two-thirds of your face and neck – primarily the jawline and mid-face.

Some common problems corrected by facelift surgery are:

• Jowls (poor muscle tone around the jawline)
• Naso-labial folds (creases that extend from the outer mouth to the nose)
• Wrinkles under the lower eyelids
• Sagging in the mid-face

In order to reduce wrinkles in the forehead or around the eyes, I perform a brow lift or eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) at my Denver area practice. However, some facelift patients who are not ready to undergo an additional surgical procedure can correct the look of lines in these areas with non-surgical injections such as BOTOX® Cosmetic or dermal fillers. These treatments can soften wrinkles for several months, and they require little or no downtime.

One of the most innovative treatments for rough, brown skin is laser resurfacing. Denver men and women are often pleasantly surprised by how effective this treatment is for correcting sun damage and other age-related skin discoloration.

There are essentially 2 types of lasers: those that vaporize layers of the epidermis (ablative lasers) and those that allow the epidermis to remain intact (non-ablative lasers).

Ablative Lasers

Ablative lasers are more aggressive and achieve more significant improvements in the skin. They are often used for wrinkles, acne scars, skin lesions and sun damage. Two of the most commonly used ablative lasers are the carbon-dioxide laser and the erbium-YAG laser. Both usually require some kind of pain relief during the procedure, such as local anesthesia. Recovery from ablative laser treatments may take several weeks, but the results can last for many years.

Non-ablative Lasers

Non-ablative lasers are less damaging and require less recovery time. The results can be substantial, but they are not generally as dramatic as those produced by ablative lasers. However, some newer lasers, such as the fractional laser, ablate only a portion of the skin and leave the surrounding tissue unharmed. This provides a better cosmetic result by restoring the skin’s youthful tone and texture while minimizing unwanted side effects such as redness and swelling.

I am often asked if laser hair removal in Denver can be performed on sensitive skin. In most cases, laser technology is safe for sensitive skin when performed correctly. That’s because the newer lasers are able to destroy hair follicles without harming the surrounding skin.

At Rejuvenate!, we offer the eMax Laser Hair Removal System from Syneron™. This treatment is effective for a variety of skin tones and hair colors and offers several advantages for our patients. Some of the benefits include:

• more comfortable procedures, as a result of a topical cooling gel
• reduced treatment time and fewer unwanted side effects, such as skin irritation
• up to 90% reduction of unwanted hair in the treatment area
• suitable for both small and large areas of the face and body

Experience Matters

Laser procedures use sophisticated equipment that should be operated only by trained medical professionals. Often, unsatisfactory results are due to the inexperience of the administrator rather than faulty technology. Take time to seek out an experienced, skilled medical professional who can choose the appropriate laser settings for your skin type. Also, it may be beneficial to ask for a “patch test” before undergoing laser hair removal to see how your skin reacts to the treatment.

In describing a Colorado facelift procedure to my patients, they seem to understand it more thoroughly when I sum it up in the following 6 stages:

Creating the incision. For traditional facelift patients, the incision is made around the ear at the junction of the face and the ear, and at the temporal (sideburn) hairline.

Creating a pocket. After the incision is made, a pocket must be created in order to release the underlying tissues from the skin. This allows the surgeon better visibility to the underlying muscles and tissues that need to be tightened.

Trimming and tightening. At this point of the procedure, the underlying muscles are tightened, and any excess fat or skin is removed to reveal a more contoured facial appearance.

Improving jaw definition and neck appearance. Small sutures are used to sew the edges of the underlying facial tissues together. This helps improve the jaw line because it creates a smoother appearance. Also at this time, the neck is firmed by placing sutures in the area.

Removing excess skin. In this stage of your facelift, excess skin is removed to create a more youthful facial appearance.

Placing fine sutures. The last stage before recovery is to place fine sutures to hold the skin edges together. After, you can begin the recovery process and enjoy your new, enhanced image.

When performed by an experienced, board-qualified plastic surgeon, this procedure usually results in a rejuvenated appearance that looks youthfully tighter, without that “pulled” look.

It’s a common goal most of us share: to look young, regardless of our age. Many patients come to my office interested in facial rejuvenation procedures, such as eyelid surgery in Denver. While eyelid surgery can remove excess skin and fat of the eyelids, many of my patients also experience revitalizing benefits from a brow lift procedure.

Depending on your needs, you may be a candidate for either a mini or endoscopic brow lift. Understanding the difference can help you determine which might be right for achieving your aesthetic goals.

Mini Brow Lift

A mini brow lift is usually appropriate for those who desire a more youthful, refreshed look.   They may experience some laxity in the skin of this area, and some wrinkles and fine lines. To perform a mini brow lift, your surgeon will create incisions along the hairline of the brows. Then the skin is lifted and any excess skin is removed.  

Endoscopic Brow Lift

An endoscopic brow lift is perform by making  several incisions behind the hairline and a special scope and instruments are used to elevate the forehead off the bone. Then the brows are repositioned and fixed at a higher level using small screws.  At the Center for Cosmetic Surgery, we prefer the mini-brow lift over endoscopic for several reasons: better longevity, less obvious scars, superior direction of lift to avoid a surprised look, and less discomfort to the patient.

Recovery from either procedure depends on the patient, but in general, mini brow lift patients recover faster than those who have chosen an endoscopic brow lift, because it is not as invasive. If you are curious about brow lift surgery and how the procedure can help improve your facial appearance, talk to a qualified surgeon and see if you are a candidate for either procedure.

Located in one of the sunniest cities in America, it’s no wonder that our Rejuvenate! medical spa in Denver sees a number of patients who are concerned with sun damage. Men and women who have suffered the effects of UV exposure may experience blotchiness, roughness, and wrinkles. Our office offers several treatments to restore the look of healthy skin, and erase signs of sun damage.

IPL

Intense Pulsed Light treatments use phototherapy to target skin irregularities and improve imperfections such as fine lines, dull skin, and uneven pigmentation. Each treatment takes about 30 minutes, and 4 to 6 sessions are usually required for full results. Patients may have some redness for up to 24 hours after treatment, but other than that, there is little to no social downtime with this treatment.

Chemical Peels

Chemical peels work by exfoliating the skin and bringing fresh, healthy skin cells to the surface. At Rejuvenate!, we offer chemical peels in varying strengths depending on the level of correction needed.

• Image RX Wrinkle Lift Peel: This resurfacing glycolic and retinol treatment exfoliates dead surface skin cells, leaving skin firm and revitalized.  The appearance of fine lines is visibly reduced.
• Image RX Lightening Peel:  This treatment blends lactic acid and a combination of lightening and brightening agents to reduce sun spots, brown spots and redness.
• Image RX Acne Peel:  A beta-hydroxy acid peel that safely resurfaces skin.  It reduces and treats acne while simultaneously smoothing the skin.
• TCA Peel: for a more aggressive treatment, this method uses trichloroacetic acid to help tighten and smooth the skin while improving skin tone.

Pearl Laser

Pearl laser treatments use customized wavelengths of laser energy that treat both superficial and deep layers of skin. Three different technologies are used (Pearl, Pearl Fractional, and Pearl Fusion) depending on the area being treated, the patient’s aesthetic goals, and current condition of the skin. Within 3 to 6 months, the skin should appear tighter, clearer, and more resilient. There is some social downtime with this treatment. Most patients have redness and peeling that can last from 5 to 10 days, depending on the treatment given and the patient’s skin type.

At Rejuvenate!, our center for facial rejuvenation and skin care in Denver, I often see patients who have been trying for years to improve the condition of their skin without the help of a qualified, experienced medical professional. Even with their best efforts, they still aren’t seeing results, and here are some of the reasons why:

• They are using the wrong products. This is an all-too-common problem. Patients may think of their skin as dry, oily, or sensitive when, in fact, the opposite is true. For example, many of my patients who had oily skin as teenagers are still using products that dry their skin. They still consider their skin to be “oily” when it no longer is. A qualified, experienced medical professional can evaluate their skin and recommend an appropriate treatment.
• They do not take advantage of the various cosmetic procedures available at medical spas such as Rejuvenate! and other facial rejuvenation centers. Skin care products are important for healthy skin, but they do not produce the dramatic results that can be achieved by cosmetic procedures. Laser skin resurfacing, injectable products, and facial treatments such as chemical peels, microdermabrasion and IPL create long-lasting changes in the skin. These procedures can smooth away fine lines, reduce uneven pigmentation, and restore the skin’s youthful qualities.

Ineffective skin care products. Unlike over-the-counter beauty creams, which work only superficially, medical-grade skin care products affect the deeper layers of the skin for more substantial improvements. These products can help promote cellular turnover, increase collagen production, and create healthier, more beautiful skin.

It is important to have your skin evaluated and treated at a reputable medical skin care facility with on-site physician medical directors. It is also important to have your skin reevaluated seasonally, as the treatments and products you need in the summer months are not necessarily the same in winter months.

When people think of BOTOX® in Denver, it seems fair to assume that most do not equate the popular cosmetic treatment with sweating. However, BOTOX can actually be used to help improve the condition of hyperhidrosis, the term used for excessive sweating. For patients suffering from this condition, this can be an embarrassing issue to discuss.  Please know that help is available.

BOTOX works by disabling the nerves that stimulate the sweat glands to reduce or eliminate sweating for several months. BOTOX is FDA-approved to treat underarm perspiration when topical treatments or prescriptions aren’t enough to keep them dry.

In the past, people have turned to these methods to help stop underarm sweating:

• antiperspirants/deodorants
• lotions
• supplements
• medications
• acupuncture

While all of these methods may help improve underarm sweating, BOTOX also offers a way to improve this condition. In general, candidates for a BOTOX treatment suffer from overactive sweat glands and other treatment methods have not been effective.

For the treatment, BOTOX is injected into the targeted area by our nurse injector, under the direction of Dr. Wolfe or Dr. Vath, and takes about 30 minutes to perform. Because BOTOX is a temporary treatment, results can be seen for about 6 months, and repeat treatment is necessary.

Have you ever heard the term blepharoplasty used by Denver women and men? You may or may not be familiar with what this term means, and what the procedure can do to improve your overall appearance. Blepharoplasty, also known as eyelid surgery, is a surgical procedure frequently performed in our office.  This procedure is designed to enhance and rejuvenate the eye area by removing excess skin and fat, as well as tightening the underlying muscles.

When performing blepharoplasty, your surgeon will either address your upper eyelid area, lower eyelid area, or, in some cases, both regions. Having excess fat and skin in the upper eyelid area can contribute to a tired or even angry appearance. In addition, some patients say that excess “hooding” of the eye area causes their vision to become obstructed. Once these concerns are corrected, many patients appear more youthful and vibrant, while those who experience “hooding” may have improved vision.

If you have bags underneath the eyes that lead to a tired appearance, lower blepharoplasty may help. Your surgeon will create an incision and remove any excess skin and fat. Then, the underlying muscles are tightened, resulting in an alert and refreshed eye appearance.

In general, blepharoplasty is a satisfying procedure because recovery is normally very smooth and scarring is concealed within the lash line.

What are your thoughts? Have you heard about blepharoplasty before?

In Colorado, allergy season seems like it lasts all year-round. For many, allergies can provide constant annoyance and even sickness. The trick with allergies is to treat them before they get worse and take as many preventative measures as possible to ensure that your allergies don’t result in more serious problems, such as asthma-like symptoms or chronic sinus infections. Here are a few popular preventative measures you can take under the guidance of a trained ENT allergist:

Allergy Testing

The first step to treating allergies is finding out what you are allergic to. Different allergies need to be treated differently and knowing what you are allergic to can help you best avoid situations where you may be unnecessarily exposed to pollen, medications, foods or other allergens.

Allergy Medication

One of the simplest ways to treat your allergies is with over-the-counter antihistamines. Depending on how constantly you are bombarded by allergy symptoms, you may only need to take allergy meds when symptoms occur. If you live in an area of high pollen, or live with animals you may be allergic to, it might be best if you take antihistamines daily. In some cases, nose sprays or other forms of prescription allergy medications can be taken in addition to oral antihistamines like Claritin® or ZYRTEC®. Your allergy doctor can help you decide which is right for you.

Allergy Drops

Perhaps the strongest form of allergy prevention is immunotherapy, or allergy drops. Allergy drops are small doses of medication that go under your tongue that build up your body’s tolerance for the allergens. Typically by the time you finish your treatments, you are less affected or not affected at all by certain allergens. This treatment is for more severe allergies, but is one of the more effective preventative measures.

Tips for Limiting Allergen Exposure

Follow these tips for seasonal and pet-related allergies:

• Keep windows closed
• go outside after 10 am, when pollen is not as abundant
• Wash animals frequently (for dander and pollen)
• Clean and vacuum regularly
• Purchase a highly-rated air purifier with a HEPA Filter

The best way to find out what you can do to help your allergy symptoms is to speak with your ENT allergist. He or she can help you maximize your allergy prevention.