UPDATE IN AESTHETIC DERMATOLOGY

Sep
2006
Vol. 25. No. 3

Introduction

In 1982, when the Food and Drug Administration approved injectable collagen for soft-tissue augmentation, the era of esthetic dermatology was born. In the  decades that ensued, updates in esthetic dermatology largely consisted of new methods to cross-link bovine collagen or different methods of injecting it into various locations. When the Carruthers first reported the use of botulinum toxin for the treatment of dynamic rhytids in 1992, the next era of esthetic dermatology was begun. The use of botulinum toxins ignited interest within the dermatology community to explore the possibilities for nonsurgical esthetic improvement. This interest coincided with new techniques for performing  liposuction that made the procedure safer and more effective, lasers that for the first time targeted specific components of the epidermis and dermis, injectable soft-tissue augmentation products that have increased persistence, cosmeceuticals based on a molecular understanding of aging skin and a host of other products, procedures and, perhaps most importantly, attitudes among physicians with respect to what can and cannot be done to enhance and improve appearance.

Update on Botulinum Toxin

Timothy Corcoran Flynn, MD

Botulinum toxin for facial enhancement is currently the most popular aesthetic procedure performed in the United States. New developments have occurred within the last few years. Patients prefer having multiple areas of the upper face treated which increases patient satisfaction.

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Hyaluronic Acid Fillers in Facial Rejuvenation

Mary Lupo, MD

Nonsurgical procedures have become very popular for the rejuvenation of the aging face. Trends now are for less invasive procedures as well as for more preventative intervention to slow the damage from ultraviolet light and environmental factors, as well as from intrinsic aging.

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Use of Sculptra™ in Esthetic Rejuvenation

Kenneth R Beer, MD | Marta I Rendon, MD

Sculptra™ offers the esthetic dermatologist a new paradigm: unlike traditional fillers, which can replace volume directly, Sculptra™ is a “volumizer.”

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