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Fat transfer procedures, such as the Brazilian Butt Lift, rely on the transfer of living fat cells from one part of the body to another. Unlike implants, which are simply put in position and maintain the same shape, more or less, in the future, transferred fat requires various conditions in order to achieve long term success.
The first step is the harvest of the fat. If fat is removed with too destructive a technique, such as laser, then it will not be useable for transfer. The cells will be destroyed. Likewise, if too strong a suction force is applied (2 atmospheres or more) then the fat cells are damaged and results are compromised.
The next step is processing of the harvested fat . Some surgeons centrifuge and add enzymes to the fat in order to make it easier to inject. Fortunately, with Tickle Lipo, all that is needed is time for the fat and fluid to separate with gravity. Overly aggressive centrifuging or other processing steps may harm the fat.
The injection step must be performed through an adequate size cannula so that the cells coming through are not damaged by shear forces. Probably the most critical aspect of this is proper placement of the fat in the tissue. If too much fat is injected in one location, then the central portion of the fat bolus will probably not survive, and may form a cyst. It is therefore important to inject the fat gradually in various layers of the subcutaneous tissue. There is a limit to the maximum amount that can be injected in any particular location. Going over that amount compromises blood flow to the new fat through excessive pressure.
In the post-operative period, care must be taken to allow blood vessels to grow into the transferred fat. Excessive sitting or shear forces will damage these delicate structures trying to grow in to nourish the new tissue. Individuals with medical problems affecting blood vessels, such as diabetics, smokers and those with vascular disease, are unlikely to achieve good results with fat transfer. Smokers should quit at least 1 month prior to the procedure and ideally, 2 months before. They must also continue not to smoke afterwards for at least 1 month.
Long term, body weight must be maintained near current levels, minus a few pounds, or the improvement may be lost after too much weight is shed. The transferred cells are just as susceptible to shrinkage from diet and exercise as are the fat cells in the original area that they came from.
Dermapen is the latest addition to cosmetic skin treatment at Celebrity Laser Spa. This is an FDA-approved device that uses needles to improve scars, wrinkles, large pores and acne pits. Rather than using a laser, such as a Fraxel, Dermapen uses an array of micro-needles to pierce the upper layers of the epidermis and dermis and stimulate wound healing and contraction. The device uses a controlled stamping action to a precise depth, unlike needle rollers, which rely on manual pressure and have variable depth of penetration, depending on where pressure is highest on an uneven surface. The small profile of the needle array (similar to a large pencil eraser) allows it to get into tight spots and maximizes patient safety.
The Dermapen procedure is safe and well-tolerated, not requiring sedation, however, numbing cream is usually applied beforehand. As part of the treatment, a healing serum containing growth factors is applied and penetrates deeply within the skin. Healing is fast – see the photos on the dermapen web page for more information. Call today to schedule a free consultation with out physician assistant.
One of the new additions to the skin treatments available at Celebrity Laser Spa is Biocorneum. Silicone sheets have been well-known to help flatten and improve raised and hypertrophic scars as well as to help prevent the formation of such scars. The downside of silicone sheets is that they are cumbersome to put on, are expensive and have to be replaced frequently as they gather dirt. Biocorneum is silicone that comes in a pump tube and is applied like a cream. As it dries, it forms a thin silicone sheet that lasts the whole day. Biocorneum is best applied starting at the point that a wound is covered with skin but before a scar is mature. Thus, it is usually started at 2-4 weeks after a wound occurs. Biocorneum can be obtained without a prescription at Celebrity Laser Spa.
The past decade has brought discoveries of progenitor stem cells in fat. Prior to this, the main source of adult progenitor stem cells had been bone marrow. Since liposuction produces copious amounts of fat which is usually discarded (unless it is used during the same procedure for fat grafting), it would be a great potential benefit if that fat could be banked in some way for later use for the treatment of disease, such as arthritis, cardiac disease or for some other future treatment which has not yet been discovered. This area of medicine is growing tremendously and holds great promise for future anti-aging treatments.
Cryo-save is an international tissue storage company which is now offering the ability to freeze and store liposuctioned fat through the Cryo-Lip service. This system requires that the fat be collected during liposuction by the surgeon using the Cryo-Lip collection kit. The kit is then shipped overnight to the US-based Cryo-Lip facility.
Dr. Alex Kaplan and Celebrity Laser Spa will be offering Cryo-Lip for all liposuction patients who desire it in the very near future. Pricing will include an approximately $1900 fee in order to use the Cryo-Lip service, plus $200 per year for maintenance payable directly to Cryo-Lip. The stored fat belongs to the patient and can be requested by any doctor of the patient’s choosing at any future date. More details will be forthcoming in the very near future.
From Dr. Kaplan:
I have been attending the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery annual meeting in Las Vegas this week. The scientific assembly presents new developments in the field of cosmetic surgery and medicine and is highly educational. Here are some examples of new procedures which will be developed at Celebrity Laser Spa based on this year’s attendance:
- Silhouette Lift for minimally invasive lifting of the jowls and cheeks without the need for a facelift. This technique has avoided the difficulties that occurred with previous threadlifts, employing an absorbable component. Look for this to come in late Spring.
- Anti-aging Medicine – Looking good is feeling good, right? If your hormones are on the low end of normal or below-normal, you may not feel your best, have low-energy, and may suffer adverse health consequences and a shorter life span. With bio-identical hormones, I hope to not only improve how my patients look but provide a substantial health benefit not available from physicians not focused on Anti-Aging. Look for hormone replacement with bio-identical hormones to come to CLS in the near future.
- Derma-pen – Another option in facial rejuvenation, treatment of acne scars, and resurfacing is the Dermapen. Now available.
As lip plumping with Juvederm and Restylane has become fairly common, the public’s awareness of it and the reports of “overdone lips” have also increased. I know of too many celebrities sporting “duck lips” to argue with this. As a critical physician, however, I ask the question, “what is the denominator?” For all those cases of over-injected lips, how many subtly and perfectly done cases are walking around that we just don’t realize? There is definitely selection bias. It’s the same with almost anything in Hollywood. You only hear about the couples cheating on each other and doing drugs, not about the ones who are happily married.
The key to lip plumping with Juvederm and Restylane is subtlety. At Celebrity Laser Spa, we focus on enhancing lip contours, refilling areas that have lost volume, and gentle plumping that is not “obvious”. Pitfalls that we avoid include equalizing upper and lower lip volumes (the lower lip should be somewhat larger), everting the lips too much by putting too much filler in the wet part of the lips, thus causing them to turn out, and over-filling the lip borders, producing an unnatural smearing of the lip edges. See the pic below of a famous celebrity to see (most likely) overdone lip borders. Can you guess who it is?
Anyone looking at the lips above will know that something was done recently. This is what we strive to avoid at CLS. Please peruse the fillers page on CelebrityLaserSpa.com to get more information and we urge you to come in for a consultation to see if Juvederm or Restylane lip filling is right for you.
- Alex Kaplan MD
The Q-switched Nd:YAG laser is used at Celebrity Laser Spa for several purposes: laser tattoo removal, melasma and laser skin rejuvenation. The most well known of these is the first and much discussion has been dedicated to it. Melasma and rejuvenation are two lesser known uses of this laser.
It is not known exactly how the Q-switched laser reduces melasma and causes rejuvenation. The latter includes decreasing pore size, smoothing wrinkles and improved skin tone and elasticity. It is thought that the Q-switching stimulates the tissue, causing collagen remodeling and clearance of dead tissue. Effects are not immediate and require patience. There is no downtime and the procedure is typically repeated every 2 weeks for at least 6 treatments. The laser rejuvenation page has some good photos of one of our patients that has recently gone through 8 treatments and shows remarkable improvement in her melasma.
Frequently, even better results are obtained by alternating Dermasweep microdermabrasion with the laser rejuvenation. An alternative treatment offered at CLS for melasma is Cosmelan, which relies on skin bleaching agents to work. It is tempting to pursue faster and more aggressive treatments, such as CO2 laser resurfacing, however this may often lead to rebound hyperpigmentation and a worsening of melasma after the initial healing period.
Laser skin rejuvenation is a quick and painless procedure. (It feels like a little patting or pricking sensation and doesn’t require anesthetic cream). Patience to stick with it through the initial handful of treatments is necessary to achieve significant results.
Vitamin B12 is an important nutrient required to prevent anemia and maintain normal cellular functioning in all the cells of the body. Also known as cobalamin, this vitamin is essential for neurologic metabolism and for the breakdown of fatty acids in the body. Although vitamin B12 deficiency is uncommon, some patients experience a definite improvement in energy and mental function with a weekly or monthly injection. Celebrity Laser Spa now offers Vitamin B12 injections for only $20. Please call 310-312-1231 if you are interested.
The New Year is a time for many of us to look ourselves in the eye (or in the mirror) and decide on things we want to improve. Losing weight and slimming down are common New Year’s resolutions. Diet and exercise are of course the most important aspect of achieving a preferred weight and an athletic figure. While diets frequently differ wildly in some of their recommendations, they almost always share the advice of limiting calories, especially from processed food, sugars and simple starches. Exercise, especially aerobic, is also vital to increase the basal metabolic rate and overall calories expended. Exercise also improves muscle tone, which often affects body shape as much as the presence of fat does. Toned abdominal muscles can greatly improve the abdominal profile, for instance.
In some cases, localized areas of fat stubbornly persist despite the most aggressive diet and exercise regimens. If the person is in good overall health, not obese and has just some local fat deposits, then they may be an ideal candidate for liposuction. Rather than risking a thinned out facial appearance due to extreme dieting in pursuit of the final inches of abdominal fat, a liposuction procedure may be just the thing while maintaining the healthy appearance of other body areas.
At Celebrity Laser Spa, we offer a medical weight loss program to assist you in achieving your New Year’s resolutions of weight loss. This program consists of nutritional counseling, appetite suppressants, and meal replacement. For those who are interested in liposuction, Dr. Alex Kaplan performs Tickle Lipo. See our specials page for discounted prices on Tickle Lipo, available only this month and kick-start your journey to whole new you!
According to a recent article in the British newspaper, The Guardian, the premier of Russia is widely suspected of using Botox to look young. This has never been confirmed publicly, however, the Russian leader has lately looked younger and with fewer wrinkles during televised appearances. He also had a small facial bruise that suggested the possibility of a recent injection. From looking at Putin’s face, it is possible that he uses Botox – judge for yourself.
Is there a problem with political leaders using Botox or plastic surgery to look better or younger? I don’t think so. As long as the procedure is safe and doesn’t disfigure the person, there’s no reason why Botox or a similar procedure (let’s say a microdermabrasion or a Fraxel) needs to be excessively scrutinized. Given the popularity of cosmetic procedures, they can be viewed on a similar level to hair styling, fancy clothes or manicures.
Dr. Alex Kaplan
Original article in The Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/16/vladimir-putin-botox-plastic-surgery
