When you’re going for any injectable treatment, the skill of the injector makes a tremendous difference in the results. When it comes to your face, this is definitely not something you want to be bargain hunting or wheeling and dealing. A bad injector can make you look older or even distort your natural appearance.

Here are some clues you’re going to get a bad injection, and what to look for instead:

Options

There are a good variety of injectables and some are a better fit for different facial structures, skin age and rejuvenation goals. If the office doesn’t represent this beauty of choice and tries to fit everyone in the box of a one size fits all injection, then you know something is wrong. Each person’s unique needs should be addressed regarding the placement of injections and what kind of injectables are used.

Cleanliness

Infections happen easily and so it is important to be very picky about the cleanliness of the facility. Don’t just breeze in the office and get your injection. Look at it with a critical eye and especially important to assess the cleanliness of the injection room. A sterile needle and fresh vial of injectable should be shown to the patient before treatment.

Quality of Care

You can trust your face to the quality of care that can only be provided by an injector with experience, certification, specialization, consultation and confidence.

• Experience: An injector should have a lot of experience with a variety of injectables and specialize in the art of injectables. This gives the injector a true “feel” for the unique needs of each patient.
• Certification: There’s actually an industry standard that is applied to the best practitioners, qualifying them as Expert Injectors. This extra certification and licensure ensures that the injector you choose has had the training and experience to give you the best chances for the results your desiring.
• Specialization: With injections being offered at home and almost every medi spa across the country, it’s important to recognize that doctors and nurse practitioners, such as our own PA Nora, with specialization this field have an intimate knowledge of facial structure and can provide the best results.
• Consultation: While injectables generally provide a “quick fix” for addressing aging concerns, the injector should take the time discuss your desires and long term goals. This might include a treatment plan to include other anti aging procedures.
• Confidence: The training, experience and specialization required for a job well done in this field provides a confidence that the practitioner has and one that you can have also. If your injector seems shaky or unsure in the least bit, walk away.

As an expert injector with experience of working on hundreds of faces with the highest levels of satisfaction, standards and level of artistry in facial rejuvenation, you can trust your face in Nora’s hands. To schedule an appointment for your injectables consultation, visit www.davinciplastic.com.

Steven Davison M.D.

Board Certified Plastic/Reconstructive Surgeon

Plush pouts are all the rage and especially on people’s minds this month because of Valentine’s Day. While flowers, chocolates, pink hearts, and wine are sweet… hot lips make all of that even sweeter. Celebrities Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johansson and Kylie Jenner give lips a front and center perspective on how sexy and youthful they can make you look. This is the perfect time for showing them some TLC and rejuvenating your lips with a filler, such as Juvederm.

Pamper Your Pout
The harsh cold, windy and dry climate this time of year can really take its toll on your lips make them very uncomfortable. Other factors that destroy your lips include smoking, dehydration, sun damage, and poor skin care. Take some time this month to show your lips some TLC with a lip exfoliation and hydrating mask…which can easily be done at home. Also, be sure to drink sufficient water, which helps every aspect of your skin and body. Along with Juvederm, which can give you the nicely shaped, soft, naturally gorgeous lips you’ll love.

The Perfect Pout is About Softness and Proportion
Women feel confident and sexy with a bold hue of lipstick on soft, full lips. That doesn’t mean the lips should look over filled, bumpy or out of balance with the rest of the facial features.

There is an art to creating beautiful lips with certain characteristics:

– the center of the lip is slightly more full

-the “Cupid’s bow” top of the lip isn’t over-filled (so that it disappears)

– the lower lip should be about twice the size of the upper lip to avoid the appearance of unnatural looking “duck lips.”

Making sure you choose an Expert Injector, such as myself, who knows how to create these features is the only way to be confident you can achieve your perfect pout.

Lovely Lips with Juvederm
In the hands of an Expert Injector you will have soft, luscious lips. That sexy boost of fullness with Juvederm is the perfect way to have kissable lips for Valentine’s Day and beyond. Juvederm is a hyaluronic acid (HA) injectable, which naturally creates fuller, plumper lips because the hyaluronic acid attracts water to the area. It is FDA approved for safety and has a smooth texture, so this is a top pick for lip contouring because it keeps your lips feeling flexible and natural. It is a safe, natural way to create a perfectly plush pout that will last 4 to 6 month.

Let us help you have “hot lips” you will love for Valentine’s Day and beyond. Visit www.davinciplastic.com to schedule your appointment with an Expert Injector today.

Steven Davison M.D.

Board Certified Plastic/Reconstructive Surgeon

When you look at yourself in the mirror do you see dark circles, deep hollows, and tired looking eyes? If the hustle and bustle of the holidays is putting extra stress on you and it’s showing, you can turn to one of the most under estimated areas of the face – to restore some youthfulness to your tear troughs.

What are tear troughs?
The tear trough is the area under the eye that extends from the inner corner of the eye, arching down in a semicircle. The technical term is the nasojugal groove. Sunken tear troughs can cast a shadow under the eye that looks like dark circles and gives the face a worn out appearance. This sunkenness also ages the face by creating a visible separation from what should be the smooth transition – from the lower eyelid to the cheek.

Why do tear troughs happen?
The skin under the eyes is very thin and delicate. It shows signs of distress more easily than thicker skin. It is also more prone to the aging effects of gravity. The tissue laxity and volume loss under the eyes, as we age, leads to the tear trough becoming more prominent. Also, as fat gets displaced from behind the eye, or possibly increases and bulges under the eye, this can accentuate the aging of the eye area.

How can the under eye be rejuvenated?
Try …
– getting more rest
– cutting down on salty foods
– minimizing your exposure to environmental pollutants
– not rubbing your eyes so much

While these tips can prevent the tear troughs and under eye bags from getting worse, you can also reverse their appearance with hyaluronic acid fillers.

Rejuvenate Your Tear Troughs with HA Fillers
While there are surgical options to reversing tear troughs, more people prefer to try non invasive treatments first. This has led to the use of hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers, such as Restylane, Juvéderm or Belotero. When they are injected on top of the orbital bone, the HA attracts water to the area to restore volume. This gives the eyes a fresh, rested appearance by the next day after treatment. These results will last 6 months to a year, and you can go right back to your daily routine with no downtime or recovery.

Subtle Solutions for Significant Youthfulness
Today’s patients realize that facial rejuvenation can happen from restoring volume loss in subtle areas … such as the earlobes, temples, chin, melolabial folds and tear troughs. I definitely see a more rested, fresh, and youthful appearance for the whole face using HA fillers to rejuvenate the under eyes.

There’s still time to make your eyes look alive and bright again….before the Holidays!  Call to schedule your treatment today!

Steven Davison, M.D.

Board Certified Plastic/Reconstructive Surgeon

If you’re going to make the investment in getting a Facelift, you want it to last as long as possible. Even though a Facelift can take up to 10 years off your appearance, your skin will continue to age. This means that gravity will have its affect as your skin loses elasticity and collagen – over the years following your surgery. You can’t stop the aging process, but you can help keep the age reversal affects as long as possible by implementing the habits and tricks suggested in this blog.

Buying Time with Injectables
You will love your more youthful appearance with a Facelift and subsequently you’ll want to help the youthful effects to stay in the most effective way. Injectables, such as Voluma, are crucial to add back lost volume, as well as Botox to stop muscles from recreating those deep wrinkles. They may seem like subtle youthful enhancements at the time, but they will help the facelift last longer. These are perfect options to push back or prevent the need for touch up surgery.

Luscious Lips Look Younger
An issue that the Facelift doesn’t address is the lips. Just as volume decreases in the rest of the face, age related volume loss affects the lips. You’ll want to maintain facial harmony and balance -throughout your face with youthful lips. Using a hyaluronic filler, such as Juvederm, to plump your lips will help enhance and maintain a youthful appearance after a Facelift.

Daily Care and Special Treatments for Skin
The cumulative affect of taking good care of your skin on a daily basis… really does pay off in the end. I suggest using clinically proven skin care, such as SkinMedica to help prolong the youthful effects of cosmetic procedures. On a regular basis it is also important to get special treatments for your skin. For example, chemical peels stimulate new skin growth to enhance skin clarity and smoothness. A chemical peel can wreak havoc on the skin and actually cause aging if done incorrectly, so please be sure to come to my office even for serious treatments such as this.
Stay Away from the Sun and Pollution
These are the outside factors that cause the most skin damage and can reverse the benefits of a facelift real quick. Protect yourself from environmental pollution and the sun, which can damage the skin’s cellular integrity. This can show up as blotchy, uneven skin that is dehydrated and leathery.

Lifestyle Contributes to Aging
You should be concerned about what you eat not just for the calories or weight management, but to promote overall healthy cellular integrity. You skin is your biggest organ and reveals much about the overall healthy or unhealthy lifestyle choices you make.

Here are some tips to feel and look younger:
There are actually foods that boost collagen production, such as celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, dark green and colorful vegetables, fish, avocados, berries, white tea, garlic, fresh citrus fruits, oysters, and proteins like eggs, nuts and lean meats.
Instead of drinking dehydrating beverages, such as coffee, tea or alcohol, drink lots of water.
Sweeten with raw honey since it is a vitamin and mineral rich alternative to sugar, which causes inflammation and other unhealthy body responses.
Maintain healthy weight instead of extreme gaining and losing.
Avoid smoking.
Smile more than you frown. You’ll use fewer wrinkle causing muscles and studies show that a positive, cheerful disposition can help keep you healthy.

Feel and look great after a Facelift by implementing these tips.

To talk about a Facelift or if you’ve already had one and would like the help to maintain the results as best as possible, schedule a consultation at www.davinciplastic.com.

Steven Davison M.D.
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Happy Valentine’s or Sweetheart Day!  Hope you get wonderful treats and the things that make you happy!

Gorgeous Lips are not just for Valentine’s Day….they are for everyday!  With today’s advanced super fillers, Botox and wonderful skin/lip care cosmetics…women around the world are enjoying sexy, luscious lips with curves in all the right places.  And they enjoy them everyday!

How to replace aging lips with beautiful, youthful lips…and curves in the right places!  I use injectables to reverse aging lips.  Hyaluronic acid is nature’s answer to volume restoration, which is lost with aging, illness etc.  Injecting the right amount into pre targeted areas is safe and effective, without creating nodules that other fillers might, to restore fuller, sexier lips with curves in all the right places. Restylane is great for lip enhancements.  Read about it at: http:www.davinciplastic.com.

Hollywood, Dollywood and global celebs have been doing this for decades.  They start early (before wrinkles take over) and continue doing small, age reversing procedures to slow or reverse the visible effects of aging.

How Lips Should Look…Beautiful lips should have a natural fullness to them with a fairly well defined cupid’s bow.  Knowing the right filler(s) to use and how to inject them correctly is critical.  Expert Injectors have specialized training and knowledge base in Injectables.

The right way to enhance the lips with hyaluronic acid fillers  successfully adds volume to make the lips bigger, well proportioned and in balance with the other facial features.  The key is in not adding too much to avoid “duck lips.”

Kiss Your Lip Lines Good Bye…loss of colllagen and elastin, as we age, accounts for reduction in volume as the “scaffolding” breaks down forcing the formation of lines and wrinkles. The most noticeable, of course, are the Smoker’s Lines above the upper lip.  They form and appear even in non smokers!  So your once luscious, hot lips slowly disappear.  Other causes include years of “lip pursing,” smoking, excess sun exposure, poor nutrition, dehydration, illness etc.

Fillers Eliminate Lines…Create Plump Beautiful Lips Instantly!
Nothing compares with the instant transformation and long lasting results of today’s advanced, proven fillers.  They can get immediate, remarkable results that my patients absolutely love!

Expert Injector…as an expert injector, that coupled with my thorough understanding of the complex facial anatomy…my artistic skills and years of experience…afford my patients the results they want and deserve.

OK.  We are half way through February already.  If you are thinking about a Mommy Makeover, Daddy DoOver, Seniors Grow Younger Together Plan, … and many others…let’s get it done soon.  Time to start getting “BEACH READY.”   Or the glamorous, healthy body you’ve dreamed of for your “SPRING WEDDING.”  or many, many other Spring events.

Let’s Talk Now.

Best to you and your loved ones.

Steven Davison M.D.

“DAVinci….where we combine the supreme elements of art and surgical science.”

With Christmas just around the corner and all the parties, events and galas we attend…we are all faced with the same challenges as during Thanksgiving.  We tend to overeat, under exercise and often get into trouble. Here are a few tips (some repeats) to help keep you on track to avoid weight gain, skin outbreaks, sluggishness and regrets about not being stronger!  Start applying these now and you won’t skip a beat!  See:https://www.davinciplastic.com.

1.  Understand your metabolism.  Each person is different and will burn calories at a different rate.

2.  Avoid repeated high calorie meals…for example enjoy Christmas dinner and avoid ongoing eating of the heavy foods.

3.  Eat more living foods (raw fruits & vegetables) like salads.

4.  Eat a filling low calorie meal before heading into the kitchen to cook for the crowd.

5.  Diet before the big day and after it….never diet on party or family reunion days.

6.  Eat smaller portions and still satisfy hunger by chewing your food until it is “liquid.”

7. Immediately freeze leftovers so you’re not tempted to keep eating these rich, calorie dense goodies too handy.

8.  Get back on track with a lighter, healthy diet the next day.

9.  Exercise to suppress hunger pangs.  Often, we’re not really hungry but may be thirsty instead. Drink plenty of pure water and walk 45 minutes each day on a treadmill.  This is scientifically proven to suppress false hunger and rev up your metabolism.

The average American adult gains 2+ pounds per year.  This starts early in life. Healthy lifestyle, healthy, living foods and pure water help the body maintain strength, vitality and normal weight.

WHAT’S NEW WITH INJECTABLE FILLERS?  At a recent Ultimate Skin Health Symposium in Beverly Hills,  Dr. Zein Obagi and Dr. Rebecca Fitzgerald enlightened in this area.  To keep it brief:  in the past 4 to 5 years as new products have been in use,  we’ve learned more about the specifics of their uses.  The face is 3 dimensional…but normal aging causes it to become 2 dimensional as volume is lost and sagging occurs. Women then typically use makeup to camouflage these aging changes….to hide hollows, lines, wrinkles and droopiness…as much as possible.  As surgeons, we’ve learned how makeup effectively works and began applying those same principles to the use of injectable fillers.  Simply put, inject the places on the face where you would normally use makeup to coverup. This way, the fillers take years off the face instantly while highlighting your own natural beauty.

Facial filler injections give long lasting, natural results.  It’s truly a quick fix you still have time to do… so you can put your best, most vibrant face forward and go into 2013 looking years younger…naturally.  Fat Grafting is very popular today…this two for one deal….removes body fat from an area of plenty (we can sculpt that area then) and grafts it into the facial areas you target.

Be Sure to choose an “expert injector.”  We have specialized training in the complex facial anatomy and use of today’s age defying products.

Liposculpting.…there’s still time to sculpt those areas that doggedly resist your every attempt to get rid of fat.  This can be combined with Fat Transfer.  You can look healthy, slim and trim...by liposculpting away those troublesome, resistant areas.

Implants can still be done….breast, cheeks, chin along with sculpting and lifting those areas.  And More.    If you want to treat yourself this year…let’s talk now and get to work!  December is the month for “gift giving” and it’s now that many men and women give themselves and others a gift of health and beauty.  We love to help you realize that dream!

Stay Safe and Healthy!

Steven Davison M.D.

“DAVinci…we combine the supreme elements of art and surgical science.”

When I counsel patients about lip enhancement (augmentation) they ask questions like these:

1) How do I get fuller lips?  2)  What if the injector “overfills”,  3) Are filler injections the best way to go for lip rejuvenation  4) I want sexy lips again…I hate that my lips of my youthfulness have become thin lines,  5) How well do hyaluronic acids work to defy aging  lips and to restore beautiful, youthful lips?   …… and many other questions.

On my website: www.davinciplastic.com, you can read the whole story about lip enhancement.  It is an age defying procedure I’ve been doing for years and can achieve natural looking, youthful results for my patients.

First, you can get fuller lips with injectable fillers that restore volume, fullness and youthful shape.  Hyaluronic acid has been used for decades.  It is safe, effective and does not create/leave nodules in the skin like some other fillers can do.  For fuller lips, hyaluronic acid materials are the best.

Having an “expert injector” such as myself ensures you get accurate injections, in the right amounts and in the right places.  As a trained, qualified, experienced expert injector…I review the complex anatomy of the face with you and we design a specific treatment plan to achieve the results you want.   Patients often come to me with “overfilled” lips….commonly called duck lips.  This is typical of salon/spa or inexperienced people performing a highly skilled injectable procedure.  Know what you are getting!

SEXY LIPS at any age are possible by doing as celebrities have been doing for decades;  start early and continue having small anti aging things done on a regular basis to keep you looking several years younger no matter your age or season in life.  I work with my patients to achieve realistic outcomes that will look natural and be functional at any age.

LIPS … HOW THEY SHOULD LOOK…the lips should have a natural fullness to them with a fairly well defined cupid’s brow.  Knowing when to use fillers and how to use them is critical.  I have years of experience in creating facial balance on the complex facial canvas.

ADDED BENEFITS FROM LIP ENHANCEMENT…include eliminating lines and wrinkles around the mouth and in the nasolabial fold, and of course, the smoker’s lines above the lip can go away with HA injections for lip enhancement.

Come on in and let’s chat about what’s bothering you…I blog on all of my procedures so you can access that info easily.

I love helping people keep their best face forward!

Steven Davison M.D.

“DAVinci..it’s where we combine the supreme elements of art and surgical science.”

Lip Augmentation…the right way to enhance the lips with hyaluronic acid fillers or fat (fat is great) adds volume to make them bigger.  The key is in not adding too much volume because it can make them look “overdone” or like “duck lips” and facial balance is lost.   I’ve written about facial balance…see recent blogs to get up to speed on that.

Facial aging appears in our 20’s as subtle changes occur. The 30’s ushers in more as natural fullness lessens and the face slowly becomes heart shaped. The 40’s, however are different.  Fat loss and tissue changes become very visible as the cheeks become flat and lack definition… while lines, wrinkles and folds develop in many areas. The lips start to thin; the eyes and brows start drooping.  Aging continues over the decades. We can’t stop the aging process…but we can address it.

This is the time of year when men and women come to my office to get information, to  tailor a program that addresses their aging issues, and to start on procedures that defy aging by taking years off the face.

To Prevent, Augment or to Rejuvenate…that is the question. 

Prevention involves doing small things at a younger age to prevent or correct early signs of aging. Celebs are doing a lot of “early prevention” treatments…so they can minimize the visible signs of aging and always years younger.

Augmentation changes your features…e.g. chin implants reshape a chin that has lost volume and definition.

Rejuvenation corrects age related changes that have occurred…e.g. men and women just want to look a few years younger without changing their complete appearance

Balance and proportion need to be correct to achieve the desired improvement.  The goal is to get outcomes that look natural and improve the face…not manipulate it while striving for perfection.

BALANCE MEANS:  a youthful face that doesn’t look done but it does encompass features that are proportionate with each other as follows:

1)  Eyes should have 1/2 inch between the upper lid and brow. Outer corner turns up slightly.

2)  Brows should be aligned with each other and have a slight arch at the tail.

3)  Cheeks should be oval in shape, full and high on the face while tapering in

4)  Lips…the upper lip should be two thirds smaller than the bottom lip with slightly upturned corners.

 Knowing When to do What…is a key factor at any age or stage in life.  When younger patients ask me for filler, injectables of fat…and there are no visible signs of aging…they want enhancement rather than corrective or preventive treatment. Also, surgery is an option only when you’re ready and when it is age appropriate or it can actually make you look older and “done.”

I advise my patients:  Start doing small interventions early and then maintain…a little intervention with fillers and injectables is good for making improvements…but beware…a lot is not always better.  Check on my procedures at: www.davinciplastic.com.

I am certified by multiple medical boards, have years and years of experience, I stay current with today’s advancements and I am also an “expert injector.”  Pictures of my patients tell a wonderful story!  

OK….this is the time of year to start getting ready for the Holidays.  Come in for a personal consultation so you can put your best face forward!

Steven Davison M.D.

“DAVinci….where we combine the supreme elements of art and surgical science.”

Injectable fillers used to be just…wrinkle fillers.  Today’s Liquid Miracles…the injectable treatments I am able to use for my patients not only immediately erase lines and grooves  but also “lift” and “contour” aging facial features and flaws for men and women.

Temples, brows, upper eyelids, undereye areas, cheeks, mouth corners and jowls are all easily treated and magically lifted.

How Do They Work?  

Injectable fillers like Radiesse work immediately by replacing volume and stimulating your own collagen renewal while attracting water to the treated area. Juvederm is used in areas requiring less structural improvement…such as under the eyes and for marionette lines. Botox is used to inhibit muscle action allowing forehead furrows to relax and smooth out and also prevents future lines and wrinkles.

Old Injectables V New Injectables

When first introduced, injectables were primarily used to fill in wrinkles.  With product advancement and refined techniques, they are used more widely with effective natural outcomes.

Aging Face…it shows

As we age, the different facial compartments “shift” and fat pads migrate downward (e.g. the cheeks) often being reabsorbed into the tissues. Constant volume loss from lifestyle, aging, illness etc, causes facial contours to change and become visible as lines, wrinkles, grooves, sagging mouth and more.

Reconstructing the face with fillers allows for the architecture (framework) of the face to be lifted, restoring the natural…youthful contours of the face.

Using today’s fillers and getting the desired natural looking and long lasting results requires specialized training, experience and skill.  I am a trained/qualified/experienced “expert injector.”

Summer Events…weddings, family reunions, family trips, class reunion, job interviews… etc… often call for Quick Fixes  Don’t despair…you have safe, effective, quick options without downtime and with results that will amaze you and dazzle the special people in your life!  See http://www.DAVinciplastic.com for more info.

Age Defying Facial Rejuvenation…How we do it:

• Shape the cheeks…seamlessly shaping this area with Hyaluronic acid and long lasting fillers restores youthful contour & a refreshed, natural look 
• Lift the Mouth…get rid of that downturned smile and look young again
• Smooth out the jawline…to lift it before it goes too far south to redefine this part of the face
• Open up the eyes…revolumize this area to restore that fresh, full look
• Elevate the brows…restore volume to this sagging, sunken area
• Define the eyes…restructure the undereye area to compensate for bone loss, fat and thinning skin

About today’s “Injectors”…

It’s true that you can walk into many spas and get Botox for example…but are you willing to risk possible bad results by having an unqualified person work on your face?  Know this:  there are over 1 million doctors allowed to perform injectables and filler treatments…in the US alone.  ONLY 3% of these are qualified to do so.  Choose wisely!

Summer fun in the sun can wreak havoc with your skin and face…we have options to correct it.  In the meantime…remember the hats, sunglasses, Obagi sunscreen, lots of cool water and shade.

Enjoy your family times…make lots of wonderful memories.

Steven Davison M.D.

DAVinci…have a patient centric experience in an environment where we combine the supreme elements of art & surgical science.