In just a few days February 2014 will be ushered in.  February is known for it’s “sweetheart” day otherwise called Valentine’s Day.  We envision hearts, cupids, Valentine cards, Roses, special chocolate treats, dinner in a luxurious environment, handsome men and beautiful women with gorgeous red, well shaped but soft and supple lips. For many women…the well shaped, pouty, soft and supple lips are a thing of the past, but they don’t have to be.  If you start now, you can have the lips of your dreams before Valentine’s Day (February 14).  Read on as I blog about Lip enhancement and other ways to restore beautiful, youthful lips now.

AGING LIPS, VERTICAL LIP LINES and more…

Lip puckering involves pursing the lips, a motion that forces formation of vertical lines above the top lip.  Along with this, loss of collagen and elastin contributes to lines, loss of lip shape and color.  This makes you look older and allows your lipstick to bleed beyond your lips.  These are contributors also:

• Smoking (regular/frequent lip pursing)
• Excess sun exposure
• Poor skin care
• Being under hydrated

These can be easily dealt with:  exfoliate away all dry skin, moisturize regularly, quit smoking, use sunscreen, get into a regular, healthy skin care routine, and stay well hydrated with at least 64oz of pure water everyday!  However, normal aging, minus the bad habits, inflicts losses in every part of the body… lips not excluded.  To get those beautiful, youthful lips back by Valentine’s Day, I offer these “hot” options.

LIP ENHANCEMENT to restore FULLER SHAPE for GORGEOUS, YOUTHFUL, SWEETHEART LIPS

Age related loss of collagen results in lines, mouth wrinkles, less shapely and less colorful lips.  Injectable Filler Lip enhancement is today’s top fast fix to minimize those lines and restore healthy, beautiful lips instantly, without surgery. Collagen causes facial structures to deflate and sag, hence the lines show up.  Hyaluronic Acid fillers offer dramatic results.  The results are not permanent but can be easily maintained while your body learns to regenerate it’s own collagen again.

ABOUT INJECTABLE FILLERS for the LIPS

When fixing your lips – stear clear of permanent injections and silicone; even though they may be FDA approved.  Permanent fillers often results in lumps and bumps which can require surgery to correct and silicone is permanent…so if you don’t like the outcome you just have to live with it.  You want avoid overfilling (Duck Lips) and under filling also.

HA fillers like Restylane, Juvederm and Perlane can create fuller, plumper lips.  There are two types of candidates for lip enhancement using injectables:  1) needs volume, 2) needs to balance their other facial features. Your surgeon must understand the complex facial anatomy and be specially trained as an “Expert Injector.” An Expert Injectors knows the face, the products and how to match the right treatment with each individual need.  Know before you go!  See my website for more info on Lip Augmentation/Enhancement: www.davinciplastic.com.

ABOUT COLLAGEN…Collagen is the foundation of all connective skin tissue.  It supports the skin’s structure, thus it is essential for youthful looking skin.  As we age, the body produces less collagen causing the skin to thin, lose firmness and form wrinkles. Choose your foods for collagen generation:  organic celery, cucumbers, tropical fruits, green drinks, tomatoes, citrus fruits/smoothies and more are excellent in helping the body make collagen.

In today’s economy more people are seeking ways to cut costs. Bargain Injectable Treatments have been proven to not be bargains!  Please don’t bargain with your face.  More on that next blog.

Let’s talk about your lip enhancement right away. 

Steven Davison M.D.

“All cosmetic surgery should be functional and all reconstructive surgery should be aesthetic and look as natural as possible.”

Hard to believe we’re into May already!  So, I must do my annual warning against skin cancer:  May has been designated by many organizations as National Skin Cancer Awareness Month…and that involves letting you know about skin cancers and ways you

Sun Protection

can avoid them.  We do this year after year because:  Melanoma and Non Melanoma  is the most common form of skin cancer in the United States.  For my faithful blog followers, please review this and pass it along to someone who needs this information.

SKIN CANCER FACTS AS THEY ARE:

1)  More than 90% of skin cancer is caused by sun exposure.  2)  Every hour 1 person dies from skin cancer   3)  Skin cancer accounts for more than 50% of all cancers combined   4) Per the American Cancer Association: more than 1 million cases will be diagnosed this year   5)  Skin cancer is most deadly among African Americans, Asians and Latinos   6)  One bad burn during childhood doubles the risk factor   7)  Men are diagnosed with skin cancer more often than women.

2 CATEGORIES:   Highly curable  (basal cell and squamous cell cancers) ……Deadly  (melanomas)

AVOID TANNING BEDS…the new trend among women between 18 to 29 years of age…involves an 8 times greater risk of developing skin cancer. and increased use of tanning beds increased the risk of getting skin cancers.

Skin cancer history is also linked to new skin cancers developing in other areas of the body according to a large study done by Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston  (over 46,000 men and 100K+ women involved in the study) which ran from June 1984 to June 2008.  Nearly 70,000 new cases of skin cancers were diagnosed in these patients with a history of previous skin cancers with the women  being at higher risk than the men.  Bottom line is….both men and women get skin cancers…mostly from excess sun exposure and early diagnosis and treatment is critical to good outcomes.  SEE MY BLOGS FROM MAY 2012, 2011 for more info on skin cancer, risk factors, staying safe and more….

FIVE MORE SUN PROTECTIVE TIPS….  6)  Don’t use sunscreen that has “baked” in your hot car….it’s useless.   7) If you take medications or use OTC pain killers….talk with your Dr. since many of these cause “photosensitivity.”  8) UVA rays penetrate glass…so be aware when sitting by windows during the heat of summer   9)  Don’t count on makeup for protection….you must know what level of protection it offers…and if you need to also use sunscreen    10)  Beach umbrellas block sun from above…but not the glare from below or from the water….choose carefully when setting up for the day.

MOTHER’S DAY….give your Mom or Sweetheart a SPA DAY  or a GIFT COUPON for BOTOX, RADIESSE…JUVEDERM,  LIP AUGMENTATION….  or a procedure she’s been talking about!   Women love these kinds of gifts!   Give a “New Mommy” a SPA DAY….and info about Mommy Makeovers.

Have a great May!

Steven Davison M.D.

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

Every brides’ goal is to have picture perfect, flawless and glowing skin on her wedding day.  Grooms want to have a clear complexion and be fit and trim with a great upper torso and much more. Today’s couples plan and do more together than ever before…especially for their wedding.  So in order to accomplish these goals, you must start a few weeks before your wedding date.  

Brides and Grooms Skin Care plan looks like this:

• Use only trusted skin care products…such as Obagi for beautiful, healthy  skin
• Perform your skin care regimen daily without fail
• Avoid shell fish, limit alcohol, stop smoking and avoid extractions (they inflame the skin) and tanning beds….there is no safe tan!
• Dietary:  eat lots of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables,  cut back on or eliminate fried foods, sugar, excess salt, processed foods
• Sugar molecules attach to collagen fibers and cause sagging skin and wrinkles
• Alcohol causes blotchiness and swollen skin
• Excess salt causes puffiness
• EAT lots of foods loaded with antioxidants (raw fruits and vegies….must be fresh)
• Pure Water….drink lots of it to stay well hydrated and detoxed
• Skin Care Regimen…must be daily routine and include:  cleansing, toning, moisturizing.    Exfoliate 1 time per month prior to your wedding.
• Sleep…the body heals and renews only during sleep.  Get 7 to 8 hours a night.
• Deep Breathing….stop and deep breath several times everyday
• Crying…avoid crying the week before your wedding to avoid red eyes and puffiness
• Lighter Makeup…Brides …lighten up on makeup and let your skin breathe
• Facial….get one a few days before your wedding day…focus on smoothing, exfoliation and hydration
• Wedding Day gel mask….lots of water….lots of deep breathing! (apply a gel mask that morning to clarify and smooth your skin….drink plenty of pure water and breathe deeply.

Beautifying Procedures Brides and Grooms Love!

Many brides and grooms want to look their absolute best on their wedding day…for those perfect photos, lasting impressions…and cherished memories.  The most popular procedures they choose include:  Tummy tucks, Facial Fillers, Lipo/Abs sculpting, Spa procedures to help transform troubled, aging skin to look and be more youthful,  Lip augmentation to get beautiful, sexy lips….Nose Jobs, Breast Augmentation or Reduction and others.

Today’s Couples Stay Younger Together…

Men and women arrive together to tailor their age defying programs!  The days of women showing up alone, having a breast procedure or facial rejuvenation treatments and then hoping no one notices right away….those days are long gone.  This is a new day! Husbands and wives, brides and grooms are scheduling appointments together and planning their age defying, beautifying treatments….together.  It’s lots of fun for all of us and so rewarding.

Society demands it…Men and Women want it!

Health and wellness that achieves wonderful youthful results incorporated with small procedures, started early enough to reverse early signs of aging.  We now thoroughly understand the aging process and the timetable at which visible signs of aging will occur.  In response to that, we can do small things early on and absolutely reverse and slow down the process.  Treatments like injectable facial fillers such as Juvederm, Botox, Obagi skincare products that work from the cellular level to create healthy skin from the inside out and other options.

Lots of Options for everyone…

These are just a few of the many ways you can prepare for your big day…but you must start now.  Come on in and let’s get to work on your personalized plan so you’ll be ready.  Visit my website for ideas and procedure overviews: https://www.davinciplastic.com

Helping people be their healthiest and most youthful is what I do best!

Steven Davison, M.D.

At DAVinci…I combine the supreme elements of art and surgical science. 

KISS YOUR LIP LINES GOOD BYE…Look years younger instantly!

My last blog dealt with the aging chin and neck also referred to as the lower one third of the face.  I would be remiss if I didn’t cover the topic of aging lips.  Lips age right along with the rest of the face.  This is seen as collagen and elastin levels decline causing the skin’s scaffolding (support system) to breakdown while forcing the formation of lines and wrinkles.  These unwelcome, often unsightly, lines appear around the mouth…the most noticeable being above the upper lip (Smoker’s Lines).  At the same time your once luscious lips start thinning and facial balance/youthfulness flees.

CAUSES of LIP LINES and THIN LIPS

Loss of collagen and elastin, years of “pursing” the lips, smoking, excess sun exposure, poor nutrition, dehydration, illness etc. are frequent causes of lip aging and facial lines.  Some people are just born with thin lips…and come to me to give them the lips they’ve never had but always wanted!

FILLERS to ELIMINATE LINES…CREATE PLUMP BEAUTIFUL LIPS

Nothing compares with the instant transformation and long lasting results of today’s liquid fillers (injectable dermal fillers) to erase wrinkles and restore volume, plumpness and contour to facial areas.  The lips get immediate, remarkable results that my patients absolutely love.  I recommend and use hyaluronic acid fillers  that are safe and effective.

EXPERT INJECTOR vs NON EXPERT

Coupled with my injector training, comprehensive understanding of the complex facial anatomy and the right formula for each patient…my artistic and surgical skills are combined to achieve wonderful outcomes.

Did you know:

Over 1.2 million doctors are legally allowed to perform injectable treatments in the United States...BUT

Less than 7% qualify as an expert injector.

All Expert Injectors are board certified plastic surgeons, facial plastic surgeons, dermatologists and oculoplastic surgeons who have demonstrated extreme due diligence in regards to patient safety, reliable results and consumer education.  Expert injectors are properly qualified to perform injectable procedures and will only administer products that are FDA approved for aesthetic use.

ABOUT EXPERT INJECTORS:

• ALL HAVE BEEN PROPERLY TRAINED BY THE PRODUCT MANUFACTURER…
• ALL EDUCATE THEIR PATIENTS ON THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE…EMPOWERING THEM TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS
• ALL EMPLOY CORRECT PROTOCOLS TO MINIMIZE POTENTIAL ADVERSE REACTIONS
• ALL KEEP ACCURATE RECORDS OF INJECTABLES PERFORMED FOR EACH PATIENT

INJECTABLE FILLERS TODAY…CHOICES

I offer my patients the safest, most advanced…but tried and proven fillers available including:  Juvederm®, Radiesse®, Restylane®, Sculptra® and Fat Grafting (gets amazing long lasting results). All treatments are customized to achieve your goals and desires and are done in office…often during a lunch hour!

Ready for a quick makeover?  Nose, Chin, Lips…we can do it in time for summer vacations etc.  Let’s talk now.

I’m here to hep you put and keep your best face forward.

Dr. Steven Davison

AT DAVinci…I combine the supreme elements of art and surgical science.