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Arestin, BOTOX and Facial Aesthetics in Queens

Why Go to a Dentist for Facial Aesthetics Treatments?

Dentists spend their extensive years of education and training focused on the head and neck. They are experts in the muscles, nerves, and blood supply of this region and so are adept at administering local anesthesia precisely and successfully. The training and licensing for administering Botox and dermal fillers are the same for all doctors. Dentists who are licensed for dermal fillers and Botox, however, have an additional advantage over other doctors since they are experts in head and neck. They are fully licensed to administer cosmetic treatments. Patients who come to skilled dentists for facial aesthetics can trust that they will be treated with complete professionalism and will be kept entirely comfortable during whichever procedure they undergo.

Facial Aesthetics in Queens

Dr. Payam Cohen, in addition to being a highly respected cosmetic, family and general dentist, is a Certified and Licensed Facial Aesthetic Practitioner. This means that, in addition to ensuring that your teeth are both healthy and attractive, he has been administering a number of products that will enhance your facial appearance for over eight years.

Certified to work with BOTOX®, XEOMIN®, all JUVÉDERM products, RADIESSE®, and BELOTERO,  Dr. Cohen is dedicated to eliminating imperfections, such as wrinkles and deep facial folds, to complement your naturally improved smile. He uses a variety of products, all FDA-approved, to rejuvenate and illuminate your face.

What Is Botox?

Botox is an injection that works to relax facial muscles. When injected, Botox minimizes facial wrinkles and lines, smoothing away much of the visible evidence of aging. Measured doses of Botox give the recipient the gift of a clean, smooth, increasingly youthful appearance. Dr. Cohen also offers Botox injections to alleviate excessive sweating in the underarm region.

Advantages of Botox over Facelift Procedures

There are a number of reasons Botox has gained popularity in recent years. Many patients have decided to undergo treatments with these substances instead of facelift procedures because:

  • Not everyone is a candidate for plastic surgery
  • Injections of Botox are much less invasive than surgery
  • Results are more immediate, visible in only two weeks
  • As opposed to facelifts, the injections result in minimal bruising and no swelling
  • There are no stitches involved in the administration of Botox

In most cases, while there may be some redness or small spots (comparable to mosquito bites) immediately after injections, these will disappear within 24 hours after treatment.

What are Dermal Fillers?

Dermal fillers are products designed to fill in areas of the face where volume has been lost. They are frequently used to fill in or replace lost volume in static wrinkles, lines and deep folds, acne scars and any other areas that have lost volume, typically due to the natural process of aging.

Dermal fillers are well-suited to treat deep lines or wrinkles or to fill in sunken areas such as cheek depressions. They are also used very successfully to plump and enhance lips or cheeks, or to revolumize nasolabial folds, chins, or almost any other parts of the face that require increased fullness. Dermal fillers are especially helpful in filling indented areas, such as acne scars, “marionette lines,” the facial lines that run downwards from the corners of the mouth, and smokers’ lines, the vertical lines of pucker around the lips.

Unlike Botox, dermal fillers do not work by relaxing muscles. A major difference in the uses of Botox as opposed to dermal fillers is that the latter are typically used to diminish or eliminate the appearance of facial lines that appear at rest, rather than those that appear during facial movement. Lines that show up when you laugh or become enraged are dealt with more effectively with Botox.

Are these facial aesthetic treatments safe? Are they long-lasting?

All of the aesthetic treatments used by Dr. Cohen are FDA-approved. How long the treatments last is somewhat variable. Typically, medications like Botox work for approximately three to five months. Dermal fillers typically last for 12 to 14 months.

Botox treatments are known as “lunchtime” procedures because of the lack of necessary downtime. It is true that patients can often return to work immediately after a Botox treatment, but they will be required not to rub the injected area for the rest of the day and not to take any NSAIDS (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) immediately afterward in order to prevent excessive bleeding.

Aesthetic Treatments: Dos and Don’ts

Before Botox

  1. Stop taking all products that contain aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil), vitamin E and similar products for 10 days before the procedure to decrease the chances of bruising. Tylenol is acceptable.
  2. Notify Dr. Cohen if you are taking a blood thinner, such as Warfarin, Coumadin, or Plavix.
  3. Do not schedule important social activities, meetings, etc., immediately after the Botox procedure. While the majority of patients do not have any adverse effects from Botox injections, on rare occasions, bruising and eyelid droop can occur.
  4. Plan in advance. Do not wait until the last minute to get Botox in preparation for an important event, such as a wedding. We recommend getting Botox 2 to 4 weeks in advance of any important event. Do your daily workout before your appointment for Botox because you cannot exercise immediately afterwards.

After Botox

  1. Do not exercise until the next morning.
  2. Do not rub or irritate the injection sites since this can cause the Botox to seep into your eyelid and result in drooping. Wash your face gently. By the next morning, you can resume normal activities.
  3. For the first hour after treatment, exercise the muscles that were treated by frowning, raising your eyebrows, smiling, and/or puckering your lips.
  4. If you have swelling or bruising on your face, apply cool compresses.

Before Dermal Fillers

  1. Stop all products that contain aspirin, ibuprofen, Vitamin E, and similar products 10 days before the procedure to decrease the chances of bruising. Notify Dr. Cohen if you are on a blood thinner such as Warfarin, Coumadin, and Plavix. Tylenol is acceptable.
  2. Do not schedule important social activities, meetings, etc., for at least three days after the procedure.
  3. If you have a history of cold sores, you may need to start an antiviral medication, such as Valtrex, 24 hours before the procedure. Notify Dr. Cohen or our staff if you have a history of cold sores and do not have a prescription for antiviral medications.

After Dermal Fillers

  1. Avoid heat, sun, or sauna after the treatment.
  2. Drink a lot of water to keep yourself well-hydrated.
  3. Apply SPF 30 sunblock whenever you will be exposed to sunlight.
  4. If you have received dental anesthesia, your lips will be numb for an hour or more. Therefore, be careful when drinking hot liquids or chewing until the numbness is gone.
  5. Apply cool compresses until the next morning to minimize bruising and swelling.
  6. Minimize mouth motion (chewing, talking) for 24 hours to allow the product to set.
  7. Notify us immediately (day or night) if you have a cold sore outbreak since cold sores can lead to scarring.
  8. Use Tylenol if needed for pain.
  9. Please inform us if you experience lumpiness or asymmetry. DO NOT try to correct the issue yourself.

For more information about Botox, or dermal filler treatments, it is best to schedule an appointment with Dr. Cohen, who can analyze your particular needs and discuss which procedures are most likely to benefit you most effectively.

* For more detailed and important safety information about these products, please visit www.botoxcosmetic.com, www.xeomin.com, www.juvederm.com, www.radiesse.com, or www.belotero.com