Cosmetic Surgery, Health and Fitness Information - The Adams Center, Boston, MA

Study Shows Women Are More Prone to Facial Wrinkles

A study by a team of plastic surgeons from the Netherlands, that was published in a recent issue of Aesthetic Surgery Journal suggests that differences in the skin around the mouth (the perioral area) account for more, and deeper skin wrinkling in women than in men.

The study’s goal was to 1) determine whether or not women wrinkle earlier and more severely than men, and 2) to develop better strategies for the treatment of facial wrinkles.

The study found several contributing factors for more perioral wrinkles in women:

• Women have fewer sweat glands and sebaceous glands than men, which influences the natural filling of potential wrinkles
• The skin around a woman’s mouth contains fewer blood vessels than men, which may speed wrinkle development
• Women have tighter muscle to skin attachment around the mouth then men. This may cause more of an inward pull to create deeper wrinkles

Current treatments for perioral wrinkles include the use of ActiveFX and DeepFX lasers, Botox, and injectable wrinkle fillers such as Juvederm, Restylane, Radiesse, and other methods such as Dermabrasion, and chemical peels.

Contact me by e-mail, or by calling me at The Adams Center in my Peabody office at 978-531-0550, or 617-262-2208 in my Boston office for more information on this post, or any other information in my Blog.

Dr. Bill Adams is a greater Boston area board certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience in the field. 

Relaxed Expressions as a Botox Alternative

Relaxed Expressions is one of the newest, minimally invasive, non-toxic tools in our ongoing quest to find the most effective methods for treating facial wrinkles, and reversing the signs of aging.

I recently became one of only 30 physicians in the U.S. involved as part of a physician advisory council to help with the development of best practices in the use of Bioform Medical's Relaxed Expressions (also known as REX, GFX, or No-Tox) system. Perhaps the best way to think of REX is as a high-tech alternative to Botox.

Instead of using a low dose of Botulinum Toxin like Botox, Relaxed Expressions targets the muscles that cause frown lines and wrinkles in our foreheads with Radio Frequency (RF) energy. These RF energy waves minimize the muscle’s ability to make you frown, thus removing the wrinkles in the target area.

While Botox is still a great treatment, Relaxed Expressions overcomes two of Botox’s shortcomings; it may last for as long as 18 – 24 months (as opposed to 3 – 6 for Botox), and is completely non-toxic. At the same time, REX shares some of the same strengths as Botox; it’s minimally invasive, takes around 30 minutes, and works immediately. The recovery time varies.

Relaxed Expressions is still undergoing evaluation, and I’m proud to be one of the physicians selected for this process. So far, the outcomes I’ve had using this procedure have been great. The majority of the patients have been impressed; however, temporary bruising and swelling may occur.

While the technology used in Relaxed Expressions is approved for use to treat medical conditions such as cardiac arrhythmia, it is not yet approved for cosmetic use. REX shows great promise in this area, but it still needs to show good, consistent, safe results. I’ll keep you up to date on the progress of this promising new wrinkle treatment option.

Contact me by e-mail, or by calling me at The Adams Center in my Peabody office at 978-531-0550, or 617-262-2208 in my Boston office for more information on this post, or any other information in my Blog.

Dr. Bill Adams is a greater Boston area board certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience in the field.

Our Non-Surgical Beauty Enhancement Seminars were a big Success

Our September 18th and 20th seminars on how to enhance your natural beauty without cosmetic surgery were a huge success, with over 100 of our patients attended our events in our Boston and Peabody offices.

These great events were highlighted by demonstrations from Dr. Adams and out highly trained aesthetician staff throughout the morning, which focused on Botox and injectable fillers, Microdermabrasion, Sclerotherapy and various laser procedures to help reduce wrinkles, brown/age spots, acne, and more.

Representatives from several of our high quality skin care partners, such as Allergan (the makers of Botox and our breast implants), Obagi, Juvederm, Jane Iredale, iS Clinical, Environ, and the exciting new skin care line - Vivite were there with product samples, and to answer questions.

Complimentary skin analysis was also provided using the Mirror Canfield Enhanced Viewing System.

We tentatively have more seminars scheduled for November, so remember to check back here, or check the events page on The Adams Center's site.

Contact me by e-mail, or by calling me at The Adams Center in my Peabody office at 978-531-0550, or 617-262-2208 in my Boston office for more information on this post, or any other information in my Blog.

Dr. Bill Adams is a greater Boston area board certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience in the field.

Why Didn't my Botox Work?

Q: I have had Botox injected successfully twice. This time I went to someone else and the Botox didn’t take. What could cause this?

A: There are many reasons this could have happened. It’s possible that outdated Botox was used. After dilution Botox is good for 2 weeks only. Some doctors dilute Botox too much to try and treat more patients with one bottle. It’s also possible that the doctor missed the muscle and placed the Botox too deep, or that not enough was used.

Contact me at The Adams Centerby e-mail, or by calling 978-531-0550 in my Peabody office, or 617-262-2208 in my Boston office for more information on this post, or any other information in my Blog

Dr. Bill Adams is a greater Boston area board certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience in the field.

Reversing the Aging Process Using Hi-Tech, Low Tech, and the Tried and True

Over the past few years, we’ve seen tremendous advances in high-tech anti-aging procedures. While it sounds cliché, these really have revolutionized the battle against wrinkles.

2006 statistics from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) showed an overall increase in cosmetic procedures. However, while surgical procedures declined, non-surgical procedures increased to account for 83% of the total cosmetic procedures performed in the U.S.

This is good news for those of us in the medical spa business. Cosmetic surgery is not for everyone, and non-surgical treatments can provide great results with less downtime. At my practice, my staff and I routinely evaluate new equipment and ideas in anti-aging science. Some of the most effective treatments I’ve seen are DermaSound, iS Clinical’s Youth Complex, and an old favorite, Botox.

DermaSound
One of the more innovative anti-aging solutions I’ve seen is DermaSound. DermaSound is an advanced ultrasonic skin treatment that combines sound waves with a water process utilizing cavitation (a thin blade vibrates at 28,000 times per second causing water molecules to spin rapidly) to eliminate dead skin cells in the outermost layer of skin that make our skin appear older.

DermaSound not only exfoliates, but can also provide deeper-reaching antioxidant treatments through a process called “sonophoresis” to create pathways into the skin for antioxidants to nourish and heal skin at a cellular level, increasing penetration effectiveness by up to 4,000 times (according to an MIT study) more than applying them by hand.

The final part of the DermaSound process is Micro amp therapy, which can be provided as part of a complete skin-restoring treatment to help enhance the healing process.

DermaSound frequently produces results after just one treatment.

iS Clinical’s Youth Complex
One of the biggest reasons for tired and old looking skin is sun damage. Many of us spend unprotected hours in the sun, which can cause oxidative stress resulting in free radical damage to the skin.

While an ounce of prevention is the best medicine, what do you do when the damage has been done?

One of the only “skin creams” (I hesitate to call iS Clinical’s products “skin creams” because they’re so much more) that I’ve seen to actually produce measurable results are the products by iS Clinical. iS Clinical has one of the most innovative and effective lines of antioxidant rich serums. We use and recommend several of their great formulas at The Adams Center.

iS Clinical combines the some of the latest skin science and breakthroughs in wrinkle filler technology by utilizing Hyaluronic acid (the same product used in Restylane), and copper peptides, with vitamins and things like white willow bark that have been used for centuries in some cultures.

Their Youth Complex utilizes freeze dried Hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B5, white willow bark, copper peptides, fruit acids and other botanicals with advanced micro-spheres to help rapidly reduce wrinkles, and rebuild skin at the deepest level. The formula is so effective that results may be seen in hours.

Botox
Botulinum Toxin Type A, or as it’s more commonly referred to, Botox® (manufactured by Allergan as a purified, sterile form of the Botulinum Toxin) is one of the most positive developments in the field of cosmetic surgery of the past two decades.

Botox is really the product that started the revolution in non-surgical anti-aging medicine, and showed that it was possible to get results without surgery. According to the ASAPS, Botox® has been the top cosmetic procedure for the past seven years, with approximately 3.18 million procedures performed in 2006.

First approved by the FDA in 1989 to treat uncontrollable blinking, and misaligned eyes, Botox® has since been approved for cosmetic use to diminish wrinkles on the forehead, around the eyes, lips, and neck. It has recently been approved to treat excessive underarm sweating.

Botox® works by blocking the release of a chemical called “acetylcholine” which signals the muscle under the “frown lines” to contract. Botox® is injected into the muscle causing a temporary (4 months in most cases) paralysis or weakness in the muscle, which then diminishes and in many cases, removes the wrinkle.

I’ve performed thousands of procedures using Botox®. I still believe that it’s one of the most effective non-surgical tools we have in the fight against wrinkles.

Non-surgical ways to combat aging are the solutions most requested in both my medical spa and my cosmetic surgery practice. DermaSound, advanced skin serums such as those made by iS Clinical, and Botox®, are important tools in our efforts to combat the effects of aging. Even though I’m a board certified plastic surgeon by trade, in my opinion, whenever a non-surgical method is right for the patient, that’s the way to go!

Contact me by e-mail, or by calling me at The Adams Center in my Peabody office at 978-531-0550, or 617-262-2208 in my Boston office for more information on this post, or any other information in my Blog.

Dr. Bill Adams is a greater Boston area board certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience in the field.

Breakthroughs in Facial Aging

In 2006, over 102,000 people aged 40 and older had a facelift. In fact, the facelift is the second most popular cosmetic surgical procedure for both men and women over 55, according to ASPS statistics.

A groundbreaking study in June’s Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, shows that the human face is made up of fat compartments positioned in areas around the forehead, eye, cheek and mouth that individually change with age.

When we’re young, the transition between these compartments is uniform and smooth. As we age changes occur between these regions due to loss, gain, and shifting of facial fat. These changes lead to sagging, “hollowed” skin, and wrinkles.

This new information helps plastic surgeons to more accurately pinpoint trouble areas and use fillers to add volume to individual sections of the face, creating a more effective way to turn back the clock.

Whether injectable fillers, surgery, or using a combination to treat all of the signs of aging, the procedure(s) selected should fit the needs of the patient.

While a full surgical facelift used to be the only option for minimizing the appearance of wrinkles, injectable wrinkle fillers and new laser treatments allow people to put off a facelift. However, these new non-surgical treatments are not cure-alls. At some point (often starting at around our 50’s), we all reach a level of facial aging where surgery may be the best option.

 

A new facelift technique that places the incision at an angle within the temple areas (as opposed to above the ear) allows for better hiding of the scar as hair grows back through the scar. The technique minimizes the Joan Rivers look, and allows women to pull their hair back without exposing a scar and men to grow sideburns without having missing hair.

Contact me by e-mail, or by calling me at The Adams Center in my Peabody office at 978-531-0550, or 617-262-2208 in my Boston office for more information on this post, or any other information in my Blog.

Dr. Bill Adams is a greater Boston area board certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience in the field.

Why Didn't Botox Work?

Q: I have had Botox injected successfully twice. This time I went to someone else and the Botox didn't take. What could cause this?

A: There are many reasons this could have happened. It's possible that outdated Botox was used. After dilution Botox is good for 2 weeks only. Some doctors dilute Botox too much to try and treat more patients with one bottle. It's also possible that the doctor missed the muscle and placed the Botox too deep, or that not enough was used.

Contact me by e-mail, or by calling me at The Adams Center in my Peabody office at 978-531-0550, or 617-262-2208 in my Boston office for more information on this post, or any other information in my Blog.

Dr. Bill Adams is a greater Boston area board certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience in the field.

2006 Cosmetic Surgery Statistics

2006 showed some interesting trends in both cosmetic surgery, and non-surgical procedures.

With approximately 11.5 million cosmetic procedures (both surgical and non-surgical performed in the U.S. – a small increase of 1% from 2005 – more people than ever are choosing to manage the signs of aging or just look and feel their best.

One of the more interesting points that came out of this report is that while surgical procedures actually showed a decline, more people than ever are realizing the benefits of non-surgical procedures which account for 83% of the total cosmetic procedures performed in the U.S.

Recently, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery released their 2006 statistics for cosmetic procedures, which showed:

• Surgical procedures decreased by about 9%
• Non-surgical procedures increased 3%
• Women had 92% of all procedures – an increase of 1% from 2005
• Men had 8% of all procedures
• African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, and other non-caucasian groups accounted for 21.7% of all procedures – a significant growth over 2005

The top five surgical procedures were:

• Liposuction - 403,684,
• Breast Augmentation - 383,886,
• Eyelid Surgery (blepharoplasty) - 209,999, 
• Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) - 172,457, and
• Female Breast Reduction - 169,314

The top non-surgical procedures were:

• Botox Treatments - 3,181,592 treatments, it was by far the most common cosmetic procedure,
• Restylane and Hylaform combined to account for 1,593,554 procedures,
• Laser Hair Removal - 1,475,296,
• Microdermabrasion - 993,071, and
• Laser Skin Resurfacing rounded out the list with 556,172 procedures

Contact me by e-mail, or by calling me at The Adams Center in my Peabody office at 978-531-0550, or 617-262-2208 in my Boston office for more information on this post, or any other information in my Blog.

Dr. Bill Adams is a greater Boston area board certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience in the field.

How Can I Fix Loose Neck Skin?

Q: Dear Dr. Adams, I am 52 years old and have my mother's neck.  Is there anything that can be done just for the neck.  I hope so.  Thanks. Margaret, Newton.

A: Dear Margaret,  Your problem is a common one.  We all become our parents!  The neck ages at several levels.  The muscle, called the platysma muscle, becomes more lax with age and forms the bands under the chin.  The fat distribution changes and, particularly with weight gain, the fat protrudes under the chin. The salivary glands, the sub-mandibular glands, can become more evident as well,  Finally, the skin changes with loss of elasticity and support.

We frequently combine the neck lift with a face lift to redistribute the structures of the face at the same time. But we now have new techniques called Lux IR and Aluma to tighten the skin with out surgery. Four treatments over four months lead to improvement over a six month time frame.  Botox treats the muscle bands to relax them and you should repeat the treatments every 3 months for best results.

Depending on the extent of the problem, we can correct the platysma banding with an incision under the chin, as well as remove fat and raise the sub-mandibular glands.  If there is a significant amount of excess skin, an incision around the ear may be necessary to redistribute the skin.

I hope this is helpful, and please remember all of the good traits you got from your mother.

Contact me by e-mail, or by calling me at The Adams Center in my Peabody office at 978-531-0550, or 617-262-2208 in my Boston office for more information on this post, or any other information in my Blog.

Dr. Bill Adams is a greater Boston area board certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience in the field.

How Does Restylane Work?

Q: Dear Dr. Adams,  How does Restylane work and what is it for?  Thanks, Kelly

A: Dear Kelly,  We know it works through our experience with our patients, but we weren't sure why.  Now, a study at the University of Michigan Medical School published in this month's Archives of Dermatology shows that Restylane helps the skin make new collagen, the main structure of the skin. It also decreases the break down of collagen.

As you I age and we damage our skin with sun exposure, the cells that make collagen lose their normal shape and become flattened.  Restylane, and presumably all hyaluronic acid fillers, plump up the cells and they produce collagen again.  This is why they last longer than other wrinkle fillers.

We like fillers for the lips, lines above and below the lips, the lines from the nose to the corner of the mouth and at the corner of the mouth as well as between the brows.  We advise against using the fillers beneath the eye due to potential complications.

Contact me by e-mail, or by calling me at The Adams Center in my Peabody office at 978-531-0550, or 617-262-2208 in my Boston office for more information on this post, or any other information in my Blog.

Dr. Bill Adams is a greater Boston area board certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience in the field.