Navigating Your Options for Looking Younger Without Surgery

Nonsurgical cosmetic procedures are increasingly popular for people seeking a younger appearance. There are numerous options available, including Botox injections, laser treatments and chemical peels.

If you are considering going down this road, you’ll quickly realize there is no shortage of options when it comes to choosing a provider. In recent years, for example, we’ve seen a surge in the number of med spas – facilities that offer nonsurgical treatments in conjunction with typical day spa offerings. For your best results, you should always pick a provider who is board certified in plastic surgery.

Before spending your money and potentially putting your health at risk, there are things you should consider. But first, let’s take a quick look at some of the more popular procedures.

Rolling Back the Clock

While people consider facelifts and other surgical procedures for rejuvenation, they may not realize there are several nonsurgical options available. These include:

• Botox injections: This is one of the most widely used cosmetic procedures, with 4 million Americans receiving them every year. Botox is the proprietary name for a treatment that uses botulinum toxin. Other brands offer the same results. The injections work by blocking nerve signals to specific muscles, preventing them from contracting. The procedure is particularly useful for wrinkles caused by decades of repetitive facial movements. They can help with crow’s feet, forehead furrows, frown lines, neck bands and downturned mouth corners
• Laser treatment: The procedure uses powerful beams of light to alter irregular skin. The laser targets the water layer in the skin, causing it to superheat and contract, allowing the removal of damaged or unwanted skin. The treatment is often used for wrinkles, liver spots, sun spots, acne scars and birthmarks.
• Dermal fillers: A gel substance is injected under your skin to plump up your face or various facial features. Among the fillers is hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance that gives your skin volume, while helping with hydration. Fillers are often used for wrinkles, plumping lips or cheeks, improving the look of recessed scars and enhancing shallow facial contours.
• Chemical peels: The treatment is similar to laser therapy, except that acid is used to remove layers of damaged skin, which is then replaced by new skin. It is often used for acne scars, wrinkles, irregular skin pigmentation and sun damage.
• Microneedling: This treatment uses tiny needles to harness your own body’s healing abilities. A device that resembles a fat pen – equipped with a few dozen oscillating needles – is pressed against the treatment area, where it causes tiny cuts. These micro wounds force your body to heal the area, filling in old scars and wrinkles as a result. Commonly used for acne scarring, it can also work for wrinkles, uneven skin texture, stretch marks, surgical scars and sagging skin.

Research Is Key

Before picking a provider for your treatment, you should understand that these services are offered by medical professionals with different levels of training. They may be provided by dermatologists, plastic surgeons and even primary care doctors who dabble in the cosmetic world.

Also understand that some of the med spas and other treatment centers don’t even have a physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner on site. The services may be offered by a medical assistant operating under the umbrella of a doctor’s license – without that doctor being at the treatment location.

As with any other significant investment or purchase, research is important. Before responding to an advertisement you saw on your favorite social media site, take some time to look into the company. Find out how they operate and who is providing the expertise and supervision.

These treatments are nonsurgical, but that doesn’t mean there are no risks. Even if the procedure involves nothing more than a needle injection in your face, you should make sure the provider knows what they are doing. Consider checking out the practitioner’s license with the Florida Board of Medicine before booking any treatment.