Facelift Video from Dr. Mentz

Publications

1.   Breast Implants - An Informational Update
   This report contains information on both silicone and saline implants. It also also contains information on breast feeding with implants, polyurethane foam-covered implants, special medical and physical considerations, breast implant and medical device reporting, and frequently asked questions.

2.   Breast Reduction Often Good Medicine
   This publication discusses breast reduction. It addresses the medical concerns concerning the surgery and explains how one should prepare for the procedure.

3.   Cosmetic Laser Surgery: A High-Tech Weapon in the Fight Against Aging Skin
   This fact sheet contains information on laser cosmetic surgery. It descibes skin resurfacing, what it can do for you, what the risks are, and how to find a surgeon.

4. Treatments for Aging Skin (Copyright © AAD)
   This web site discusses various medical proceedures available to help the appearance of aging skin.

Organizations

1.   Food and Drug Administration, OPHS, HHS

2. American Academy of Dermatology

3. American Academy of Facial, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Inc.

4. American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)

= Federal government resources

Botulinum Toxin Type A (Botox Cosmetic) is a protein complex produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which contains the same toxin that causes food poisoning. When used in a medical setting as an injectable form of sterile, purified botulinum toxin, small doses block the release of a chemical called acetylcholine by nerve cells that signal muscle contraction. By selectively interfering with the underlying muscles' ability to contract, existing frown lines are smoothed out and, in most cases, are nearly invisible in a week.

Botox injections are the fastest-growing cosmetic procedure in the industry, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). In 2001, more than 1.6 million people received injections, an increase of 46 percent over the previous year. More popular than breast enhancement surgery and a potential blockbuster, Botox is regarded by some as the ultimate fountain of youth.

Botox was first approved in 1989 to treat two eye muscle disorders--uncontrollable blinking (blepharospasm) and misaligned eyes (strabismus). In 2000, the toxin was approved to treat a neurological movement disorder that causes severe neck and shoulder contractions, known as cervical dystonia. As an unusual side effect of the eye disorder treatment, doctors observed that Botox softened the vertical frown (glabellar) lines between the eyebrows that tend to make people look tired, angry or displeased. But until this improvement was actually demonstrated in clinical studies, Allergan Inc., of Irvine, Calif., was prohibited from making this claim for the product.

By April 2002, the FDA was satisfied by its review of studies indicating that Botox reduced the severity of frown lines for up to 120 days. The agency then granted approval to use the drug for this condition.

The FDA regulates products, but not how they are used. Approved products are sometimes used by a licensed practitioner for uses other than those stated in the product label. Botox Cosmetic, for example, is currently being used by physicians to treat facial wrinkles other than those specified by the FDA. Consumers should be aware, however, that this "off-label" use has not been independently reviewed by the agency, and the safety and effectiveness of Botox injections into other regions of the face and neck, alone or in combination with the frown-lines region, have not been clinically evaluated.

Ella L. Toombs, M.D., a dermatologic medical officer in the FDA's Office of Cosmetics and Colors, says, "Careful deliberation, investigation and evaluation is undertaken by the agency before any prescription product is approved." Drugs such as Botox, which are not indicated for serious or life-threatening conditions, "are subject to a greater level of scrutiny because of the benefit-to-risk ratio." Toombs says this means that the FDA may allow someone to incur a greater risk from products that treat medical conditions, rather than from those that are approved for cosmetic purposes.

Considering Botox Cosmetic?
Be sure that a qualified doctor performs the procedure.
Make sure that the doctor is trained and qualified in cosmetic skin surgery of the face.
Ask questions and be informed about the benefits and risks involved in the procedure.
Avoid alcohol and remain upright for several hours following the procedure.
Choose a medical setting using sterile techniques. Necessary equipment should be available to respond to any potential problems.
Source: The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery

Botox 'Parties'
The recent rise in the popularity of Botox has much to do with the manner in which it is frequently marketed. Some practitioners buy the toxin in bulk and arrange get-togethers for people receiving their treatments. As in business, volume discounts can be found in medicine.

Plastic surgery events known as Botox parties--also seminars, evenings and socials--are a key element of Botox marketing in much of the United States. The gatherings are thought to be a convenient means of providing Botox treatments more economically, and may help reduce the anxiety that normally goes along with getting an injection. Doctors are finding that treating people in groups allows them to make the procedure more affordable to their patients.

Here's how a "party" typically works: A group of often nervous, but excited, middle-aged men and women mingle in a common area. Sometimes refreshments are served. One by one, as their name is called, each slips away for about 15 minutes to a private exam room. He or she pays a fee and signs an informed consent agreement. Anesthesia is rarely needed, but sedatives and numbing agents may be available. The practitioner injects about one-tenth of a teaspoon of toxin into specific muscles of the forehead most often targeted for the effect. The person then rejoins the group.

Scott A. Greenberg, M.D., a board-certified plastic surgeon in Winter Park, Fla., has been hosting monthly "Botox Happy Hours" in his medical office since the drug's approval in April. Greenberg feels that these by-invitation-only events to previous patients "are an opportunity to treat a lot of people at one time in a relaxed but professional atmosphere." Greenberg says there is no difference between treating 10 people during individual office visits throughout the day and treating 10 people individually, but in a more socialized setting. "The important thing is that the identical standards of medical care are maintained at these gatherings as in a routine daytime office consultation."

Julianne Clifford, Ph.D., of the FDA's Division of Vaccines and Related Products Applications, explains that "Botox is licensed for marketing and distribution as single-use vials." This means that as packaged, "each vial is intended to be used for a single patient in a single treatment session." Botox does not contain a preservative against potential contamination of the product through repeated use of a single vial. Once opened and diluted, Botox must be used within four hours. Treating multiple people with one vial violates product labeling, which is stated on the package insert, the vial and the carton.

"We lose something when we mass treat," says Franklin L. DiSpaltro, M.D., president of the ASAPS. "One of my concerns is that these parties are a marketing tool--gathering as many patients as possible trivializes a medical treatment, which could deteriorate over time into a nonprofessional environment." DiSpaltro says there's more to medicine "than just dispensing drugs."

The FDA is concerned that Botox has the potential for being abused. The ASAPS recently reported that unqualified people are dispensing Botox in salons, gyms, hotel rooms, home-based offices, and other retail venues. In such cases, people run the risks of improper technique, inappropriate dosages, and unsanitary conditions. "Botox is a prescription drug that should be administered by a qualified physician in an appropriate medical setting," says Toombs.

Although there is no chance of contracting botulism from Botox injections, there are some risks associated with the procedure. If too much toxin is injected, for example, or if it is injected into the wrong facial area, a person can end up with droopy eyelid muscles (ptosis) that could last for weeks. This particular complication was observed in clinical trials.

Other common side effects following injection were headache, respiratory infection, flu syndrome, and nausea. Less frequent adverse reactions included pain in the face, redness at the injection site, and muscle weakness. These reactions were generally temporary, but could last several months.

While the effects of Botox Cosmetic don't last, still, people don't seem to mind repeating the procedure every four to six months in order to maintain a wrinkle-free look. Battling the signs of aging in a non-invasive way, after all, is part of the allure of the product--that and the fact that there are no unsightly scars, and that there is very little recovery time with the procedure.

The FDA recommends that Botox Cosmetic be injected no more frequently than once every three months, and that the lowest effective dose should be used.

Cosmetic Treatments

Most people want to look and feel their best. Many of us, at times, are not happy with the way we look. Cosmetic, or plastic, surgery can help a person change what they do not like about their appearance. It can make severe acne scars less noticeable, remove fat (liposuction), lessen wrinkles, fix crooked noses, and get rid of double chins. Women can have their breast size increased or decreased. Lasers can zap away varicose and spider veins and remove unwanted hair for good.