Tag Archives: facial enhancement

What is the Best Kind of Botox?

Dr. Mariano Busso - Miami Cosmetic Dermatologist, Aesthetic Dermatology Posted on by

preventative botox

When patients come into our offices to discuss addressing lines, wrinkles, and other facial imperfections, we are often asked, “What is the Best Kind of Botox?”  An excellent question to be sure, but one that can’t easily be answered for two primary reasons: 1) every patient is different with unique issues which may make one treatment better than another, and 2) there is, in fact, only one kind of Botox.

Let’s explain that second point first.

“Botox” Is Just One In a Family of Similar Products

Have you used a “Kleenex” lately? Are you sure it wasn’t some other brand of facial tissue? Did you recently “google” something? Are you sure you weren’t using “Bing” or some other search engine? These are common examples of how we often use trademarked brand names to describe a generic product or service. Same goes for “Botox.” People often use that specific, brand-name facial restoration and muscle-relaxing agent to describe a whole family of similar products called injectable neuromodulators. There are two other brands of products in this family which we offer along with Botox itself: Dysport and Xeomin.

The reason folks use “Botox” as shorthand for these different products is because they all contain the same substance that the name “Botox” is shorthand for: Botulism Toxin A. While the formulations of Botox, Dysport and Xeomin differ slightly, they all work the same way by blocking the nerve muscles responsible for the repetitive actions that cause fine lines and wrinkles, smoothing them away to produce a younger and more refreshed appearance. We use these minimally invasive injections to reduce wrinkles in areas such as crows feet, between the eyes—glabella (aka the 11’s), smoker-lines, lip wrinkles, laugh lines, neck wrinkles, and many others.

Distinct But Effective

While these three products are all very similar in substance and effect, they do have a couple of important differences.

Xeomin is different from its cousins in that it contains no additives, which may decrease a patient’s immune reaction. If the immune system is not creating antibodies to fight it, the treatment will be much more successful.

Dysport can diffuse muscles one to three centimeters from the injection point, while Botox can only reach as far as one centimeter, allowing for results that reach farther with a single injection.

So, which “Botox” of these three products is the best? That is a question we can answer when we meet with you to learn more about you and the specific problem you want to address. Whether we decide on Botox, Xeomin, Dysport, or some other form of treatment, we personally tailor our treatment plan to each individual patient.

Call Dr. Busso Today to Schedule a Consultation

If you’d like to learn more about ways to improve your appearance and enhance your sense of self-esteem and well-being, book your consultation with Coconut Grove | Miami Aesthetic Dermatologist Dr. Busso today. Dr. Mariano Busso is a leader in the field of aesthetic dermatology, acting as both Senior Attending of Dermatology at Mercy Hospital in Miami and Voluntary Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the University of Miami. A widely published and highly acclaimed professional, Dr. Busso has the knowledge to pick the optimal course of treatment to ensure beautiful, long-lasting results.

To schedule an appointment, call our office at 305-857-0144.

What Causes Dark Under-Eye Circles?

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Perhaps the most frustrating skin complaint is under-eye circles and bags, in part because they are difficult to cover regularly and treatments aren’t as publicized. Contrary to popular belief, dark circles underneath the eyes don’t necessarily mean you skipped a full night’s rest. If you’re sleeping an ample eight hours or more per night, yet your skin is telling a different story, other factors are likely at play. In these cases, under-eye bags require aesthetic treatment or a lifestyle overhaul.

Consider the primary causes of dark under-eye circles:

  • Heredity – Genetics play a big role in dark circles and unfortunately cannot be prevented, only treated.
  • Allergies – Congestion leads to blood vessel dilation, which leads to a darker look underneath the eyes
  • Sleep Deprivation – The clear short-term cause of under-eye circles is lack of sleep.
  • Stress – Traumatic life events or an overwhelming schedule can cause exhaustion which showcases in your skin.
  • Age – As we get older, the skin’s elasticity weakens causing wrinkles, lines and bags to become more noticeable.
  • Diet – Lack of adequate nutrition can also lead to a tired look since the body is not functioning at its peak. Iron deficiency in particular affects oxygen blood flow, stifling the tissues underneath the eye.

 

While temporary dark circles can be relieved by getting to bed earlier, de-stressing your schedule or shifting poor eating habits, some dark circles can’t be cured at home. Dr. Busso offers lower eyelid rejuvenation and dark circles reduction procedures to his patients suffering from unsightly shadowy rings and puffy bags.

Eyelid rejuvenation is performed using a combination of Botox to lift the eyebrows, dermal fillers and platelet-rich plasma to reduce volume loss. Dr. Busso also uses ThermiRF to tighten the skin around the eyes along with laser resurfacing to restore color and complexion.

To schedule an in-person visit to discuss dark circle removal, contact Dr. Busso’s office at 305-857-0144 or schedule an appointment online.

4 Ways to Decrease Belly Fat

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That stubborn pooch on your lower stomach is unsightly, embarrassing and often difficult to reduce. Despite years of sporadic dieting and exercise routines, many men and women fail to eliminate their belly fat and then become discouraged from trying further. But, you don’t have to suffer from a bloated tummy for life – change is possible and easy to achieve with a little extra effort and determination.

Consider the following tips to flatten out your stomach and become a healthier, more confident you:

Jumpstart Your Exercise Routine

A little cardio here and there is great for your overall wellbeing, but casual walking won’t get rid of belly fat as fast as a targeted exercise routine. Combining moderate-intensity cardio with interval and weight training sessions is the key to shedding unnecessary pounds. Strengthen abdominal muscles with crunches, planks and ball exercises that’ll make your tummy look and feel tighter. Full body exercises that engage the core stomach muscles, including pilates and yoga, are great for creating a toned and tight physique.

Eat Clean

As the old saying goes, abs are made in the kitchen. Therefore, a six-pack of beer and a six-pack on your body don’t mesh well. The simplest way to decrease your excess calorie intake is to cut out the booze. After all, alcohol is not a necessary food group and overindulgence can lead to poor sleep, headache, dehydration and lack of motivation. While a glass of wine is proven to offer neurological benefits, keep drinking limited to a few nights a week at most to cut down on unnecessary calories. That said, opt for fresh foods over processed junk. Generally, any food classified a fruit or veggie is fair game, as long as you keep your sugar intake in check. With the holidays quickly approaching, maintaining a balanced nutritional profile now can help you gear up for a slimmer winter season.

Flush Out the Bloat

Drinking enough water is vital to maintaining overall health and wellbeing. Not only does water keep you hydrated, but it helps flush internal toxins out through the kidneys and skin. Drinking water can also fill you up before meals to lessen the likelihood of overeating, thereby prompting greater weight loss and a flatter stomach. Always keep a refillable water bottle on your person to ensure your water intake is up to par while sticking with your weight loss plan.

Undergo a Minimally Invasive Procedure

Sometimes, belly fat just won’t budge, which is when cosmetic procedures can help. The Vanquish™ ME fat elimination procedure, specialized and refined by Dr. Mariano Busso, is one such procedure that can give your slimdown routine the boost it needs. Most patients see at least two inches of size reduction in the tummy or thighs, although individual results may vary. In the three months following the procedure, patients can expect to see six to eight inches of loss.* Vanquish™ is safe, painless and non-invasive. However, fat removal procedures are not a long-term solution for poor diet and exercise, so finding a balance between these three is key.

For more information on reducing fat with minimally invasive therapies, consult Dr. Busso’s office at 305-857-0144 today.

Dangerous DIY Skincare Myths

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Creating your own skin care concoctions is a fun project, but requires some due diligence – there are plenty of dangerous DIY skincare myths out there. Before you go throwing everything but the kitchen sink into an organic face mask mixture, it’s important to understand which ingredients do more harm than good. Skin is a sensitive organ, composed of protective barriers that keep acne and free radicles at bay while producing moisture for younger-looking skin. Stripping skin of it’s necessary protective layers through harsh, albeit natural and inexpensive components, is not recommended.

Unfortunately, many of the most damaging ingredients are commonly found in do-it-yourself (DIY) skincare recipes seen across the web. For a safer skincare routine, omit the following items from your next DIY:

Lemons

The surface of skin is slightly acidic with a pH of 4 to 5, protecting it against environmental pollutants and bacteria. The oil-producing sebaceous glands lie beneath the skin’s epidermis – or outer layer – and allow your skin to maintain moisture and glow. Lemons are highly acidic at a pH level 2. When lemon juice contacts the skin, the harsh acids strip the outer layer. While this process is said to help with exfoliation, mimicking a chemical peel or microdermabrasion treatment, acidic treatments are not safe to try at home. Often, the skin’s surface is left raw and reddened without the proper safety tools and post-treatment care. Just as lemon juice burns your eyes, it burns your facial skin. Plus, citrus oils can be phototoxic. If the sun hits your face while wearing a lemon-based treatment, you may be left with chemical burns. Obagi’s Clear lightening product from the Nu-Derm line is a better alternative, offering power-packed hydroquinone to lighten sun and age spots without damaging skin. If you prefer to mix your own blend, mix plain yogurt with pineapple for a mellower, inexpensive lightening treatment. 

Toothpaste

Every puberty-ridden teenager has heard of the toothpaste trick: just dab a little paste on to a budding zit and make it go away overnight! While the efficacy of toothpaste on inflamed pimples isn’t formally substantiated, it doesn’t make much sense. Toothpastes have a highly basic pH level, altering the skin’s natural acid composition. The acids on your skin actually keep pimples away, so creating a more basic environment is the last thing you want to do for a breakout. Plus, the minty flavors are too strong for sensitive skin, leading to redness and irritation. If you want to go organic for pimple eradication, consider diluted tea tree oil. While hormonal acne is virtually unavoidable, drinking plenty of water and eating a balanced diet low in sugar can minimize blackheads and zits.

Baking Soda

Baking soda as a natural exfoliator has been touted for decades – even before Pinterest was introduced to the DIY world. The scrubby particles in baking soda are too harsh for skin’s surface. Plus, baking soda is another basic substance that alters skin’s acidity and protection.

Sugar

Sugar is even harsher than baking soda given its rigid composition and sharp edges on each particle. Sugar used as an exfoliator instigates scratching and irritation. While skin may seem smoother at first, eventually it damages and takes a long time to heal – prolonged depending on your age. Instead, use a microfiber cloth to gently scrub away dead skin cells. Or, consider Exfoderm from world-renowned beauty and skincare expert Obagi. This lightweight lotion lightly tackles dull cells on the epidermis while promoting turnover for a fresher face.

You can be smart about your DIY ventures, as long as you know how your skin works and which ingredients help it thrive. Still, it’s best to have a skin evaluation from an aesthetic dermatologist to assess skin irregularities before you try and combat them alone. To schedule a consultation with the highly experienced Miami dermatologist, Dr. Mariano Busso, call us directly at 305-857-0144.

3 Reasons to Moisturize

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Skin is the body’s largest organ, and it requires regular care. Each day, skin encounters pollutants, sun, heat, and bacteria that may lead to long-term damage, especially when you skip out on topical skincare. Washing your face and body cleans excess oils and sebum, but many people skip a pertinent step in their AM and PM routines: moisturizing.

Ever notice how tight your face feels after you’ve showered or swam in saltwater or chlorine? That’s because your skin is completely stripped of the oils that keep natural movements comfortable. After your skin loses its oil barrier, it works twice as hard to replenish lost hydration. When you add moisturizer, you rehydrate your skin, which prevents post-cleansing tightness and discomfort.

Here are three side effects of not moisturizing that you don’t want to encounter:

1. Acne May Get Worse

Most people know that moisturizing is important, but many skip the heavy-duty lotions because they erroneously believe it can aggravate pimples and blackheads. While pesky bumps and inflammation are due to excess sebum, failing to moisturizer can prompt your skin to produce more natural oils, making acne worse in the long run. Skipping the moisturizer won’t help dry the pimples out – in fact, dryness makes acne worse. If you have oily, combination, or acne-prone skin, opt for an oil-free moisturizer with noncomedogenic properties for a light, fresh layer of hydration.

2. Skin Appears Dull and Flaky

When winter rolls around, skin is more prone to being flaky and dry due to the lack of humidity and moisture in the air. Alternatively, overexposure to sun and/or a sunburn in the summertime can lead to dry patches or peeling. Moisturizer is vital 365-days a year because all weather types have the potential to dry out your face, expediting the aging process dramatically.

3. Lines Become Prominent

Moisturizer is the key to preventing wrinkles. Your skin forces itself to stretch as you talk, eat, laugh, and drink. An added layer of moisture keeps skin from overstretching as you go about your day. Plus, moisturizer helps keep away inflammation. Ongoing inflammation can accelerate collagen breakdown and make your facial lines and wrinkles look worse.

Dr. Busso offers numerous moisturizer options for every skin type at his South Florida cosmetic dermatology office, including Bio Cream from NeoCurtis, Obagi’s Nu-Derm System, and ZO Skin Health products. To discuss implementing one of these creams into your skincare routine, schedule a consultation with us today.

Microdermabrasion for Fresh, Youthful Skin

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Tired, dull or damaged skin isn’t exactly the key to a confident appearance. While makeup can help, foundation can only go so far to conceal sun damage, scars, wrinkles and other skin ailments. When applied too thick, makeup appears cake-like and obvious to everyone, including interviewers, dates, friends, and family.

Instead of suffering from damaged skin or coating over it with layers of foundation, patients can undergo a minimally invasive procedure called microdermabrasion. This removes the damaged outer layer of skin, which leads to a clearer and brighter appearance. Microdermabrasion is commonly practiced in both dermatologist’s offices and spas.

How Microdermabrasion Works

First, a gentle stream of tiny particles is applied to the face or body. These exfoliate the epidermis and will help scrub away damaged or dead cells. During this process, your dermatologist will use a handheld device to scrape away dead skin cells. Then, the removed skin is suctioned off the face with a vacuum – revealing a fresh, more confident face.

Patients can expect to see results in anywhere from five to ten treatment sessions. To minimize sensitivity, treatments should be separated by at least one to two weeks. Mild irritation is common, and you might look slightly red immediately following the procedure.

Since the procedure only affects the surface of your skin, you don’t have to worry about pain or undergoing anesthesia. In fact, many patients use microdermabrasion alongside more intense wrinkle and sun-damage treatments like chemical peels or laser resurfacing. This combination allows for faster and more apparent results. For many patients, microdermabrasion restores the skin to its youthful appearance all on its own.

Miami aesthetic dermatologist Dr. Mariano Busso offers microdermabrasion for bright, even-toned results. To schedule a consultation to discuss microdermabrasion or other skin-smoothing treatments, contact our office at 305-857-0144 or schedule your appointment online.

The Benefits of Laser Hair Removal

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Shaving can be a real pain, especially if you have thick, stubborn hair prone to razor burn and bumps. Plus, the act of shaving, epilating or applying removal creams to legs, underarms and upper lip adds significant time to your daily bathing and grooming routine. To make things easier, and smoother, many individuals opt for laser hair removal to avoid painful shaving and messy topical creams. The beauty of laser hair removal is the hair is gone for good*. Even after just a few treatments, shaving and epilating becomes easier since there are fewer strands to target.

 The Ellipse Laser

Dr. Busso offers the Ellipse Laser, an innovative product providing the fastest application on the market. The Ellipse system uses less energy and targets more hairs than the Intense Pulsated Light (IPL) systems seen in many commercial or spa hair removal facilities.

Because it has a larger surface, treatment time is significantly reduced. Ellipse can be used on the face, armpits, legs, bikini line, chest and back. After just four to six treatments, patients can expect to see results. Studies show that 77 percent of the treated hair doesn’t grow back after a decade*!

What to Expect with Laser Hair Removal

Many hair-conscious individuals fear the pain associated with lasers. But, the Ellipse system is relatively pain free compared to other laser treatments. The procedure works best on patients with dark hair and light skin, but many individuals can benefit regardless of their specific hair or skin color.

After laser hair removal, you might see redness or a sunburn-like sensation for a few days, which is completely normal. After a week, what looks like hair re-growth occurs. In reality, the follicles are pushing the dead strands out – without regrowth.

Depending on your individual hair composition, multiple treatments may be required. To allow the skin and follicles to rest, procedures are performed four to six weeks apart. The average patient benefits from almost 50 percent of hair reduction in just three treatments*. After six to eight treatments, patients can expect up to 80 percent reduction in hair*.

To schedule a consultation or appointment for laser hair removal with the Ellipse system, contact Dr. Busso’s office at 305-857-0144.

Does Lip Filler Hurt?

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Does Lip Filler Hurt? You may be wondering: Does lip filler hurt? Unlike other methods of lip augmentation, lip filler is a relatively simple outpatient procedure that requires just a little bit of local anesthetic. When administered by a professional, lip filler can help create fuller and more beautiful looking lips, and results typically last for several months*. Join acclaimed cosmetic dermatologist, Dr. Mariano Busso, for this special article on lip filler procedures, materials, and results.

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TCA Chemical Peels: Are They Worth It?

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TCA Chemical PeelYou’ve probably heard of chemical peels on your favorite plastic surgery reality show, or from a friend desperately wishing to resurface dull or scarred facial skin. But, most people who aren’t in the aesthetic dermatology field, or who haven’t undergone a chemical peel first-hand, aren’t aware of how beneficial a facial peel is when administered by a medically certified professional. When strategically applied, certain chemicals provide immaculate results that allow you to feel more comfortable in your own skin.

If you suffer from fine lines, wrinkles, acne, scars, melasma, age spots, or a combination of the above, your options for reversal include a TCA chemical peel.

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Microdermabrasion vs. Chemical Peel

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Microdermabrasion vs. Chemical PeelAchieving a youthful, healthy glow is an important beauty goal. Your skin says a lot about your overall health; it can make or break a dazzling appearance, and using makeup only temporarily conceals dark spots and blemishes. It’s not surprising that most people—especially those involved in media, fashion, and other high profile professions—are interested in a more permanent solution to facial skin rejuvenation and enhancement.

The two most common ways to rejuvenate skin are microdermabrasion and chemical peel face treatment. Both of these processes target old or dead skin cells; bring new, younger cells to the epidermis; and help make skin look younger.

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