As we age the cumulative effects of stress, sunlight, repetitive facial movements and environmental factors result in wrinkles and lines on the facial skin that make a person look much older. There are two basic types of lines/wrinkles that form as we age:

The first type of wrinkle is formed as the result of repeated muscle contraction. As the facial muscle contacts it folds the overlying skin causing a wrinkle or line to form. These types of wrinkles are called commonly called "dynamic wrinkles." Dynamic wrinkles are found on the forehead, on the nasal bridge between the eyes (glabellar region) and around the corners of the eyes (crow's feet).

These lines may be significantly improved, if not complete removed by the use of Botox® Cosmetic. Injecting tiny amounts of Botox into the underlying muscle causes the muscle to relax so that the lines in the overlying skin disappear. The Botox procedure is very safe, and is highly effective, giving your skin a more supple, youthful appearance without disturbing those muscles that are essential to facial expression.

Patients report very little discomfort with Botox as Dr. Brown uses ice and numbing creams as well as extremely small needles. Immediately following the Botox treatment patients may return to work and resume normal activities.

The results of a Botox injection typically appear 3-5 days after the Botox treatment and last for 3-4 months. Dr. Brown has found in many of his patients that the time between additional injections increases if the Botox injections are performed on a regular basis.

The second type of wrinkle forms when skin, muscle and fat of the face starts to sag. This type of wrinkle is best corrected by the use of dermal fillers. The earliest fillers used were bovine collagen, which unfortunately did not last very long and could elict allergic reactions. Today, we have a variety of dermal fillers that are very safe and much longer lasting.

The most commonly used fillers these days are made with hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring material in the human body that acts like a soup that the cells of the body sit in. Allergic reactions are almost non-existent so allergy testing for these treatments is not necessary.

Hyaluronic acid treatments such as Restylane, Perlane, Juvederm and Hylaform® supplement the body's own decreased hyaluronic acid to increase the volume of the skin and soften wrinkles or plump up lips.

Restylane and Juvederm treatments typically last six months while Perlane lasts nine months.

Restylane is particularly effective in reducing fine lines around the lips and mouth and on the forehead while Hylaform® is ideal for filling deep wrinkles, laugh lines, and acne scars. It can also be effective in adding fullness to thin lips.

Other fillers such as Artefill use microspheres of PMMA (a frequently used synthetic implant material) incorporated in collagen to obtain even longer lasting results.

All of these wrinkle treatments are safe and produce immediate results. Although the results are temporary, they can safely be repeated as necessary.