Feb 6 How Safe is Botox?

FAQ: How safe is Botox?

A lot of customers come in to ask this question because they are unsure of what Botox can do and would like to find out more information about the treatment.

You may be surprised to know that Botox is actually one of the safest medications on the market. It has been approved by the FDA, which confirms how safe it is. Since the FDA is one of the strictest agencies in the world that regulates cosmetics and drugs, you can be sure that those medicines, treatments, and cosmetics approved by their rigorous testing are not only safe to use but effective as well.

Botox has been in use since the 1980s and it is one of the most studied and tested drugs in medicine. It has been exposed to comprehensive research trials that have spanned more than 100 years. In the beginning, Botox was introduced strictly for medical use and was first used to treat those who had excessive eye blinking. An interesting fact is that heavier doses of Botox are used for medical use.
Ever since Botox was approved  for cosmetic use, millions of facial rejuvenation procedures have been done all around the world. No
serious, permanent, or long term side effects have ever been reported – as long as the procedure is done by the right person, Botox is a very safe treatment. Since Botox is essentially a medical substance, it should only be administered by someone who is medically and professionally trained, qualified, and experienced with this procedure.
As with all treatments, side effects are possible but are very rare and are not permanent. With the delivery of Botox, there are minor side effects such as slight redness, bruising, swelling, a slight headache, and drooping of the eyelids are all possible. These side effects are all temporary.

Jan 20 Boxtox Displays Lasting Effects on Distant Muscles

Experiments done in rats have shown that Botox has lasting effects on muscles once injected – even the muscles that are distant from the injection site.

The research team from  Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, performed experiments to evaluate the local and distant, immediate and delayed effects of Botox injections.  Although Botox is mostly known for its use in cosmetic procedures, it can also be used for treatment of neuromuscular disorders.

Botox works by interfering with the signals between muscle tissue and nerves, this causes temporary paralysis of the injected muscles. It can work in the facial muscles that create forehead wrinkles or in spastic muscles in patients that have cerebral palsy.

In the experiment, rats were injected with a single injection of Botox into the tibialis muscle of the hind leg. Four days later, the injected muscle was completely paralyzed. However, the tibialis muscle in the opposite leg also showed decreased twitch responses to electric stimulation—even in the absence of any significant effect on muscle function.

Sixteen days later, the Botox-injected muscle still had decreased function, twitch responses, and muscle tension. Although to a lesser extent, twitch responses and muscle tension in the opposite tibialis muscle also remained significantly reduced. This suggested that, in addition to causing temporary paralysis of the injected muscle, Botox causes lasting changes in “distant” muscles as well.

To find out more about this topic, read the rest of this article here: http://www.newswise.com/articles/botox-shows-lasting-effects-on-distant-muscles

Tags: DermaMed Spa

Jan 5 Comparing Facelifts to Nonsurgical Options

Facelifts have been decreasing in popularity in recent years, partly because of the dramatic increase in nonsurgical options for facial rejuvenation. How do nonsurgical options compare with facelifts? In this post we will compare the two facial rejuvenation options. We will talk about the benefits and the cons of both facelifts and nonsurgical options.

Recovery Time
The main advantage of nonsurgical treatments such as Botox,  Esthelis and other noninvasive fillers is that the recovery time is very short. These procedures can be done very quickly such as over your lunch break. They can take twenty to thirty minutes and you can then return immediately to your day to day life. There is virtually no downtime and very little discomfort – only some soreness at the point of the injection.
On the other hand, surgical facelifts need at least a week of recovery, this means taking time off from work and from other activities. There is a lot of discomfort, swelling, and bruising for those that choose the surgical facelift route. Overall, this type of procedure has a longer recovery time and requires an bigger time and financial investment.

How Long Will it Last?
Surgical facelifts offer longer lasting results than nonsurgical treatments because they are much more invasive. There are no real statistics on how long facelifts last for, but most surgeons believe that a facelift can last for about 10 years.

Nonsurgical treatments have a much shorter lifespan. Botox treatments can typically last for three months while Juvederm treatments can last for about a year. Currently there are no nonsurgical treatments that are close to reaching the lifespan of a facelift. However, many patients enjoy coming back to have their treatments repeated at regular intervals.

Costs
Another benefit of nonsurgical treatments is that the are significantly lower in price than facelifts. Facelifts have an average price of about $12,000 which can be alarming to some patients.

Every treatment provides different results and treats different symptoms of facial aging, before choosing a treatment, it is imperative that you be evaluated by a professional to determine which treatment is the best for you.

Tags: DermaMed Spa

Dec 19 Shaving Can Create Painful Skin Condition

Does your skin become bumpy and irritated whenever you shave? You are not alone. This condition is called Pseudofolliculitis barbae or PFB for short. PFB is a chronic, inflammatory condition that affects men. It particularly affects men with coarse or curly hair.

PFB tends to occur when curly or coarse hair shaven too close to the skin. When curly hair grows back on the body such as on the neck, the hair tends to curl into the skin instead of growing straight out of the follicle. The sharpened tip of the hair penetrates the skin which results in an ingrown hair that causes inflammation, redness, and painful bumps.

One way to prevent PFB is by letting the beard grow. Once the hairs grow to a certain length, they will not grow back into the skin. However for many men, minimizing or avoiding shacing is not always an option. Many societies and occupations encourage shaving, which causes skin irritation for those who suffer from PFB.

Rather than having to suffer from the negative effects that shaving can cause those who have PFB, they should try laser hair removal. Lasers omit a wavelength that is absorbed by coloured pigments in the hair, this produces hear that can cause the destruction of the hair follicle. Laser hair removal can be very effective and less painful that shaving for those that suffer from PFB.

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Dec 9 Look Your Best This Holiday Season

The holidays are a great time to spend with friends and family at parties, reunions, and gatherings. Women in particular want to look their very best for special events such as these. There are many simple ways to make your skin look it’s best just in time to your special holiday occasions. There are long-term benefits and short-term benefits to spa treatments depending on what individuals are looking for. Many clients are looking for long-term results but there’s no harm in investing in a short-term benefit treatment to make you look and feel better for the holidays.

DermaMed Spa offers several services for individuals to help improve their skin’s appearance. Our Silk Peel is great for all skin types as it is safe, non-toxic, and does not cause any sensitivity to sunlight. It uses cutting-edge peptide technology to improve the appearance of discolouration and helps individuals to achieve a more even skin tone overall. The Silk Peel is great for one’s skin as it clarifies the skin by using naturally occurring amino acids to diminish dark spots. It also helps to brighten skin’s appearance by using the peptide. It helps to create a better complexion and much more even skin tone. It leaves skin feeling fresh, healthy, and luminous which is important for looking your best.

If you don’t think the silk peel is right for you there is also a Microdermabrasion treatment that could work for you instead. Microdermabrasion is a very popular service at DermaMed. Microdermabration is a non-chemical exfoliant. It uses crystals to gently remove dead and damaged skin cells. This results in younger, clearer, and smoother looking skin. It works on all skin types and is non-invasive.

If you want to look better this holiday season try any one of our non-invasive skin treatments, to look and feel rejuvenated, younger, and fresher!

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Nov 18 Follow-Up: Botox to Fight Migraines

Health Canada has approved of using Botox as treatment for those individuals who suffer from chronic migraines at least 15 days in a month. Botox can now be used as a precautionary treatment for adults that suffer from headaches that last for four hours a day or more for at least half a month, as announced by the maker Allergan Inc. Health Canada has approved of using Botox as a treatment against chronic migraines because of the clinical trial data that involved 1,348 adults collected by the maker of the drug. In the clinical trial, those that were treated with Botox experienced less headache days and less time with headaches when compared to those that were taking the placebo.

Read the entire article here.

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Nov 9 New Service: Esthélis

We are introducing a new service called Esthélis. Esthélis is a natural product. Hyaluronic acid is a component that is naturally produced by the skin. As time progresses, our skin produces less hyaluronic acid, which is the result of a normal aging process. As a result of this, the skin becomes loose and begins to wrinkle. Since Esthélis is made of a naturally occurring component, it is bio-compatible, fully bio-degradable and safe to use. Esthélis has a natural “lifting effect”. Wrinkles disappear without transforming and “freezing” your face or your facial expressions. Results are long lasting, and because of it’s natural origin, it is gradually re-absorbed by the skin. For best results, sessions are recommended every 9-12 months.

Esthélis is used to treat:
•        lip volume enhancement
•        redefining the contours of your lips
•        crow’s-feet
•        facial outlines
•        naso-labial furrows
•        glabellar lines
•        peri-oral wrinkles
•        lip commissures
•        forehead wrinkles

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Oct 26 Photodynamic Therapy for Cancer?

At DermaMed Spa, Photodynamic Therapy is used to destroy the bacterium that causes acne. It also leads to faster healing. However studies have shown that Photodynamic Therapy can also be used for the management of neoplastic and nonmalignant diseases. Photodynamic Therapy uses fiber optic technology that can be delivered to practically anywhere in the body. However, it is important to note that light does not kill cells by itself. Photosensitizer drugs must be taken before the photodynamic procedure. The light causes the photosensitizers to react with oxygen to create a highly energetic state called singlet oxygen, which attacks the tumor cells.
Read the entire article here.

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Oct 20 Chemical Peels Popular for Autumn

After spending so much time outside in the summer, your skin has been exposed to the harmful rays of the sun. By being exposed to the harmful rays of the sun, visible signs of aging and sun damage can occur. Sun damage includes blemishes, pigmentation, spots, redness, wrinkles, and facial veins.

Many people want to look for ways to improve their skin’s appearance without having to do any invasive surgery. Chemical peels are a great way to do this. They are ne of the least invasive treatments available for improving the appearance of your skin. Skin peels are effective in treating fine lines and wrinkles, age and liver spots, uneven skin tones, irregular skin pigmentation, scaly patches, freckles, rough skin, scars, and lastly sun damaged skin.

Skin should not be exposed to sunlight once a skin peel has been used which is why autumn is the idea time to use this treatment.

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Sep 30 How to choose a medical spa that you can trust

Medical spas are a fusion of a day spa and a medical clinic. Medical spas take care of conditions on the face and body such as broken capillaries that cannot be treated by a traditional esthetician.

Questions to ask when choosing a medical spa:

1.)    Who owns and operates this medical spa?
-Is it owned by a doctor? If so are they always on the premises?

2.)    Do doctors supervise the treatments?

3.)    Who will be performing the treatments?
-What kind of training do they have?
-How long have they been doing this procedure for?

4.)    What kind of equipment do they use?
-Do research on the equipment
-Look for equipment that is the most up to date and is least painful

5.)    When was the equipment purchased?

6.)    What will this treatment do for me?

7.)    How many treatments will I need in order to see results?
-Treatment times will vary depending on what needs to be done and the treatment is but doing research ahead of time can give you an idea of how long it will take

8.)    How much is this going to cost me?
-Visit several medical spas to determine the cost of the treatment you are looking to do
-Don’t choose based solely on price, make sure you feel comfortable with the environment and the people working there

Tags: DermaMed Spa