Festoon-not an angry animal, but tired looking eyes

During my many years of treating and studying faces I came across a very common but difficult to fix problem-festoons. This is the name Plastic Surgeons use to describe puffy lower eyelids that stand out and create a half-moon line on your upper (malar) cheek.

I've studied this problem for a long time, during 2010 Aesthetic Society meeting I've listened to almost 5 hours of lectures on how Plastic Surgeons around the world fix it surgically and let me tell you it's not an easy surgery!
My experience with it was trying to conceal cheek/eyelid contour irregularities with Radiesse and Juvederm and though it would look good the first few weeks it goes back to a deep furrow with a vengeance. The only product that proved to work magic so far is Sculptra. It seems that it works two-fold: gets the volume back and strengthens that ligament separating fat between eyelid and cheek. Another treatment that I've seen improve it is Ulthera and Titan-both stimulate collagen gently and tighten the skin.
I looked up festoon and wikipedia returned "a hanging ornament decorating buildings during festivities". To me it sounds more like an angry animal, but then again I have wild imagination.  
A lot of people have this anatomical feature, even children, but with age and overall volume loss it can look worse and contribute to the tired sick look. The good news is now we have non-invasive effective methods of dealing with it.

Chemical brow lift

Looking angry or tired lately? It might be time to try Botox! Very often patients who have never "done" anything ease into the injectables with chemical brow lift.

A group of small but powerful muscles above the brows are called brow depressors. They pull your brows in and down. Botox relaxes the muscles and prevents frowning, but besides that you get a brow lift.
It lasts about 3-4 months, looks very natural, and takes a minute to do. Average cost is $250-$350.
Some patients mention "Dr.Spok" look with unnaturally raised eyebrows that they have had elsewhere after the treatment. This usually happens when injector misses the muscle due to possibly minor anatomical differences or lack of expertise. The problem is easily fixed with couple of extra units of product which should be done free of charge for the patient.  

Botox to narrow big suare jaw

Well defined prominent jawline can be a beautiful advantage in some cases, but in other cases it can drive people crazy. Just as much as I do jawline enhancement for men who want more masculine look, I do jawline feminization for women. As usual, proportion of the face plays the biggest role.

Masseter muscle-a big square muscle you feel when you clench your teeth, can be partially deactivated with Botox and eventually shrink. This procedure has been popularized by celebrities in Asia and is extremely common and inexpensive!

Natural or Plastic-depends on your injector

Cosmetic medicine is not a rocket science, anybody can learn how to do it. Aging and proportions of the face is a science however, and not everyone who injects knows it. Taste and aesthetics you can't acquire, it's something you either have or you don't.

As a patient it's hard to know exactly what you need or even want-so many products, so many procedures, what is the best for you? You have to rely on your cosmetic provider to give you advice and guidance in the exciting (and very addictive!) world of cosmetic medicine. You are lucky if you found an honest person who doesn't look at you as their next paycheck and the only way to find someone like that is a word of mouth.

My clientelle is largely people who want to look fresh and young, but not "done". Most people report compliments like "You look amazing! You look rested" or "Did you just come back from vacation?" The formula that works for my patients is a good brow lift with Botox for the rested look, a smidge of Botox in the forehead just for relaxation, no "smooth as a skating rink" look with me. Round youthful contour of the cheeks and cheekbones that hold the face in place, and touches of Sculptra here and there to maintain the contour of the face that you used to have years ago. Hyaluronic acid I reserve only for erasing fine lines around the lips, outlining contour of the lips and "the puff"-"kissed all night" look I call it, not "adult film star" plump. Depressions under eyes respond well to hyaluronic acid too, and here less is more as well.

Patients who want either perfection or the fake look I tend to talk out of it or refer out-reputation takes a long time to build and a lifetime to maintain.

We've all seen the overdone look, both on TV and around us. I personally think it looks forced, desperate, and sad-not young. So if you want to look yourself, but just a better younger version of yourself-I'm your girl!

New Technique May Improve Nose Shaping!

At the recent American Society of Plastic Surgeons meeting Dr.Erol from Turkey described using diced cartilage from nasal septum to fill in small defects. He designed a special syringe to faclitate the injection.
His presentation was welcomed very warmly and even Dr.Stuzin (the author of many books on techniques in Plastic Surgery) commented that this could become a golden standard for many patients, especially those suffering from overresection during surgery and asymmetry (common side effects of rhinoplasty).
Meanwhile my "golden standard" is still doing a trial run with hyaluronic acid which is extremely safe and is dissolvable, and then discussing options to replace it with permanent product.
I'm still not a fan of Artecoll as it's bovine collagen and can cause allergic reaction, but I might be able to offer Silikon 1000 some day.

On importance of being authentic (your Botox, that is)

I figured out the formula of good luck in life and in business a long time ago: treat people the way you want to be treated. Be honest, don't steal of lie-it will always be uncovered and you really steal from yourself. Don't fixate on  money-the more you worry about it, the less you have. Focus on people instead and do the best you can.
I was cleaning up my office the other day and filing all the numerous charts. Looking through familiar names of my patients I felt so lucky to have so many of you who followed me from the time I've started the business! A lot of you are good friends, I am looking forward to seing you, catching up, learning from your life experiences and sharing mine.
Another pile (thankfully a smaller one!) was charts of patients that I have seen once or twice and never heard from again. Of course it's me!-I am quite self-centered so this explanation certainly fits. But I have heard from few who switched to someone who offered a "deal" on the internet, and then to someone else, and some even came back to me complaining that it was never as good as it was with me (very flattered!).
What I really wanted to write about is the importance of knowing who are you going to and, most importantly, what products are they using? True, most of the procedures are safe and even reversible, and even if you don't like the results they WILL ALWAYS go away! But next time you see the deal for Botox that is less than a product cost ask yourself why is somebody doing it? And where was the product purchased.

         "Instead of Botox"? :)

Just the other week I was contacted by a US company promising huge savings on products. What's the catch?-I asked. No catch, they all are made by same companies, like Allergan and Merz, only they are made in Canada. -Well, can you give me a written proof what is in the product and which physicians are using them in Boston? -No, I can't do that. 
Remeber my "formula of success"? So, I always say no to "attractive deals" like that. But what if some people don't? There are so many providers who offer injectable services today: dentists, ob/gyns, primary care physicians, anesthesiologists, even pediatricians.. for many it becomes another avenue of income and it is very tempting to make more so easily.
So be smart and be alert! And for my loyal patients I always have "frequent flyer deals", just subscribe to my monthly newsletter and blog!  

The Seven Habits of Highly Attractive People - Features | Improper Bostonian

The Seven Habits of Highly Attractive People - Features Improper Bostonian  

Improper Bostonian writer Alex Hall is talking about Masha's unique to Boston cosmetic services including Liquid Nose Job™ , Liquid Facelift™ , and Non Surgical Chin Augmentation™  and her experience with Sculptra.

Let's face it, we all want to be attractive, but not everyone is willing to go under the knife, for both psychological and financial reasons. Fillers are temporary and extremely FUN and SAFE solution for getting your dream NOSE, CHIN, or CHEEKBONES or just refreshing your overall descending look.

Consultations are complimentary, results can last up to 2 years though there is a permanent product available if you'd like to keep your results forever!
http://www.visagesculpture.com/ (617)501-7055