Procedure
&
Cost |
How it works
|
Pros |
Cons |
Possible
side
effects |
Recovery
time |
What’s
new |
How
long results last |
|
Microderm-abrasion $90 to $200 |
Controlled spray of crystals is directed onto skin,
removing dead cells. |
Virtually painless. |
Does not affect the
most obvious signs of aging, like wrinkles, mottled or sagging skin. Has no
affect on acne scars or pigmentary problems. |
Hyper-pigmentation, perforation, bleeding,
irritated skin & infection. |
None. Skin may look sunburned. |
Do-it-yourself kits. |
30 days |
Botox
$175 to $800 |
Purified form Neurotoxin Complex (botulinum toxin
type A) is injected into muscle, temporarily paralyzing it. |
Relatively painless. |
When you stop receiving treatments, you may end
up with deeper wrinkles than when you started. |
Drooping of the eyelids, headaches, flu-like
symptoms, and nausea. High doses and frequent injections of botulinum toxin
have been linked to the formation of antibodies. |
None. Sometimes results will not be seen for
several days. |
Approved by FDA for frown lines between eyes
only. |
1 to 3 months |
|
Collagen injections $195
to $600 |
Injectable
(bovine) collagen is a liquid made from the connective tissue of cows or pigs
that is injected into and under the skin. |
Collagen
is actually part of the natural support structure of your skin. |
Because it can cause allergic reactions, a skin
test is recommended 30 days before the procedure. |
Swelling, bruising, allergic reaction (rash, hives, joint and
muscle pain, headache, and, in a few cases, severe reactions that include
shock and difficulty breathing). |
None. |
Synthetic collagen. |
2 to 6 months |
|
Restylane and
Hylaform $350 to $600 |
Hyaluronic Acid gel is a filler that
is injected into the skin to restore
natural volumes underneath the wrinkle. |
Good for filling out nasal-labial folds (deep
lines on both sides of mouth). |
It is a new medical procedure only on
the market since 2004. Requires local anesthesia. |
Pain, redness, swelling, itching,
discoloration, and tenderness at the point of injection. Moderate acne-like
formations may appear. |
Redness usually disappears after a couple of
days. |
Treatment is new. |
6 to 8 months |
|
Autologous fat injections $900
to $5,000 |
Fat from another part of the body—usually the
abdomen, thighs, or buttocks—is injected into the face. |
Since the fat is taken from your own body, it’s
completely natural. |
Takes
several injection/ operations for a permanent effect to be noticed. Procedure
is performed in operating room, under sedation. |
Swelling
and bruising following the operation. |
It
will take about a 1 to 2 weeks for most of the swelling to go down. |
New alternative is ALLODERM (prepared skin from other people). This
comes as a non-allergenic sheet of dermis so that it can be placed under
creases to fill them in. |
8 to 18 months |
|
Chemical peels $180 for a light peel; $2000+ for a deep peel |
Literally peels away skin. Comes in three
categories: light (superficial), medium, and deep. |
Light peels are low-risk if done properly. Can be
done without anesthesia. |
A deep (phenol) peel is a serious medical
procedure, requiring full sedation and hookup to a heart rate monitor. |
Scaring, infection and permanent uneven changes
in skin pigmentation. |
None for light peel: 10 to 14 days for medium peel.
With deep peel, may take 3 to 9 months. |
Do-it-yourself facial-peel kits. |
3 months for light peels; 1 year for medium; up to
10 years for deep peel. |
Laser resurfacing$2000+ |
Sometimes
called "laser peel”, A carbon
dioxide (CO2) laser is used to remove areas of damaged or wrinkled skin,
layer by layer. |
This
surgical method produces less bleeding, bruising and post-operative
discomfort than is typically seen with other resurfacing methods. |
Burns,
swelling, scarring, and obvious lightening or darkening of the treated skin. |
Can activate
herpes virus infections ("cold sores"). Slight risk of scarring. |
6 to 12
months. |
Newer lasers, that are gentler on the skin but may
not be as effective. |
Up to 10 years |
|
Thermage $2000 to $5000 |
Lower layers of skin are heated with radio waves
while cooling spray protects outer layers. The result is overall tightening
of skin as deeper layers produce more collagen. |
Results can be dramatic, but more than one session
may be required. |
For unknown reasons, procedure works on some people
but not others. |
The procedure is fairly uncomfortable and requires
painkillers. |
Skin will be red and swollen for up to a week. Will
take 3 to 6 months to see results. |
Approved by FDA in 2002 to remove wrinkles around
the eyes, now being used to treat the whole face. |
Up to 2 years |
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