Dr. Leong’s clinic offers a wide variety of fillers and injectables to help you meet your aesthetic goals.
What is Botox?
Botox treats deep lines and wrinkles, especially those between the eyebrows, across the forehead, and around the eyes and mouth. These expression lines form when muscles under the skin create smiles, frowns, and other facial expressions. While the formation of these lines comes from a life of active facial movement, some people find these lines and wrinkles uncomfortable to look at and feel like they make them look older.
Botox relaxes lines and wrinkles by interrupting communication between the muscle and the nerve that tells it to contract. When the muscle and skin relax, wrinkles smooth out and can disappear for up to four months. Dr. Leong and her team use Botox to treat deep lines and wrinkles with excellent results. Most people see results within seven to ten days.
What Are Dermal Fillers?
A dermal filler treatment uses a variety of materials to add volume and enhance the appearance of areas where you would like to see more fullness or reduce wrinkles. These include:
Juvederm®
Made of hyaluronic acid, a molecule that attracts moisture and plumps the skin, Juvederm® carries a line of fillers designed to target different face areas and achieve different desired results. The variations come from the hyaluronic acid bonds, making the filler thicker and sturdier or thinner and more flexible.
Injections of Juvederm® usually only take a few minutes, and you will see results right away, with full results after a few weeks. The lasting power of Juvederm® depends on the type and the area of the face. Areas in regular motion like the lips will clear away fillers more quickly than less active areas.
Radiesse®
This filler is approved for use on the face and hands. It is made from calcium hydroxylapatite, a material found naturally in bone. Radiesse® acts by stimulating collagen, triggering the body to build more of this supporting structural protein. The new collagen provides lift, firmness, and fullness to the treated area.
Results will appear immediately after treatment, and they last up to two years as a result of using the body’s natural collagen support to create the volume and lift. The long-lasting results add to the popularity of this dermal filler.
Restylane®
This hyaluronic acid filler also offers a complete line of products to treat areas of the face, including lips, cheeks, lines and wrinkles, and other areas of volume loss. Some products contain lidocaine to make the injection process more comfortable.
Restylane® results will usually appear immediately after treatment, although you may have to wait a few weeks to see your final results. Injections take a few minutes to half an hour, depending on the size of the area to be treated.
Sculptra®
Approved to treat volume loss and deep lines and wrinkles, this filler works using poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), a naturally occurring molecule that triggers collagen production. This new, rejuvenated collagen lifts, firms, and plumps the skin for a more youthful appearance.
Sculptra injections can improve the contours of the cheeks and shallow to deep facial lines and wrinkles of the nasolabial folds, marionette lines, and chin.
Most people will receive several injections of Sculptra® over the course of a few months. After this treatment, results should last two years or more as the collagen supports and enhances the skin.
What is Kybella®?
Kybella® uses deoxycholic acid, a substance the body uses to help it digest the fat we eat. Used as an injection into the fat in the submental (under the chin) area, it breaks apart fat cells, creating a slimmer neck and more shapely profile.
As the only FDA-approved injectable to work in this area, Kybella® can eliminate a significant amount of fat from the submental area. The body will remove this fat over time, allowing your results to appear over a series of weeks. Most people require more than one session to achieve the best results.
What is a Thread Lift?
Instead of injecting a filler or fat remover, a thread lift injects a thin, biodegradable thread underneath the skin. These threads can target the brows, jowls, and jawline, tightening and lifting the area and removing lines, wrinkles, and loose skin.
The procedure takes about 45 minutes and requires only a small amount of local numbing. Results typically last one to three years. While the body will absorb the threads over a few months, they will stimulate the production of collagen that continues to support the skin after the threads have been absorbed.
What is a Sculptra® Butt Lift?
For those who would like to replace lost volume in the buttocks or enhance what they already have, the dermal filler Sculptra® can give butt lift results with an injection instead of an invasive procedure.
As it does in the face, Sculptra® in the buttocks acts by stimulating collagen, which tightens and firms the skin as well as adds volume. While results will not look as dramatic as other types of butt lifts, this procedure carries a very low risk and can last for a year or two.
What are Liquid Rhinoplasty and Liquid Facelift?
Dermal fillers can add volume and contouring to many parts of the face. As a result, Dr. Leong can use these fillers to subtly alter the appearance of the nose or provide face plumping and lifting. While results cannot compete with an actual rhinoplasty or facelift, liquid rhinoplasty and liquid facelift involve no surgery and no downtime, while an actual surgical procedure could require weeks to months of recovery time.
What Is an Injectable Treatment Like?
Most injectable treatments under the care of Dr. Leong and her team take under half an hour and require no numbing. Injectable treatments have become very popular due to their immediate, visible results with no surgery and no downtime. Often called “lunchtime procedures,” these treatments allow people to return to their normal routine right after their injections.
Recovery and Results After Injectables
After injectables, people may see some redness or bruising in the injected area. This goes away within a few days. Dr. Leong will design a treatment plan for you based on the results you want, and if injectables can achieve these results, they may be a good choice for you.
Wrinkle relaxers like BOTOX and wrinkle fillers like Juvéderm and Restylane are both popular cosmetic treatments that decrease wrinkles and smooth fine lines. BOTOX relaxes overused facial muscles that cause dynamic wrinkles, like frown lines (between the eyebrows), forehead wrinkles, Crow’s feet (in the outer corners of the eyes), and smile lines. Wrinkle fillers add volume under the skin to fill hollow areas and decrease the appearance of wrinkles on the surface. Depending on your goals, Dr. Leong may recommend BOTOX, injectable fillers, or a combination of both for a “liquid facelift.”
BOTOX, Dysport, and Xeomin are all injectable wrinkle treatments that use botulinum toxin (type A). All three relax facial muscles to soften dynamic wrinkles, but each formula is slightly different to suit different areas and needs. There are subtle differences between them in dosage, spread, and length of results. Dr. Leong will choose the best brand or brands to match your needs.
BOTOX rarely causes any complications and is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is still essential to find someone who has experience in handling this medication, like Dr. Leong. Too much of the product can cause an undesirable outcome. A skilled practitioner will use just enough medication to effectively freeze the facial muscles that cause wrinkles while leaving nearby muscles unaffected. In addition to cosmetic uses, BOTOX is also used to treat medical conditions such as facial spasms, excessive sweating, uncontrollable blinking, and migraines.
Though most patients do not find it necessary, a local anesthetic can be applied to the treatment area prior to injection if you are worried about any pain. Following some filler treatments, you may experience slight swelling and bruising that will usually subside within a week, depending on the treatment area. You should contact our office if you experience any significant pain or abnormal side effects after your filler treatment.