Face Procedures
Conveniently located to serve the areas of San Diego, CA
Non-surgical facial rejuvenation is much more versatile than ever before; patients can now choose from a wide range of procedures and treatments that treat their unique cosmetic needs. Minimally invasive approaches are designed to enhance your natural beauty and promote the appearance of a more youthful version of yourself. Whether you are looking to slim your face, combat the aging process, or correct areas of facial hollowness to provide more flattering contours, there is a facial treatment to boost your inner confidence without downtime that interferes with your day-to-day life.
If you are looking to get these long-lasting, comprehensive results, consider the treatments offered at Alexus Medspa in San Diego. Recent advances in technology and product development have made it simple and safe to minimize the signs of facial aging. Our experienced clinicians use long-lasting fillers and muscle relaxers to soften and eliminate wrinkles. Our team of skin care professionals can discuss the options that will work best to achieve the results you’re looking for. To get started today, call (888) 463-9532 or use our contact form, and a staff member will get in touch with you as soon as possible.
Contents
Dermal Fillers
Our dermal fillers are all FDA-approved, biocompatible, and easily metabolized within the body over time, so there is little risk of an allergic reaction or other side effects. Although each formulation may be different, each enters the dermis layer of the skin, the second layer that provides the skin’s structure and maintains its youthful rigidity. With age, the connective fibers made of collagen and elastin in the dermis begin to degrade, and your body decreases its production of them, as well. To fight this process, dermal fillers serve two purposes. They add volume and hydration to the extracellular matrix (all of the areas surrounding skin cells) and stimulate fibroblast cells, the cells responsible for making the connective fibers themselves. At Alexus Medspa, we offer fillers that are optimized for certain aesthetic issues and areas of the face:
- Bellafill is made of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), a type of gel microsphere that carries type 1 and type 3 collagen for skin rejuvenation. It softens deep wrinkles, reverses volume loss, and treats atrophic scars. It is the longest-lasting filler, sustaining results for up to 5 years! (1)
- Radiesse contains calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) mineral microspheres suspended in a carboxymethylcellulose gel, a substance often used in eye drop medications. It is more equipped to treat moderate to severe wrinkles like smile lines, marionette lines, fine wrinkles around the mouth, and folds related to jowling.
- Juvéderm and Restylane are hyaluronic acid-based fillers (HA), another naturally occurring gel-like substance that is produced in the skin, joints, and eyes for lubrication and hydration purposes. Its volumizing qualities can be attributed to its ability to bind to water up to 1000 times more than its volume. (2) Alexus Medspa offers Juvéderm Ultra, Ultra Plus, and Vollure for moderate and severe wrinkles around the mouth and nose as well as Juvéderm Voluma to add chin and cheekbone projection. Our practice offers Restylane Define and Restylane Lift which tend to be more cohesive than Juvéderm fillers. Both of these HA fillers are safe for the enhancement of the lips.
- Sculptra is made of poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) that can last twice as long as some HA fillers. Injectors can utilize Sculptra for almost any type of facial fat loss, excluding under-eye hollows.
When Will I Notice the Results?
Juvéderm, Radiesse, Bellafill, and Restylane generally produce same-day results for the most part. Some patients experience bruising after the injections, but they tend to resolve within a day or two. Sculptra, on the other hand, will increase collagen production more gradually. Within 3 months, you will begin to notice more facial volume, and within 6 months, the results will have already settled in. Though it is slow to take effect, Sculptra results last 2 to 3 years once they take full effect.
Wrinkle Relaxers
Alexus Medspa offers a range of wrinkle relaxers, including Botox, that allow patients to get even more customizable results. Botox, Dysport, Jeuveau, and Xeomin are all considered neuromodulators, meaning that they slightly alter facial muscles to relax the overlying skin. Unlike dermal fillers that are injected into the skin, neuromodulators are administered directly into facial muscles.
Alexus Medspa injectors are extremely knowledgeable about how each facial muscle moves and which to inject to create anti-aging results. For example, injecting depressor muscles, like the brow depressors, will allow it to relax in a lifting motion. Injectors treat elevators with utmost care since they can produce unwanted results, pushing the skin slightly downward. Knowing the right amount to administer is also crucial. Wrinkle relaxers can not only treat permanent, “static” wrinkles, but they can also help prevent them from forming in the first place. These neuromodulators are designed to correct:
- Frown Lines
- Forehead Lines
- Neck Banding
- Crow’s Feet
- Fine Lines Around the Lips
Facial Fat Reduction
Even after attaining a healthy weight, many patients struggle with confidence issues due to the appearance of a “double chin”, or excess submental fat. Kybella is an injectable that dissolves fat cells under the chin and allows the body to metabolize them. It is made of deoxycholic acid, a variation of an enzyme that is naturally found in the digestive system. If you maintain your weight, results can be permanent. This particular treatment is most effective on patients with good skin quality and rigidity that will recoil back nicely once Kybella removes the fat. (3)
Candidates
Patients looking to undergo one of these treatments should be in overall good health with no allergies to lidocaine, the numbing agent used in all of these injections. Those with an active skin infection or acne should treat their primary condition before considering facial rejuvenation, as these treatments can worsen the condition. If you take any anti-coagulant medications (blood thinners), you should consult your injector on when to stop taking them to prevent bruising. Patients should be at least 18 years of age to receive wrinkle relaxers and Kybella, while dermal fillers are for patients 21 years or older. None of these treatments are suitable for pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Personal Consultation
When you book a consultation at Alexus Medspa, you can expect a highly personalized and thorough meeting with an experienced injector. They will listen closely to your exact needs and formulate a treatment plan that suits you best. Our injectors are both knowledgeable and sensitive to your cosmetic concerns, so they will be sure to explain all of the details of your recommended treatment including:
- What to expect during the procedure
- How to prepare
- How long you can expect results to last
- The potential side effects and/or risks
- Other treatment options to consider
- Various pros and cons to each treatment
To see what Alexus Medspa can do for you, give our San Diego practice a call at (888) 463-9532 or inquire online today.
Preparation
Before any injectable treatment, you should stop taking blood-thinning medications at least 1 week before your procedure. As far as skincare is concerned, you should avoid retinoid treatments, hair removal with wax or depilatory creams, and excess sun exposure. If you have ever had a viral outbreak in or around the treatment area, please let your injector know so that they can recommend an antiviral medication to prevent reoccurrence. Right before your appointment, you should apply an ice pack to the treatment area for a few minutes to limit unwanted swelling and bruising.
Procedure Steps
All injectable procedures are relatively quick, easy, and require no anesthesia. Before your treatment, your injector will cleanse your face and apply a numbing cream to help eliminate discomfort. For neuromodulators, they will prompt you to make facial expressions so that they can identify the exact locations of your dynamic wrinkles. They will then carefully mark out which muscles to target. They will administer varying amounts to the face depending on your treatment plan, ensuring that certain areas are not over-injected. Within the next day or two, you will notice your final results.
Dermal fillers require a very similar procedure, except that after each injection, your injector will gently massage your skin to distribute the filler gel throughout the surrounding area. This helps prevent the formation of lumps, an unwanted side effect in which too much of the filler accumulates in one area. Even if they do occur, they are easily treated with massage.
For a Kybella procedure, your injector will draw out a grid on the tissues under your chin and upper neck area. They will administer the injections beneath the skin, so the treatment reaches the fat layer and begins to dissolve it. Typically, about 20 to 30 injections are required, but the entire procedure will only take about 15 to 25 minutes. Most patients require at least 2 treatments of Kybella, spaced at least 4 weeks apart, in order to see some results.
Cost of Non-Surgical Facial Rejuvenation in San Diego
The cost of your chosen facial treatment will depend on the type of injectable used, the number of injections administered, and how many sessions you choose to undergo. During your first consultation, your injector will discuss your overall goals, your treatment plan, and the total cost of your method of rejuvenation. If you want to look and feel like the best version of yourself, consider booking your appointment today by calling (888) 463-9532, requesting it online, or visiting our office in San Diego.
References
- Cohen S, Dover J, Monheit G, et al. Five-Year Safety and Satisfaction Study of PMMA–Collagen in the Correction of Nasolabial Folds. Dermatologic Surgery. 2015;41(Supplement 1):S302-S313. doi:https://doi.org/10.1097/dss.0000000000000542
- Bravo B, Correia P, Gonçalves Junior JE, Sant’Anna B, Kerob D. Benefits of topical hyaluronic acid for skin quality and signs of skin aging: From literature review to clinical evidence. Dermatologic Therapy. 2022;35(12). doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/dth.15903
- Shamban AT. Noninvasive Submental Fat Compartment Treatment. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open. 2016;4(12 Suppl):e1155. doi:https://doi.org/10.1097/GOX.0000000000001155