Non-surgical nose shaping generally refers to filler injections that reshape the nose.  Fillers add volume underneath the skin and are most commonly used to treat wrinkles, but can also be used to inflate the lips or to change the appearance of the nose.  

Fillers to the nose can not actually make the nose smaller, but they can make the nose appear more narrow in cases where there is a flat bridge.  Fillers are also useful in certain cases to disguise a hump by filling around the hump, making it less obvious.  Irregularities or asymmetries after previous surgical rhinoplasty can also often be improved with non-surgical fillers.

There are several options when it comes to fillers that are used for nose shaping.  The most popular are made of gel consisting of hyaluronic acid, a substance that is naturally found in our skin.  These usually last about a year when injected around the nose, and they are fully reversible and non-permanent.  Restylane, Perlane, and Juvederm are all hyaluronic acid gel fillers and are the most frequently used dermal fillers in our cosmetic practice here in Michigan.  Other fillers including Artefill and Radiesse have also been used as non-surgical nose shaping methods.  

The treatment usually takes about 15 minutes and there is often zero downtime. To see if you are a candidate, call us for a free consultation. You can read more about non-surgical nose shaping on our website, here.  

Laser hair removal/reduction is one of the most common cosmetic procedures in the US for several years. 

Here is the basic concept:  A laser is able to selectively target certain components in the skin based on color (chromophores).  Lasers used for hair removal are specifically designed to transmit laser energy to pigment in the hair shaft.  Since most people have hair that is at least slightly darker than their skin, the laser energy is absorbed by the hair shaft and transmitted to the hair follicle which is destroyed.  At any given time, only a certain percentage of your body hair is in growth phase, and a majority of the follicles are in the resting phase, usually about 5 treatments over several months are needed to destroy the majority of the hairs. 

While immensely popular, two major hurdles have limited many people from getting rid of unwanted hair. 

#1: Discomfort.  Since the pigment in the hair is essentially burned, treatment can be uncomfortable.

#2: Skin injury.  Since we have the same pigments in our skin as our hair, the laser could burn the skin. 

A new machine was recently released to overcome these 2 limitations.  The Soprano Xli laser uses the same wavelength as the Lumenis Lightsheer (which was the gold standard for years), but it delivers the laser energy in a much more gentle fashion.  It causes almost no discomfort in most people, and it is safer for a wider variety of skin color types.  

Allure Medical Spa is right now the first location in Michigan to offer this laser.  Since this is the new Gold Standard, expect to see much more of this laser!

Recently, 4 docs in Albany, NY were fined for injecting a non-FDA-approved product called Tri-toxin, meant to deliver Botox-like effects.  How do you know if you're getting the real Botox when you visit your doctor for anti-wrinkle treatments?

The real Botox packaging produced by Allergan has a holographic image on the label. Similarly, Dysport, another wrinkle-reducing injection has a hologram on the vial. If there is any question in your mind, ask your doctor if you can take a look at the label on the bottle and the expiration date.  Your physician should not mind.