This patient (who graciously allowed us to post her before and after photos) may be advanced in age but she is young at heart, and she wanted to express that to everyone around her. She had 2 simple non-surgical treatments to help her acheive that goal: Botox and filler.  These are injectable treatments that are performed in the office at Allure Medical Spa, with minimal to no downtime and dramatic results. 

Botox is used to relax the muscles that cause frown lines.  When used between the brows and around the crow's line wrinkles, the eyebrows are lifted and the wrinkles are softened at the same time.  This effect will last for 3-6 months after the treatment.  

Dermal filler (Juvederm Ultra Plus in this case) is a soft, biocompatible gel was injected underneath the eyebrows, in the grooves under the eyes, and in the sunken cheeks to lift and rejuvenate these areas.  Juvederm Ultra can last many months in these areas.

If you are looking to express your inner age with cosmetic treatments such as Botox or Juvederm, visit our main website or schedule a free consultation appointment at one of our Michigan locations, Shelby Township or Livonia. 

Unwanted scars can be a devastating result of cystic acne, leaving one with a dimpled, irregular skin surface.  Avoiding these scars before they occur is the most desirable course of action, but sometimes it is too late.  Treatments can alleviate the visibility of these irregularities.  The specific treatment options vary and should target the type of scar present.  Sometimes a combination of scar types are seen on an individual. 

A key point is to realize that acne scar treatments do not often eliminate acne scars, they can reduce their visibility.  Reduced shadowing and scar depth is the goal of treatment, but signs of the scars are often still seen.  In certain cases, the skin can look exceptionally smooth after treatment, but this is not true for all patients.  

Above is a diagram of acne scar types.  The deepest, ice-pick scars are the most difficult to treat.  Chemical peels (using the CROSS method with TCA) and laser resurfacing may be of the most benefit in ice-pick scars.  Other techniques for deep scars include skin punches and floating punch grafts.

Box-car and rolling scar types often respond better than ice-pick scars.  These are best treated with laser resurfacing and dermal fillers.  The Fraxel laser has an excellent track record when it comes to acne scarring.  Fraxel Restore uses fractional photothermolysis with an erbium laser to build collagen in the dermis.  Fractional CO2 lasers such as ActiveFX and DeepFX and Fraxel Repair are also excellent for these types of acne scars.  Fillers used to improve acne scars include hyaluronic acid (HA) products (Juvederm, Restylane, Perlane). In Michigan, HA fillers are the most popular form of wrinkle and injectable acne scar treatments, especially when performed in conjunction with laser resurfacing.