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Juvederm® is On Top

December 6, 2018 by nataliebirch Leave a Comment

Dr. Derek Jones has been recognized among the top 1 percent of Juvederm® providers in the United States—a distinction that’s surely due to the fact that he has played such a prominent role in the injectable’s success. He served as principal investigator on the original U.S. trial for the filler, and it has since become the top dermal filler in the country. When it comes to patients seeking Juvederm®, Beverly Hills is no different from other cities and states in terms of its popularity: Juvederm® is also the No. 1 seller at Skin Care & Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills.

Starting on a foundation of a gel perfect for reducing the appearance of nasolabial folds, Juvederm® has grown into a family of fillers, each with a distinct focus and purpose. Always refining the available choices, the line by Allergan now includes the silky Ultra for adding volume to the lips and smoothing out lip lines, as well as the thicker Ultra Plus for addressing deeper folds.

Beyond lines, another member of the filler family is ideal for facial contouring. Voluma® serves to take the place of absent collagen that, once gone from the face, causes the deflation of the apple of the cheeks. In turn, this can lead to sagging and jowling lower down.

By re-introducing volume where it is critically needed, Voluma® can accomplish two effects: creating more youthful roundness in the mid-face and lifting the sagging skin for more definition on the jawline.

Thanks to the product’s versatility and Dr. Jones’ longstanding reputation with this filler specifically and all injectables in general, Juvederm® is likely to remain in the No. 1 spot at Skin Care & Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills for the foreseeable future. Schedule a consultation or visit to the practice by calling 310-246-0495 or sending a message online.

What is Microblading?

October 15, 2018 by nataliebirch Leave a Comment

Permanent makeup has long resembled its more traditional counterpart, in that it involves needles injecting colored inks deep into the skin to leave a permanent mark. While this technique certainly has its uses—creating more definition for thinning lips, for instance, as opposed to daily (or more frequent) applications of lipstick—it left some people feeling like their eyebrows looked dramatic, but not natural. This is because cosmetic tattooing is good for creating solid colors, but that look is a bit obvious when it comes to a feature made up of individual hairs all pointing in the same direction. The detail was something cosmetic tattooing did not replicate well.

Now, however, there is microblading. Los Angeles-area women and men interested in the procedure can learn more about it from Licensed Esthetician Lola Jonsson at Skin Care & Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills.

Unlike tradition or cosmetic tattooing, microblading makes use of several needles—not just one—all grouped together. When stroked over a thinning or over-plucked eyebrow, these needles leave fine lines that resemble actual dark eyebrow hairs. The result is a natural-looking eyebrow, not a block of color that someone outlined and filled in with ink.

The ink is long-lasting, but not permanent, as it is not injected at a depth common to more significant tattoos. The hair-like marks will fade over the course of a couple of years.

Learn more about the advantages of microblading by calling Skin Care & Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills at 310-246-0495 or sending a message online.

Yes, Those Are the Holidays You Hear Coming

October 9, 2018 by nataliebirch Leave a Comment

You always think you have more time than you do.

Yes, Halloween is still weeks away, which means Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year’s Eve are even further out, but the start of fall is undeniably the beginning of a season that packs events into the calendar as soon as one month flips to another. That means now is the time to be thinking about the quality of the skin you want to be showing off when the weather outside is frightful.

It may feel like it’s too soon to discuss holiday parties with jingle bells and clinking glasses, but considering how the ideal results of certain treatments can come after several sessions spaced weeks apart (and the fact that pumpkin spice has already made itself known in the wild), now may be the very best time to think about penciling in a visit to Skin Care & Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills for a Kybella^® session to start reducing that double chin.

Whether you want the smoothest skin possible for those family photos or are ready to tackle a problem bulge in advance of seeing extended family and friends, it’s never too early to talk with an experienced dermatologist about options for treatment plans.

Remember, everyone’s schedule fills up, which means finding a time to get that injection you wanted in the days before the office shindig will only get more difficult as 2019 gets closer.

Before you put your sandals away for the season, consider making a plan that will reward foresight with clear, youthful, healthy-looking results.

Contact Skin Care & Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills to schedule a consultation or visit by calling 310-246-0495 or sending a message online.

BOTOX®: Nothing Beats the Real Thing

September 19, 2018 by nataliebirch Leave a Comment

We’re much more than halfway through 2018, and if the year’s national headlines so far are any indication, there continue to be people who don’t take BOTOX® very seriously. Maybe it’s because celebrities and frequent media coverage have made the injectable a household name, but whatever the reason, there continues to be news stories about doctors holding injection parties in their homes or injectors passing off counterfeit formulas as genuine BOTOX®. Los Angeles-area residents, allow the Skin Care & Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills to say: That’s a problem.

Only a trained and licensed medical professional should ever administer BOTOX®, and only in a professional setting. BOTOX® is not a “jab and go” treatment anyone can do, and even those who are versed in the basics of safety and hygiene do not necessarily have the proper understanding of facial aesthetics to create natural-looking results. Board-certified dermatologists are ideal injectors due to their extensive education and depth of knowledge when it comes to the skin and what lies below.

Anyone considering BOTOX® injections is encouraged to research their potential provider: read their biographies and CVs, ask questions during the conversation, and examine before-and-after photos that show the results of their own work.

Also, be sure that the product being used is BOTOX® Cosmetic, and not something just like it. While other wrinkle-smoothing muscle relaxants exist, they have unique dosing recommendations and other properties.

Choosing a board-certified physician to administer actual BOTOX® could be the difference between beautiful, rejuvenating results and being a part of the next headline news story.

Call Skin Care & Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills at 310-246-0495 for more information, or send a message online.

New School Year, New Problems?

September 12, 2018 by nataliebirch Leave a Comment

When heading off to college, many freshmen consider everything from living arrangements to classes to start-of-term outfits, but it’s crucial to not forget about skin care in this mix of new experiences and life directions. At Skin Care & Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills, medical dermatology is an important part of the services offered. Dermatologists are trained to identify and treat a range of not just skin problems, but also issues related to the skin, such as those impacting the finger and toe nails, hair, and mucous membranes.

That means a dermatologist can help with just about anything in that realm, from the athlete’s foot you picked up after your first visit to the dorm showers without flip-flops, to the rash you developed after brushing up against some poison oak on a hike with new friends.

Board-certified dermatologists can help determine whether hair loss is something to worry about or just the result of one too many sleepless nights and the ongoing stress of midterms and finals. As physicians, they are also trained in easing the symptoms of certain STDs that manifest in the skin, such as herpes. And, of course, there are treatments for acne outbreaks of every level of severity, as well as strategies for preventing a dramatic new flare-up.

Whether it’s a skin tag that your parents never felt like doing something about but that you’re ready to get rid of now that you’re on your own, or a new and troublesome spot you’ve just noticed after spending numerous childhood summers at the beach, a dermatologist is ready to offer guidance, support, and treatment as necessary.

Find out more about the medical dermatology options available at Skin Care & Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills by sending a message online.

Watch for Dr. Rohit Kakar, Our New Fellow

September 5, 2018 by nataliebirch Leave a Comment

In 2016, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) cosmetic dermatologic surgery fellowship brought Dr. Jeanette Black to Skin Care & Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills, after which she ultimately joined the team. Now the practice is welcoming a new fellow who started with the same program on Aug. 1: Dr. Rohit Kakar.

Coming to our Los Angeles-area dermatology practice after a residency at the University of Oklahoma’s Department of Dermatology, Dr. Kakar will be working directly with Dr. Derek Jones and Dr. Naissan Wesley to learn about medical and cosmetic treatments, with a focus on lasers, energy-based devices, and especially injectables—given Dr. Jones’ international reputation as a go-to resource on BOTOX^®, Juvederm^®, and related treatments, as well as his hundreds of presentations and peer-review publications.

Dr. Kakar earned a doctor of medicine degree from Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine in 2012, and followed that with an internship at Oakwood Hospital and Medical Center’s Department of Internal Medicine in Dearborn, MI, then a melanoma and cutaneous oncology fellowship at Georgetown University’s Department of Dermatology in Washington, DC.

The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery accredits fellowship programs that meet strict standards as part of its mission to provide fellows with opportunities for proper training in cosmetic dermatologic surgery procedures so they can develop expertise.

The program requires Dr. Kakar to participate in 300 cosmetic dermatologic surgery cases and observe 1,000 total, so Skin Care & Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills should get used to seeing this new face. Dr. Kakar will eventually be working with patients, as well as leading at least one research project.

To learn more about fellow Dr. Kakar and the dermatologists who make up the Skin Care & Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills team—Dr. Derek Jones, Dr. Naissan Wesley, and Dr. Jeanette Black, call 310-246-0495 or send a message online.

The Power of the Cannula

August 30, 2018 by nataliebirch Leave a Comment

Fear of needles is a common phobia, plaguing everyone from children visiting the pediatrician for shots to adults squeamish when it comes to getting their blood drawn. This feeling of dread may even extend to men and women who want a minimally invasive treatment to rejuvenate the look of their face.

Patients may worry about needles for another reason, too: They’re not ideal for numerous cosmetic treatments. At Skin Care & Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills, dermal fillers and some other injectables are delivered via cannula, a needle-like device that has a more rounded tip instead of a sharp point.

Why isn’t a fine tip ideal for these cosmetic injectables? While nothing punctures through a surface like a point, that’s just about where needles lose their figurative edge over cannulas. That piercing tip doesn’t stop for just about anything, which can lead it to break through vein walls and other tissues, exacerbating post-treatment bruising and potentially causing other side effects.

The blunt cannula tip pushes veins aside, with the vessels shifting to either side as it moves deeper into the tissue. As Dr. Naissan Wesley has reported, cannulas surpassed needles for precision and advanced injection techniques.

Dr. Derek Jones has been a pioneer in this area of aesthetics for some time, developing techniques that reduce pain and risk while maximizing the results of facial contouring. He hears from patients that cannulas are their preferred delivery device—and they’ve also been known to say that the Dr. Jones experience is “in a different league” from injectors at other practices.

Discover the difference for yourself by calling Skin Care & Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills at 310-246-0495 or sending an online message.

To Protect and Repair: Eryfotona Actinca®

July 10, 2018 by nataliebirch Leave a Comment

Summer is the time for travel and sun, and our own Dr. Naissan Wesley recently combined the two during a trip to Barcelona in June. This was no Spanish vacation, though—she was visiting the headquarters of advanced skincare manufacturer ISDIN, known for making products that protect, heal, and beautify.

Our current favorite at Skin Care & Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills is Eryfotona Actinica®, which serves two purposes. An SPF 50+ sunscreen, it protects against both UVA and UVB rays from the sun, which can harm healthy skin cells to hasten signs of aging, as well as increase the risk of developing skin cancer. Los Angeles-area residents, take note!

Eryfotona Actinica is not just a sunscreen, as it actually treats pre-skin cancer lesions and focuses on damage that’s already been done. Applied directly to the skin in the same way as a sunscreen, it works to repair problems considered to be actinic, which is a technical word for chemical reactions caused by light. Unlike other sunscreens, it is lightweight, is non-greasy, and contains encapsulated enzymes that actually repair damage to DNA. Known as photolyases, these enzymes specifically work on damage caused by ultraviolet radiation. ISDIN calls these encapsulated enzymes DNA Repairsomes®.

At Skin Care & Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills, we obviously take skin health very seriously, which is why Dr. Wesley getting to travel to Europe to see firsthand where this product is made is significant for us. If we carry (and thereby recommend) a product to our patients, we do so because we have been convinced of its efficacy and safety.

To find out more about Dr. Wesley’s Barcelona travels, Eryfotona Actinica®, or other ISDIN products, contact Skin Care & Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills by calling 310-246-0495 or sending a message online.

How Do You Want Your Collagen?

July 5, 2018 by nataliebirch Leave a Comment

It’s a popular protein: Youthful bodies make it every day, you can get injections or doses of focused energy to stimulate new production of it in the skin (as with laser skin resurfacing at the Los Angeles area’s Skin Care & Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills), and now you can even drink it as a supplement.

It’s collagen. Bottom’s up!

While you could be saying cheers over clinking glasses filled to the brim with collagen-packed fluid, you may also be asking whether a swig of the stuff will do your skin any good.

The short answer?

Possibly.

Collagen is valuable to the human body because it is both flexible and strong, making it an ideal component in any part that needs to allow range of motion while holding its shape. In the skin, it serves as a framework for facial contours and more, as well as a support system for moisture-loving hyaluronic acid molecules. In other words, you want it around.

The down side to collagen is that it breaks down, and aging bodies begin to flag when it comes to replacing it. Eventually, collagen loss leads to shifting facial contours and contributes to the formation of wrinkles.

Anyone hoping to smooth out their skin by cracking open a cold one of collagen should know that there’s very little peer-reviewed evidence supporting the protein’s ability to create a younger look within weeks of drinking it down. That said, hydrolyzed collagen—a powdered form of bone and cartilage that’s been run through a rigorous refining process—is known to positively impact blood pressure and lipid levels, have antioxidant properties, and serve to aid in repairing damaged skin when taken orally.

It’s up to you to decide whether those benefits are worth the cost of buying—and sipping—collagen drinks.

Learn more about collagen’s role in the skin—and how to encourage its growth—by calling Skin Care and Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills at 310.246.0495 or sending a message online.

Men and Skin

June 28, 2018 by nataliebirch Leave a Comment

A dermatologist meeting with a man who actually cares about his skin health and appearance enough to rejuvenate with minimally invasive cosmetic procedures is no longer a rarity. Women have long made up the largest demographic of people who seek out minimally invasive cosmetic procedures, but there have always been men, too, who choose injectables, lasers, or other treatments as a way to look refreshed—and their numbers are growing.

Dr. Derek Jones recently contributed to a study examining facial aging in men, with a focus on when signs of aging first appear, preventive behaviors that could delay these initial signs, and how race and ethnicity play a part. He also contributed to a separate project that analyzed multiple studies to assess how effective botulinum toxin is at treating frown lines in men.

The facial aging study involved more than 800 men between the ages of 18 and 75, all living in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia. More severe signs of aging—forehead lines, crow’s feet, and nasolabial folds—were reported as appearing earlier among Caucasians, but most of the subjects, including men of every race and ethnicity, admitted to not using sunscreen or regularly practicing similar activities that would prevent signs of aging.

The botulinum toxin study review showed that, on the whole, botulinum toxin-based treatments were less effective for men who received the same doses as women. This highlighted an apparent problem in universal recommended dosing, since men tend to have thicker skin and more significant muscle mass—both of which can cause doses of BOTOX^® and similar treatments intended for thinner skin and smaller muscle masses to not last as long or be as effective.

The ultimate takeaway from all of this? Dermatologists best serve their patients when they customize their treatment plans. This means working with each person as an individual to provide effective anti-aging tips, recommend a long-term course of care, and using doses that are both safe and effective. This happens best when communication is open and patients build a relationship with their physicians—one based on trust.

Let us know what’s on your mind, whether you’re a man looking for his first-ever cosmetic treatment or a regular patient of Skin Care & Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills. Send us a message online, or call 310-246-0495.