A Link Between Normal Aging and Progeria

Keeping fine lines, wrinkles, and skin spots to a minimum is very easy at my East Coast plastic surgery practice. Botox, Restylane, and other dermal fillers are usually the first choices of patients. For those who would rather steer clear of injections, some patients may choose a chemical peel or dermabrasion to resurface the skin. Of course, other patients would rather get the best results possible, usually leading them to opt for a facelift or a brow lift. This is the beauty of plastic surgery: so many options to suit your comfort level.

But why do we age?

It was previously thought that aging was caused by our cells wearing out. However, recent studies point to a different reason. These new studies have found a link between aging and the aging disease known as Progeria.

If you aren’t familiar with the disease, Progeria causes children to age seven times faster than normal human beings. Why? A toxic protein called progerin is produced in these children’s bodies in very high amounts. However, once thought as the reason why children suffer from this disease, new studies show that progerin is also produced in healthy human beings. The amounts are just much lower, causing us to age at a slower rate.

What does this mean?

This means that aging could be an active biological mechanism that is actually programmed into our bodies. If this is the case, this means that this program is tinkered with when it comes to children with Progeria, causing progerin to be produced in high amounts instead of the standard lower amounts.  With these things in mind, we are only getting closer to gaining an understanding of the aging process.

To your health and beauty,

Dr. Joe Danyo

Traffic And Your Skin

We all know that aging is a natural part of life, and that we can indeed age gracefully. That’s where my job as an East Coast plastic surgeon comes in. Botox, facelifts, blepharoplasties, and even skin resurfacing are just are few procedures and treatments that will make your skin appear youthful. But have you ever wondered if it’s not just life that is causing your skin to wrinkle and discolor?

Recent studies suggest a correlation between living near a busy highway and increased skin wrinkling and pigmented spots. In fact, airborne particles that are traffic related has now taken the top third spot as a cause of early skin aging. It falls right beneath ultraviolet radiation and tobacco smoke. Meaning, if you live in an heavily populated and busy area where a lot of traffic occurs, such as the city, your skin is more likely to age faster than someone’s skin that isn’t exposed to such things. Of course, UV rays and smoke must be factored in as well. But perhaps this is the reason why plastic surgery is more popular in city areas. 

This study only backs up previous data on the harmful effects of traffic related particles. Besides being terrible for your lungs, these airborne particles have been linked to cognitive failure in the elderly, and have also been linked to type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. 

Though it’s not easy to avoid all traffic-related airborne particles, especially if you live in a big city where traffic never stops, it may be a good idea to take extra care of your skin. Of course when all else fails, my East Coast plastic surgery practice can help keep your skin beautiful, rejuvenated and young.

To your health and beauty,

Dr. Joe Danyo

Less Botox But Same Great Results

Botox is one of the most popular procedures in plastic surgeon offices, including my East Coast plastic surgery one. This procedure is mainly popular due to it being minimally invasive, time efficient, usually taking only fifteen minutes, and simple. However, Botox injections are not a onetime thing, usually consisting of injections every three months.

This can be a slight turn off to some potential patients that may not want to shell out money four times a year. And it’s no surprise that Botox injections indefinitely with visit every three months can become costly, especially if a patient starts young as suggested by plastic surgeons.

But patients afraid of costs may soon find Botox more accessible due to a new study conducted at the Oregon Health and Science University’s Casey Eye Institute. The study found that patients receiving Botox treatments every four months for two years can then cut their Botox injections to every six months. Though best results are still more likely to be seen in treatment every three months, this new time line will get similar results in the least amount of time.

With these new results, Botox is more than likely to become even more popular. More people are prone to undergo Botox if visits of four a year can now be cut to three or two a year with great wrinkle reducing results. It’s never been easier.

Will you consider Botox now that visits don’t have to be as often? If you already get Botox, will you cut your visits down?

To your health and beauty,

Dr. Joseph Danyo

Could Freezing Be The New Botox?

My East Coast Plastic Surgery office has an abundance of patients seeking minimal invasive procedures such as Botox injections. But patients looking to get rid of pesky wrinkles on their faces may have another injectable option sometime in the near future.

Both Botox and Dysport are very easy and very quick procedures with a high patient satisfaction rate. However, some people are not entirely comfortable with the idea of injecting a toxin into their body, and unless they are willing to undergo a more invasive surgery they are out of luck.

So what is this new injectable that could be a Botox and Dysport competitor one of these days?

A new technique, not yet approved by the FDA, called cryoneuromodulation uses small needles to deliver cold to the nerves running through the forehead. The cold freezes the nerve, which interrupts the nerve signal and relaxes the muscle that causes vertical and horizontal forehead lines. Though the nerve returns to normal body temperature, the cold temporarily “injures” the nerve, not permanently, and allows the signal to remain interrupted for a period of time that is comparable to Botox’s and Dysport’s three to four month period.

This new possible treatment is just as quick, taking about 15 minutes, and has relatively the same discomfort level as Botox and Dysport. After performing the technique on 31 people in a clinical trial, this procedure seemed to work faster than what is on the market already; all patients having fewer wrinkles after two to eight injections, instead of waiting the standard few days to see results.

The downside is this technique was only limited to the forehead and has yet to be studied elsewhere on the face. Botox is more than just the forehead so it currently beats out this freezing process. However, if these results are a hint at what this new procedure can do, this could potentially be injectables’ newest breakthrough.

If this procedure does eventually pass FDA approval, I feel this will only increase the popularity of injectables. They will be more readily available to those people that were once afraid to put anything foreign into their bodies. More people will most likely jump at the chance to make their wrinkles fade away.

If this becomes an FDA approved procedure, would you consider freezing your nerves for a smoother face?

To your health and beauty,

Dr. Joe Danyo

New Supplement Increases Botox Results by 93%

Imagine taking a vitamin supplement four days before your next Botox injection and the Botox results would be 93% more effective! It’s true and this new supplement will be on the market within the next month or so. If the supplement, which will be available by prescription, isn’t overpriced, it could be a real money-saver for those of you who benefit from Botox for wrinkles and/or migraines.

Dr. Charles Soparkar, who is an oculoplastic surgeon at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas and his fellow researchers performed a study that showed that a combination of organic zinc plus the enzyme phytase, taken for four days before receiving their Botox injections, made the toxin 93% more effective. Because of the amazing results, a patent was filed for the combination, which is now called ZYTAZE™. It’s reported to be available soon. The study was not originally performed for those who receive Botox for cosmetic purposes, however. It was performed for patients with a rare form of eyelid spasm. However, this research is positive news for anyone who gets injections of Botox for cosmetic reasons.

"Surprisingly, the results showed that in over 90% of the patients studied, the zinc/phytase combination resulted in a remarkable improved responsiveness to treatment of blepharospasm using the same amount of botulinum toxin as previously used," said Soparkar. "The toxins seemed to have greater effect and last longer. Potentially, this could mean using less toxin, offering patients financial savings, greater safety, and more consistent results."

If the prescription is reasonably priced, it could result in an overall savings for those individuals who use Botox for wrinkle reduction, as less Botox will be needed and the results will last longer. I’ll keep you updated as soon as I hear further news on this topic.

To your health & beauty,

Dr. Joe Danyo

2009 International Aesthetic Trends Now Available

For the first time ever, accurate aesthetic plastic surgery statistics are available to the public. The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) issued the "ISAPS Biennial Global Survey™" to surgeons in order to gauge aesthetic trends in the top 25 countries and regions for plastic surgery. The Survey represented 75% of all procedures performed in 2009.

Although the ISAPS Biennial Global Survey™ confirmed that the United States remains the country with the most procedures performed annually, there are some countries that are emerging as major centers that may be surprising. Making the top ten list are a few other countries that are not always associated with plastic surgery:
1.    United States
2.    China
3.    Brazil
4.    India
5.    Mexico
6.    Japan
7.    South Korea
8.    Germany
9.    Turkey
10.    Spain

The Survey also revealed that, contrary to popular belief, breast augmentation is not the most popular invasive procedure performed internationally. The top 5 invasive aesthetic procedures are as follows:
1.    Liposuction-18.8%
2.    Breast Augmentation-17%
3.    Blepharoplasty-13.5%
4.    Rhinoplasty-9.4%
5.    Abdominoplasty or Tummy Tuck-7.3%

As for as non-surgical procedures go, neuromodulators like Botox® top the list in popularity. Not only that, the overall number of non-surgical cosmetic treatments performed surpassed the number of surgical procedures. The top 5 non-invasive aesthetic treatments for 2009 were:
1.    Neuromodulators such as Botox® and Dysport®-32.7%
2.    Hyaluronic acid injections such as Juvederm and Radiesse-20.1%
3.    Laser hair removal-13.1%
4.    Fat grafting-5.9%
5.    IPL treatments-4.4%

Amongst other things, the Survey established that there are approximately 30,817 board certified (or national equivalent) plastic surgeons currently practicing. The number of surgical procedures performed globally in 2009 was 8,536,379, while the number of non-invasive treatments was 8,759,187.

The ISAPS Biennial Global Survey™ was created and proctored by Industry Insights, Inc., an independent research firm from Columbus, OH.  Scott Hackworth, a CPA who, along with the firm, has 15 years of experience in researching trends in aesthetic plastic surgery, led the Survey. The two-page, English-based questionnaire was administered to different international plastic surgery societies and focused on the aesthetic procedures performed in 2009.

Study: Less Frequent Botox Injections Achieve Same Results

A study recently found that patients require less frequent Botox® injections after two years of treatment to maintain the same wrinkle-reducing effect.

“After two years of treatment at recommended intervals, patients can potentially cut the frequency, and thus, the cost of their Botox® treatments by half,” says Roger A. Daily, leader of the study and professor of oculofacial plastic surgery at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). The research also showed that Botox® injections are capable of preventing wrinkles in patients who begin treatment during their 30s.

During the study, 50 females aged 30 to 50-years-old were analyzed over two years while they underwent regular Botox® injections. Dailey and his colleagues found that, after undergoing injections every four months for two years, patients can slow the frequency to once every six months and still see desired results.

Physicians previously advised patients—based on earlier research—that they should undergo Botox® injections every three months to see maximum wrinkle-smoothing benefits. According to Dailey, the cost and frequency of Botox® deterred some patients from starting or even continuing their treatment.

Botox® was approved by the FDA for cosmetic purposed eight years ago. In 2009 alone, more than 2.5 million Americans underwent the popular injection (source: ASPAS). Botox® in Delaware should be injected by, or under the supervision of, a board certified plastic surgeon.

Get Botox®, Get Happy!

The running joke with Botox® is that patients can’t frown or show emotion. A recent study has found that this inability to show emotion may make you a happier person.

Botulinum toxin, the active ingredient in Botox®, is used to temporarily weaken the muscles in the face that cause wrinkles. This not only gets rids of lines in the face, it also limits the body’s ability to move the muscles in the face and express emotion.

The study, which was administered by Barnard College in New York, found that people who have a limited ability to physically express emotion might in turn feel less emotional. Botox® prevents feedback to the brain about such facial expressivity, therefore tricking the brain into thinking that there is less emotion felt during an event.

Joshua Davis, a psychologist at Barnard, and his colleagues showed people emotionally charged videos both before and after they were injected with Botox®. After viewing the videos, the subjects that were injected with Botox® exhibited a significant decrease in the strength of the emotional experience as opposed to the control group.

The study findings tie into a long-standing idea in psychology that dates back to Charles Darwin. The facial feedback hypothesis, which was later developed by William James, simply states that facial movement can influence emotional experience.

If simply frowning can ruin your mood, then not being able to frown should make you a happier person. Now that’s something to smile about!

Male Vanity Shows in Cosmetic Procedures

There’s a growing trend in cosmetic treatments among men: sclerotherapy. The procedure, which has been around since the 1930s, is used to diminish the appearance of varicose and spider veins. Sclerotherapy involves an injection of a solution (usually saline) directly into the problematic veins. The solution virtually kills the affected veins, causing them to disintegrate over time.

According to a recent story by NewBeauty Magazine, sclerotherapy has seen an overwhelming boost in popularity among men. The number of men seeking the treatment over the past five years has risen over 200
percent! According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, more men are now increasingly opting to treat their unsightly leg veins instead of selecting the once-popular hair transplants.

This isn’t the first time there has been a boost in cosmetic treatments among men. Time Magazine reported that between 2001 and 2007 the number of men using Botox® nearly tripled. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS), men currently make up 9% of plastic surgery patients, with Botox® being the most popular minimally invasive treatment.

Perhaps the growth in cosmetic surgery among men has to do with its growing prevalence in the media. Some even suggest that between the recession and competitive job market, men are seeking out cosmetic enhancements to maintain a competitive edge.

As with any cosmetic treatment, it is important to have sclerotherapy and Botox® injections performed under the supervision of a board-certified plastic surgeon.