Dysport (a botulinum toxin) is now available at Tattoo MD.  Dysport has the same uses as Botox and is an alternative.  Both the price and duration are similar in comparison to Botox but individual variations in response are possible.  See the Botox and Dysport page for more information.
Restylane and Perlane are hyaluronic acid injectable fillers that are similar to Juvederm.  Perlane is useful for deeper and longer lasting wrinkle correction yet can be used for lip augmentation.  See our injectable fillers page for more information.

Tattoo MD Medispa now carries .4 ml Juvederm syringes.  The standard size of Juvederm is .8 ml and is a sufficient amount to treat nasolabial folds.  Enough may be left over after treatment to allow for a little lip augmentation as well.   Or the whole syringe could be used for lips alone.  The advantage of the .4 ml syringe is the ability to use a smaller amount of filler for certain areas, such as subtle lip augmentation or treating marionette lines (next to the chin).  It’s also excellent for touch-ups when you don’t wish to purchase a full .8 ml syringe.

Due to it’s smaller size, the .4 ml syringe is priced at $350 vs. the .8 ml syringe, priced at $550.  For those of you that have never tried injectable hyaluronic acid fillers before but have been thinking about it, the .4 ml syringe of Juvederm is an excellent way to give it a try.  If you are interested in a free consultation, please call Tattoo MD Medispa at 310-312-1231 or contact us by email!

Since September, new regulations by the medical board in Nevada have gone into effect barring medical assistants from injecting Botox and injectable fillers, as well as performing some other treatments.  Apparently, there was recently controversy surrounding medical assistants injecting Botox in Las Vegas.  See the link to this article about it.  We find it surprising that medical assistants were ever allowed to do these highly-skilled injections.  However, if you are  a patient in Nevada and are having trouble finding a provider for Botox, come to TMD Medispa, where our expert physician assistant performs Botox and dermal filler injections.

Please join us on SAT. APRIL 25TH    10AM- 6PM

There will be Food, Fun, Drawings, and Freebies!
FREE DRAWINGS FOR:
JUVEDERM

BOTOX

LASER TATTOO REMOVAL

LASER HAIR REMOVAL

FREEBIES:            MINI FACIALS OR WAXING (BY APPT. ONLY)
LIMITED SPACE - CALL EARLY TO
SCHEDULE

Please stop by the office on the party day and fill out an entry form to
be eligible for drawings.  Good Luck!!

As we age, we lose substance and fullness of the supporting structures of the face.  This causes the skin to sag over decreased muscle, fat, and bone.  A surgical facelift can pull this skin taut again, but is a more radical solution.  It also carries the risks of surgery, scarring, increased downtime, and higher costs.
An alternative to traditional facelift surgery is the use of Botox and injectable dermal fillers, such as Radiesse.  These fillers last a year or more and can be injected to build up cheekbones and other facial prominences, as well as to fill in depressions that have formed.  Botox can be used for lifting by inactivating muscles that exert downward pull, such as the crow’s feet muscles.  This results in a rejuvenating effect as the skin now lies over a fuller support structure.
Other treatments that complement fillers and Botox are aimed at the color and texture of the skin.  Chemical peels, such as the Vi Peel, are great for smoothing out texture and stimulating collagen remodeling of the skin.  IPL Photofacials are very good for discoloration, including that due to sun exposure.

Using the multi-modality treatment, it is possible to achieve significant rejuvenation and lifting without resorting immediately to formal surgery.  There is always time to get surgery but most people agree that one should postpone it with the use of nonivasive treatments.

As our hands age, the spaces between the bones become thinner and more hollowed out. Veins may stand out more than they used to and tendons may also markedly stand out. The skin tends to sag as the underlying structures become diminished. Radiesse injection is an easy, low-risk way to reverse this process in a quick treatment!

Just as in the face, where Radiesse is used to fill in wrinkles and lines, as well as to add definition to cheekbones and such areas, Radiesse may also fill in areas of tissue loss in the hands. Radiesse is a calcium-based gel that is injected just beneath or in the lower part of the dermis and is gradually converted to the body’s own collagen. After a single injection, the hands appear much smoother and fuller, as if they were years younger!  It is common to use 1/2 to 1 syringe per hand.  The results last up to a year and a half!

As part of our recent acquisition of the Starlux IPL, we are now offering hand rejuvenation with a hand IPL Photofacial treatment at no extra charge.  Radiesse works at the deep level to fill in hollowed-out areas.  The IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) device works on the surface to clear away sun damage in form of sun spots and broken capillaries.  Together, these two modalities are a powerful tool to make your hands appear young again!

Tattoo MD will be having our best-ever holiday party on December 10 from 3-7 pm, so save the date!  There will be food and refreshments, but also special contests.  There will be special discounts on services, such as Botox, and products as well for guests that come to the party.  Stay tuned for more details in our email blast and on the website as we draw nearer.

Happy Holidays!

A study published by Allergan researchers earlier this year in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal demonstrated that Juvederm lasts up to a year. Study participants had nasolabial folds injected with Juvederm on one side and Zyplast (collagen) on the other but were blinded to which side was which.

The fact that the subjects preferred the Juvederm side and that its results lasted longer was no surprise.  What was more interesting was that on follow-up, when it was time to get a complimentary repeat injection, there was still a considerable difference on the Juvederm-treated side.  The proportion of nasolabial folds still showing a significant improvement beyond 1 year was 68% with Juvederm!  This finding resulted in the FDA approving Juvederm as lasting up to 1 year for facial wrinkles.

At Tattoo MD, we often get patient inquiries regarding treatment during pregnancy or breast-feeding.  Patients want to know if they can get a tattoo removed during pregnancy or get Botox while breast-feeding, etc.  The answer to this is often “no,” but not for obvious reasons.  Laser tattoo removal, for instance, is avoided during both breast-feeding pregnancy.  Research has generally not been done to prove that any such procedures are not safe or vice-versa.  We generally follow the principle that if any chemicals could be produced or added that are not normally present in the body, then we avoid the procedure during this time.

For instance, laser tattoo removal breaks tattoo pigments into smaller components and mobilizes them to distant sites away from where the tattoo is.  Although it is not known whether these pigments could cross the placenta or enter breast-milk, we assume that it’s possible.  Laser hair removal by itself does not introduce any foreign chemicals but topical anesthetic cream is used, so it is avoided for that reason.  Botox injections are avoided also, although the chance of causing a problem with a fetus or nursing child is extremely low, since it has never been tested in that setting, and probably never will be.  Injectable fillers, such as Juvederm and Radiesse are composed of natural ingredients, hyaluronic acid and calcium hydroxyapatite.  However, lidocaine is injected or applied topically, so these are also not used during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

So what services can we offer during this period?  Actually, quite a few.  Microdermabrasion is completely safe.  It does not introduce anything and works on the surface of the skin.  Sclerotherapy of spider veins is also safe, since it uses natural salt water in minute amounts that are only active locally at the site of injection.  Most of the other estheticiain services, such as waxing, facials and eyelash extensions are safe, but Vi Peels are not done.

To the pregnant or nursing mothers out there - just hang in there!

Arnica is a plant that has gotten a lot of attention and advocacy in its use for promotion of wound healing and prevention of bruising.  Although we do not offer arnica as after-care for laser tattoo removal or for injectable treatments, arnica is often advocated by plastic surgeons to minimize post-operative bruising.  But is it safe and effective?  Since arnica is not a synthetic chemical or drug, it contains multiple different active compounds with their own various effects.  It is not regulated by the FDA.  Most sources advise against oral ingestion of arnica or application over open wounds due to the risk of toxic effects.

We had an arnica side effect during Botox injection that is worth sharing with others.  A patient that had previously not had any problems with Botox developed severe bruising after injection with the tiny insulin syringe.  It was so dramatic that the procedure had to be aborted.  The patient had no prior such problems and admitted to being only on oral arnica supplements which she had obtained on her own initiative.  After researching arnica side effects, we found that it contains coumarin, a chemical that prolongs blood clotting time, which would cause - guess what?  Increased bruising!  We naturally advised the patient stop using the arnica and to see her doctor.  However, it makes you wonder how many other such “natural” but not well-tested remedies exist out there that may not just be unhelpful but actually cause problems?