Spring Allergies, Spring Cleaning, and Spring Botox!
It’s finally starting to look and feel like spring outside! That means breaking out the Allegra and Nasocort, putting away the wool sweaters and winter boots, and pulling out the sandals and skirts. It also means freshening up your look – getting a pedicure, a new haircut, and even Botox to prevent those frown lines when squinting in the sun. I have to confess that I did all 3 myself last Friday.
Yes, that’s me in the mirror injecting myself!!! Ask me about what works better, numbing cream, pre-icing, or just grinning and bearing it. I’ve tried them all!
The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) statistics for 2013 released last month confirm again that Botox is the most frequently performed non-invasive procedure, up 15.6% from last year. Fillers such as Juvederm, Restylane, and newly FDA-approved Voluma are a distant second, but gaining ground with a 31.5% increase. The data is extrapolated from surveys sent to board-certified plastic surgeons, ENTs, and dermatologists. But it doesn’t include the plethora of other providers out there offering Botox and fillers – primary care physicians, gynecologists, dentists, etc. With the endless Groupon deals out there, a patient is left to wonder, what is the advantage, if any, to paying more for the same product?
Part of the answer is obvious. You’re paying for the experience of the injector, the same way you pay more for a haircut from a master stylist than from a trainee. Though to be fair, that trainee may be the next Vidal Sassoon! However, the other part of the answer which patients don’t often realize is the importance of the consultation. When I see a patient for the first time in my office, the discussion involves more than just what area they want injected. It’s an interactive dialogue about what bothers them, what their goals are, what Botox and injectable fillers can accomplish, and even more importantly, what they cannot. If I feel that if their goals are really better addressed by skin care/peels or lasers, I’ll tell them. If what they really need is surgery, I’ll tell them that too. Often, it’s a combination of several of the above, and we can develop a game plan together for looking younger and better, as well as how to maintain it in the long term. This personalized approach leads to better results and in the end, happier patients!
