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Injections

I want you to be as informed as possible before you choose to have a procedure at the Bashioum Cosmetic Surgery Center, Ltd. Patients often ask the same questions about each operation. I have compiled this list of questions from 30 years of cosmetic surgery experience. I hope that it helps you understand how cosmetic procedures can be beneficial and make you feel better about yourself. Please review FAQ Cosmetic Surgery for more information.

What are injections?

Injections (AKA Restylane® injections, Botox®Dysport® injections, Radiesse® injections, and fat graft injections) reduce facial wrinkling and improve contours. There are two kinds of injections. Medications like Botox® and Dysport® directly act on muscles to reduce their activity. Others like Restylane®, Radiesse® fat fill lines and change facial contours. People with prominent facial lines and contour problems choose injections to give a more youthful, refreshed appearance. When combined with surgery like skin care and superficial peels, changes may be sufficient to delay facial cosmetic surgery.
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How much will it cost?

Please call my office for an accurate price quote or, better still, come in for a personal consultation. My suggested quotes include professional fees, anesthesia fees, treatment room costs, equipment fees, and before and after care. They do not include prescriptions. If you compare prices, make sure that you consider all these costs and fees and the qualifications of the staff doing the injections. Only nurses do injections in my office. Also, injections sometimes require one or two days off work to allow minimal swelling to pass.
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What can I do about my aging face?

The combination of aging, sun damage, and normal muscle activity leads to skin sagging and wrinkling. This sagging makes coarse wrinkles (forehead, sides of the mouth, and cheeks) more prominent. Injections reduce the facial lines.
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Will this improve acne and acne scaring?

Smoothing of acne scarring can be achieved with injections known as fillers. The injections are placed to elevate depressed scars.
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How are fat graft injections different?

Fat graft injections use your own fat to smooth facial lines. Since some of this fat remains after one year, this can lead to permanent improvement, particularly if done more than once. Other injections are eventually absorbed within six to eighteen months.
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What are the risks of injections?

There are risks with all injections. Skin swelling, skin loss, irritation, redness, virus infections, visible bumps in the skin, allergic reactions, and changes in skin color, although uncommon, can occur. Fortunately, most problems are correctable with additional injections or simply resolve with time as the injection is naturally absorbed. You must understand your risk of complications completely before you choose to have injections.
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Can I have injections after taking Acutane®?

Acutane® reduces the healing capacity of the skin. I recommend that you wait a full year after stopping Acutane®. Even after discontinuation, there remains a small increased risk of slow or poor healing after injections.
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Will cold sores affect the results of injections?

Cold sores can affect the treated areas after injections. This prolongs skin redness with possible slow healing and scarring. Injections cannot be done if there are active cold sores on the lips, face, or mouth. If you have a past history of facial cold sores, please tell us so we can prescribe anti-virus medication to reduce the risk occurrence after injections.
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I have heard about so many bad things on television, is it safe to have injections?

There are always risks with injections. I believe that injections can be done safely with a high degree of patient satisfaction. Fortunately most adverse results resolve as the injected material is absorbed.
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What can you tell me about this new technique that I saw on television?

Everyone in the United States wants the latest in medical care. Unfortunately, this is not always the best medical care. At times, media presentations will leave out critical information about potential complications, quality of results, and FDA regulations. I am open-minded when it comes to new technology but I would rather not expose my patients the newest techniques until they have been proven to be effective and safe. Recent advances in injections include new neuromuscular blocking agents and longer-lasting materials.
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Should I stop smoking?

For general health reasons, I recommend that all my patients stop smoking. It is clear that smoking increases your risk for developing all sorts of cancers. Breathing problems like emphysema and circulatory problems, including heart attacks, are also linked to smoking. Smoking can increase the risk of coughing after your surgery, which may lead to unwanted bleeding. Finally, the chemicals released from burning tobacco also reduce blood flow, which can result in skin loss during the healing period. It is always best to stop smoking.
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What other choices do I have?

There are other choices when it comes to injections. These include facial rejuvenation surgery (skin resurfacing, facelift, forehead lift, and eyelid surgery), dermabrasion, chemical peels, skin care, facial implants, acceptance of a deformity, and changes in makeup. Always understand all your options before having injections.
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What additional procedures can I consider that will enhance the result?

Injections can be combined with other treatments to yield dramatic and complimentary results. They are frequently combined with skin care and superficial skin peels to enhance the overall result. They can also be combined with any facial cosmetic surgery.
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How long after injections can I have cosmetic facial surgery?

Three to six months should pass before injection sites can be treated with cosmetic facial surgery. It takes this amount of time to allow the natural inflammation to resolve.
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Am I a good candidate for injections?

This is a question that can only be answered after a consultation. Injections are suggested to patients with prominent coarse lines and/or acne scarring of the face. There are other things to consider, including psychiatric conditions, life stress, medical illness, obesity, and motivation. You should be a healthy nonsmoker within twenty pounds of your ideal weight, not going through major life stress (i.e. grieving a death, changing jobs, divorcing), and motivated by internal desires to look better.
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How many times can I have injections done?

Injections can be performed many times. After initial injections, a maintenance program is undertaken once every six to nine months thereafter to maintain the youthful freshening. The injections can be continued for a number of years.
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What kind of anesthesia will be used?

Most injections in my office require no anesthesia or only local anesthesia. Rarely, patients will request light oral sedation prior to injections.
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How are injections done?

Injections are usually done by carefully placing the material beneath the skin in the subcutaneous layer. Multiple small injections beneath a given line or wrinkle are necessary.
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How long will I be in the treatment room?

The length of time it takes to complete injections is about fifteen to thirty minutes. You will spend about one hour in my office.
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  • Member, American Society of Plastic Surgeons
  • Member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
BASHIOUM COSMETIC SURGERY CENTER 445 Lake Street, Suite 210 Wayzata, MN 55391 877-647-6882
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