The popular Dysport Challenge — in which consumers can save $150 when they try the botulinum toxin wrinkle filler for their frown lines — now has over 100,000 registrants. Originally it was to run March through April 2010, but due to its success, it’s been extended through September 2010, so more patients can take advantage of the offer.
The challenge allows patients to save $75 when they try Dysport. If they “love it,” they receive $75 off their next Dysport treatment; if they don’t, patients receive a $75 rebate off another botulinum toxin type A product, such as Botox.
Over 91.2 percent of 22,416 patients who took the challenge from March 1 through May 9, 2010, made “Love It,” according to Medicis, the maker of Dysport. Only 2.6 percent of all registered patients have made a selection to “Leave It” since the program began.
When the challenge started, Jonah Shacknai, the chief executive of Medicis, said,“We are so confident that we are literally willing to bet our money that patients will love their Dysport treatment.”
Approved by the FDA in April 2009 to treat frown lines between the eyebrows, Dysport works much like Botox and is Botox’s first comparable competitor in the U.S. cosmetic market. Dysport works by a process called neuromuscular blocking, which relaxes small muscles in the face and forehead that cause wrinkles to form.
In the release on passing the 100,000 registrant milestone, Shacknai said:
“We are pleased to announce this tremendous support by both physicians and patients for the Dysport Challenge. Medicis made a bold statement of confidence in the brand by offering patients the opportunity to try Dysport and save up to $150 total.”
Open to patients 18 and older, complete Dysport Challenge details are available at www.DysportUSA.com. Advancements in Dermatology and Skin Speaks Spa M.D. offers Dysport to patients in the Twin Cities area.
A new special report titled “The Beauty Advantage” on Newsweek.com argues that the quest to look good isn’t just a vain pursuit.
Newsweek surveyed 202 corporate hiring managers and found that 56 percent of them said qualified but unattractive candidates are likely to have a harder time getting a job. More than half recommended spending as much time and money on “making sure they look attractive” as on perfecting a résumé.
When the hiring managers were asked to rate nine character attributes in order of importance for job candidates, looks came in third, after experience and confidence—and before where an applicant went to school.
The report also includes an interactive feature called “The Beauty Breakdown,” which estimates what a lifetime of cosmetic maintenance will cost a “modern diva.” Gathering data from a number of sources—including the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons and Allure magazine—it looks at beauty costs from the tween years through 50 plus for American women, coming up with a lifetime total of $449,127.
For the lifetime total, the amount spent on the face was estimated at just over $314,000, more than treatments on hair, the body, and hands and feet combined.
In today’s economy, spending money on these treatments may not be “frivolous,” the magazine notes.
“Economists have long recognized what’s been dubbed the ‘beauty premium’—the idea that pretty people, whatever their aspirations, tend to do better in, well, almost everything. Handsome men earn, on average, 5 percent more than their less-attractive counterparts (good-looking women earn 4 percent more),” the report says.
Dr. Carney’s Skin Speaks Spa M.D., with five locations in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, offers a range of treatments to help you look your best, including Botox, chemical peels, and wrinkle fillers. (image via Newsweek.com)
Most collagen fillers will be gone from the market at year’s end reports the latest issue of Dermatology Times.
Late last year Johnson & Johnson announced that it was discontinuing its collagen filler Evolence, and in January Allergan announced it would be discontinuing its collagen fillers at the end of the year. Allergan halted production of the products in 2009, but manufactured enough inventory to meet estimated market demand through the end of 2010, according to Kelly Lao, manager of corporate communications.
As for Allergan’s collagen fillers, which includes CosmoPlast, CosmoDerm and bovine products Zyderm and Zyplast, Lao explains that “the discontinuation of the sale of our collagen products … is in response to declined market interest … since the introduction of hyaluronic acid dermal fillers like Juvéderm have become more popular.”
Seth L. Matarasso, M.D., clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, agrees with Lao’s assessment. “There is an overwhelming popularity of the new kid on the block: the hyaluronic acids. They have been embraced universally, and suddenly collagens aren’t as popular,” he says.
Hyaluronic acid products have several advantages, including:
Longer-lasting results
Appear to give a better fill
Some contain lidocaine for less painful injections
Future improvements will allow hyaluronic acids to provide more volume and contour-changing ability and the ability to fill deeper lines, reports Dermatology Times.
The July 2010 issue of Cosmetic Surgery Times reports on some of the latest news in the U.S. injectables market, including FDA-approved lidocaine hyaluronic acid fillers and fillers that may soon reach the American market.
Three injectables received FDA approval in February 2010 for lidocaine versions in the U.S.: Juvederm XC, Restylane-L, and Perlane-L. Lidocaine is a local anesthetic that is injected directly into the body and decreases pain by temporarily numbing the injection area, according to WebMD.
Dr. Michael H. Gold, a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and School of Nursing, says that the products performed similarly to their lidocaine-free predecessors in terms of efficacy and safety. “The incorporation of lidocaine has surely provided a higher comfort level for patients [in the clinical trials],” he adds.
Based on his clinical experience, Dr. Gold reports that when a patient undergoes an injection that includes even a small percentage of lidocaine that most patients say they barely feel the second injection. “To me that is the home run of lidocaine in these fillers,” he says.
In other injectable news, a filler that will soon reach the American market is Belotero Balance for nasolabial folds correction, which Dr. Gold says is awaiting FDA approval. Belotero Balance was first introduced in Germany in 2005.
Learn more about Juvederm and Restylane in the Twin Cities.
Sculptra Aesthetic is more effective than Cosmoplast human-derived collagen and lasts as long as 25 months, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
233 patients were treated randomly with Cosmoplast or Sculptra Aesthetic at 3-week intervals. Injections were performed to reduce the appearance of the nasolabial folds – the lines that travel from the nose to the corner of the mouth. Post treatment visits were conducted at 3 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 13 months after the final injection.
Highlights of the study:
During post-operative evaluations, Sculptra scored much higher on the wrinkle assessment scale.
When the patients treated with Sculptra were followed an additional 12 months, they exhibited results lasting over two years.
Results had a very natural appearance. “[Sculptra] works gradually to replace lost collagen due to aging, resulting in a more natural-looking appearance” said Dr. Gary Monheit of the University of Alabama Medical Center.
Side effects were mild or moderate in intensity and overall, they occurred more frequently in the collagen group.
At Skin Speaks, we are planning to carry the new Juvederm XC immediately! You can look forward to trying it at your next Juvederm appointment.
As with the original Juvederm, the product lasts up to 1 year from initial treatment. The addition of 0.3% lidocaine numbs the treatment area within seconds, potentially decreasing the need for additional anesthetic.
“Patients want a smooth and natural-looking result from a dermal filler treatment, but as a physician I am also interested in managing my patient’s discomfort during the injection. Before the introduction of Juvederm XC, it often took up to 30 minutes for an anesthetic block to take effect.” said Charles Boyd, MD, Boyd Cosmetic Surgical Institute and clinical investigator in a company news release. “[W]ith the new formulation, patients can receive the same smooth results as demonstrated with Juvederm but enjoy a more comfortable injection experience.”
FDA approval was based on data from a multicenter, double-blind, randomized clinical trial in which 72 patients received 1 of the 2 formulations in each nasolabial fold. Results showed that 93% of patients reported less procedural pain when treated with the lidocaine-containing dermal filler compared with the original version.
The safety profile was similar for both products, with temporary injection-site erythema, inflammation, pain/tenderness, firmness, lumps/bumps, and bruising most commonly reported. Most adverse events were mild to moderate in nature and of short duration (≤7 days).
With FDA approval, the lidocaine-containing dermal filler is available by prescription nationwide. As with the original formulation, it should only be administered by a trained medical professional.
Physicians providing EVOLENCE were notified today that the porcine collagen wrinkle filler is being discontinued, at least until further notice. Effective immediately, marketing and manufacturing of the drug will cease, according to the official website.
Although the wrinkle filler could resume a position in the market under new ownership, no such plans are being made public. Patients who have received treatment with Evolence will continue to receive support regarding medical inquiries or reporting of adverse reactions.
Along with the discontinuation announcement, manufacturer Ortho Dermatologics maintains that Evolence is still an effective treatment with a “favorable safety profile.”
Market May Be to Blame
Although Evolence had been used in other countries as far back as 2004, its U.S. market presence has been relatively short-lived, with FDA approval being granted just last year.
With its advanced, yet natural composition, optimism surrounded Evolence from the beginning . It was seen as radically different than the dominant hyaluronic acid offerings on the market, touting all the benefits of the old collagen fillers, with longer lasting results and no allergy test required.
However, some experts predicted a struggle for the animal-based collagen filler early on. In 2008, the Wall Street Journal quoted J&J consultant Kenneth Beer saying, “they couldn’t have picked a worse time [to enter the cosmetics market.]” Others expressed concern about the drug’s source: “Porcine products historically haven’t done well, and many people prefer lab-grown products,” said analyst Ronny Gal in a 2008 report.
If you have received treatment with Evolence at any of our Minneapolis/St. Paul locations, contact us to learn about comparable alternatives that can meet your needs in the future.
The NBC Today Show recently ran a “Today’s Health” segment featuring the wrinkle filler Sculptra. You can watch a professional treatment demonstration, hear some patient testimonials, and in the second half of the segment Dr. Roshini Raj of the NYU school of medicine appears to explain the details. She covers advantages and disadvantages of the filler and of course, makes a comparison to Botox.
Sculptra was recently FDA approved for cosmetic use. While the wrinkle filler has been used off-label in cosmetic applications for a long time, the recent FDA clearance has spawned a renewed interest of the drug in the cosmetic surgery industry and in the media.
After the dermal filler Sculptra was granted additional FDA clearance in July, dermatologist Jeannette Graf appeared on the CBS Early show to demonstrate treatment. This video features Sculptra before and after photos, a live demonstration, and a professional explanation of the benefits of this great new wrinkle filler.
For more information on Sculptra in Minneapolis, see our homepage or contact us at Skin Speaks Spa.
Although people are definitely becoming more optimistic about the economy these days, competition on the job market is still fierce. We’ve had more than a few patients at our Minneapolis locations say they suspect their age, or appearance is affecting their job prospects to some extent.
Everyone is looking for an advantage to land a good position, and many have turned to their hair stylist for a new look, or their local surgeon for Botox or Dysport wrinkle injections. When you have to compete with young adults just out of college, who often accept a much lower wage, you need to present yourself in the best possible light.
Men and women are using some of their extra time to get a little touchup with injectables like Botox or Restylane, and some even go as far as having eyelid surgery. Botox is the most popular non- invasive cosmetic procedure in the U.S. More than 5 million treatments were done just last year. The cost of a single treatment will vary, and it pays to keep an eye out for monthly specials and events.
If you are going for treatments prior to a job interview, give yourself at least 1 week to heal and let the treatment take effect. Remember, doing well on an interview is not only about how you look, but whether you exude confidence about yourself and your ability to do the job.
he popular Dysport Challenge — in which consumers can save $150 when they try the botulinum toxin wrinkle filler for their frown lines — now has over 100,000 registrants. Originally it was to run March through April 2010, but due to its success, it’s been extended through September 2010, so more patients can take advantage of the offer.
Physicians providing EVOLENCE were notified today that the porcine collagen wrinkle filler is being discontinued, at least until further notice. Effective immediately, marketing and manufacturing of the drug will cease, according to the official website.
Although people are definitely becoming more optimistic about the economy these days, competition on the job market is still fierce. We’ve had more than a few patients at our 