Cosmetic Services

What is Botox?

Botox is a bioengineered nerve impulse blocker that temporarily prevents muscles from tensing up and causing dynamic wrinkles.

What will Botox Do?

It will relax horizontal (forehead) frown lines, Vertical (over the bridge of the nose) frown lines and crows feet (smile lines)

What will Botox not do?

It will not give you fuller lips, fill your creases around your mouth and lips, or fill the nasolabial folds or scars. These are best accomplished by a dermal filler.

Will it hurt?

it will feel like a small needle stick with a little burning sensation at each injection site. Each treatment will require anywhere from 3 to 8 injections per site.

Are there side effects?

1) Post-treatment discomfort, swelling, redness, and bruising, 2) Post-treatment bacterial, viral, and/or fungal infection requiring further treatment, 3) Allergic reaction, 4) Minor temporary droop of eyelid(s) in approximately 2% of injections, this usually lasts 2-3 weeks, 5) Occasional numbness of the forehead lasting up to 2-3 weeks, 6) Transient headache, and 7) Flu-like symptoms may occur

How long will it take?

The actual injections will take 10-15 minutes, your visit will take 30-45 minutes.

How long will the effect last?

3-4 months

How much does it cost?

The cost is $12.00 per unit and typically we inject 30 units per area (forehead, glabella, or eyes).

Occasionally, depending on your expectations, additional enhancements may be required.

Learn More About Botox Below:

What are muscle relaxing injections for?

Dynamic wrinkles are caused by contractions of the delicate underlying facial muscles every time you smile, laugh or frown. The more emotion you show, the deeper these wrinkles and lines are likely to be. While you may have earned every one of your worry lines, you don’t have to show them anymore.

Now, thanks to a new use for an approved drug, dynamic lines can be dramatically softened. The procedure known as cosmetic denervation uses muscle relaxing injections to improve the appearance of worry lines, frown lines, laugh lines, crow’s feet and other dynamic wrinkles.

How do muscle relaxing injections work?

Muscle relaxing injections block impulses from the nerve to the tiny facial muscles that are related to expression lines and relaxes the muscles so they do not contract. After treatment, the overlying skin remains smooth and unwrinkled while the untreated facial muscles contract in a normal fashion, allowing normal facial expression to be unaffected.

Are muscle relaxing injections safe?

Muscle relaxing injections have been used safely and effectively for over ten years to treat many ophthalmological and neurological disorders. Each year thousands of patients receive treatments for a variety of conditions and it is quickly becoming a popular treatment for reversing the visible signs of aging.

What is the treatment like?

Cosmetic denervation is a simple and safe procedure. Using a tiny micro-needle, a very small injection is made, very precisely, into several locations on the face. Because the needle is so fine and only a small amount of liquid is used, the pain associated with the injections is minimal. Most patients compare the sensation to a bug bite. No sedation or local anesthetic is required, and you can resume normal activities immediately. You can even drive yourself home or back to the office. Some patients experience a slight temporary bruising at the injection site. This can be covered with make-up.

Are there any side effects?

Temporary bruising is the most common side effect. In some cases, the toxin can migrate and cause a temporary weakness of nearby muscles. In rare cases, there can be a drooping of an eyelid or asymmetry of facial expression. The risk of any side effect depends on the muscles injected. Your doctor will discuss this with you in length before your treatment.

What results can I expect?

If dynamic wrinkles make you look older than you are, cosmetic denervation can smooth these out and give you a more youthful and pleasant appearance. However, this procedure cannot improve wrinkles due to aging and sun-damaged skin since they are unrelated to facial muscle contractions. Muscle relaxing injections will not improve sagging skin or replace the need for a facelift or brow lift.

What are the limitations of muscle relaxing injections?

Unfortunately, muscle relaxing injections are only a temporary solution for the treatment of dynamic wrinkles. The effects of the injections last from three to four months. You will need to have injections about every four months. The early clinical studies indicate that the duration of treatment benefits is increased over time so that you should require injections less frequently in the future. Also, the duration of effect varies from patient to patient and may be less effective for those over 65 years of age.

How can I find out if I am a candidate for muscle relaxing injections?

If you would like to learn more about your cosmetic options or find out if muscle relaxing injections might work well for you, please call our clinic and schedule your consultation with our doctor.

What are Dermal Fillers?

Dermal fillers are a hyaluronic gel that is injected into the skin in order to add volume to the lips and lift up wrinkles or folds.

What is hyaluronic acid?

Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance that is found throughout the body. It gives, for example, volume to the skin, lubricates the joints and gives the eye its shape.

How do fillers work?

Restylane® adds volume to the skin. A physician injects small amounts of filler directly into the skin and it lifts up the wrinkle or gives more volume to the lips. Wrinkles can be raised to the level of the surrounding skin and the contours of the lips can be enhanced to the desired level.

What is the difference between Restylane® and Juvederm®?

Restylane® and Perlane® is the brand name for non-animal stabilized hyaluronic acid. Restylane® and Perlane® is the most popular dermal filler used to contour the face. The product comes in three formulations. The selection of which formulation to use is determined by your skin type and the area to be contoured. The result from the treatments is immediate and will last six to eight months.

Juvederm® is another form of non-animal hyaluronic acid. This product performs in the same way as Restylane® and Perlane®, Juvederm® can be injected into most areas of the face where lines, folds and wrinkles develop. The product is also used to contour chin and cheek areas. The result from the treatment is immediate and will last approximately five to six months.

What kinds of wrinkles can be treated?

The most common areas are the glabellar lines (between the eyebrows), the nasolabial folds (from the wing of the nose to the angle of the mouth) and the lips, but other sites can also be treated.

What results can be obtained from lip treatment?

The vermillion border can be accentuated and the lips can be given more volume.

What areas cannot be helped by fillers?

Very deep wrinkles and some types of acne scars cannot usually be treated with this material. Also, very superficial wrinkles may be difficult to correct. Please consult a West Coast Vein and Aesthetic Center physician for an assessment.

What is treatment with fillers like?

Treatment with fillers is a very easy and quick process. Since no pre-test is needed, the treatment can be carried out immediately and takes about 30 minutes. The result is instant. Dermal fillers are injected with a very thin needle.

Can Dermal fillers replace surgical procedures?

No. People with excess facial skin or people who want a major resurfacing of the skin cannot be helped with Restylane. However, Dermal fillers are sometimes used in conjunction with surgery to fill out wrinkles that cannot be removed by surgery.

Do the injections hurt?

This is very individual depending on how sensitive to pain you are. The injections may prick a little but normally no anesthesia is needed for the treatment of wrinkles and folds. Most people report that the injections are relatively painless. Lip treatment is quite uncomfortable and therefore a nerve block or some similar anesthetic is normally used.

Can the material be removed?

No, but since hyaluronic acid is a natural material it dissolves with time. If you feel insecure about the desired result, it is possible to have the treatment done in steps on different occasions.

Is it safe?

The hyaluronic acid in Restylane®, Juvederm® or Perlane® is almost identical to that already present in the body. Also, since the hyaluronic acid in Restylane®, Perlane® or Juvederm® is not made from animals, there is no risk of transmitting diseases from animals or eliciting allergic reactions to common foodstuffs such as eggs, meat or chicken. Immediately after, the treatment site can be slightly swollen and red. This is a normal result of the injection and generally goes away in a day or two after injection into the skin and within a week after injection into the lips. Other types of reactions are very uncommon, but about 1 in 2000 persons have experienced transient swelling, redness, and tenderness at or near the treatment site(s) up to several weeks after treatment. If the inconvenience continues, please contact us.

Are there any other types of reactions that may occur?

Yes. If you have previously suffered from facial cold sores, there is a risk that the needle punctures could contribute to another cold sore eruption. If you are using aspirin or any similar medication, you should be aware that these may increase the bruising and bleeding at the injection site.

How long does the effect last?

Since hyaluronic acid is a substance very similar to your own skin, the same ongoing processes (such as aging) that change the structure of your skin will also alter the implant. Eventually, the implant totally disappears from the body. How long the effect of treatment lasts depends on the individual. It depends on many factors, such as the structure of the skin, lifestyle, and age as well as on the degree of perfection demanded by the individual. Most people choose to have a new treatment within 4 to 6 months after treatment.

What will my skin look like without touch-up treatment?

The correction will gradually disappear until your skin looks just as it did before the treatment. Touch-up injections will help you maintain your correction.

How do I get Restylane®, Perlane® or Juvederm® Treatment?

Just call our clinic for a consultation. Our doctor will answer your questions and help you reach a decision. Restylane®, Perlane® or Juvederm® can usually be injected during this appointment if you wish.

What are spider veins?

Spider veins can be seen through the skin and, as their name suggests, resemble the look of a spider’s web. They are non-essential, thread-like veins that connect to larger veins. Their location close to the skin is why they are visible on the outside. Other than cosmetic issues, there are no symptoms associated with spider veins.

What treatment options does West Coast Vein & Aesthetic Center offer?

SCLEROTHERAPY is the “gold standard” in the treatment of spider veins. Sclerotherapy involves injecting a sclerosing (drying) agent into the vein.  This causes damage to the vein wall and causes the vessel to close.

When will I see results?

Most patients will require more than one treatment to obtain the best results. Typically, the appearance of the unsightly veins is significantly improved after several treatments. The exact number of treatments may vary, depending on the extent of your spider vein.