Minimally-invasive treatments can have you looking better in an hour or a day, but for time-conscious women that difference can be important. For an insider's notes on timelines for non- and minimally-invasive treatments, we turned to Dr. Grace Kim-Abroms, a physician and aesthetic skin care authority. Read on for her tips to help you know what to expect:
Younger.com: If I get a minimally invasive procedure, will my friends notice that I have had work done?
Dr. Kim-Abroms: Hopefully yes! We want to look better and we definitely want others to notice, too. However, the changes can be gradual or instant. BOTOX® Cosmetic and injectable fillers give practically immediate results. Laser treatments are generally done in series of sessions spaced out over a few weeks, so the change is more gradual.
To answer another side of your question: In every case, a good facial treatment should leave you looking natural and refreshed, but after the results have developed properly it should not be obvious which treatment you underwent. It's very common for my patients to hear that they look much younger, happier, and better rested, but no one necessarily realizes that this effect is the result of a specific treatment.
Younger.com: Do changes tend to appear subtle and slowly, or should I be expecting results to appear all at once?
Dr. Kim-Abroms: Again, depends on the type of procedure, but even within the same type of procedure you may have some instant effects and some that take more time. Laser resurfacing will be instantly noticeable, as the treatment minimizes wrinkles very rapidly; however, the skin-tightening effects will take weeks to months to show, as the collagen must regenerate under the skin surface.
In general it's a good idea to wait a few weeks to watch your results develop; even with injectables, some of the benefits will take a little time to appear.
Younger.com: What are your most-requested procedures?
Dr. Kim-Abroms: We offer a huge array of non-invasive procedures, so this is a difficult question. BOTOX is a very popular treatment with a great "bang for the buck" in terms of results.
Younger.com: Some minimally invasive skin treatments involve a little downtime. What's the average recovery time I can expect from an in-office procedure?
Dr. Kim-Abroms: Recovery times are all very short, but the exact length of time will depend on the treatment and on the patient. With Botox, most patients leave the office with a few "bee sting"-like injection sites that resolve within 1/2 to 2 hours. Fillers can sometimes create a bit of redness, swelling and bruising, but even for patients with very sensitive skin this should clear up within a couple of days.
If recovery time is an issue for you, it's important to make the distinction between minimally invasive and ablative / invasive treatments. Minimally invasive treatments have little to no downtime, whereas ablative resurfacing treatments and laser lipolysis both require several days to a few weeks for full recovery.
Dr. Grace Kim-Abroms is a physician providing a full range of aesthetic treatment services such as Smartlipo™ and BOTOX Cosmetic to San Luis Obispo patients through her practice, Rejuvenation Medical Skincare & Laser (http://www.irejuvenate.com). After earning her medical doctorate from McGill University's highly regarded Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Kim-Abroms gained extensive experience in laser skin rejuvenation. She is an active member of several professional boards including the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery.
Younger.com: If I get a minimally invasive procedure, will my friends notice that I have had work done?
Dr. Kim-Abroms: Hopefully yes! We want to look better and we definitely want others to notice, too. However, the changes can be gradual or instant. BOTOX® Cosmetic and injectable fillers give practically immediate results. Laser treatments are generally done in series of sessions spaced out over a few weeks, so the change is more gradual.
To answer another side of your question: In every case, a good facial treatment should leave you looking natural and refreshed, but after the results have developed properly it should not be obvious which treatment you underwent. It's very common for my patients to hear that they look much younger, happier, and better rested, but no one necessarily realizes that this effect is the result of a specific treatment.
Younger.com: Do changes tend to appear subtle and slowly, or should I be expecting results to appear all at once?
Dr. Kim-Abroms: Again, depends on the type of procedure, but even within the same type of procedure you may have some instant effects and some that take more time. Laser resurfacing will be instantly noticeable, as the treatment minimizes wrinkles very rapidly; however, the skin-tightening effects will take weeks to months to show, as the collagen must regenerate under the skin surface.
In general it's a good idea to wait a few weeks to watch your results develop; even with injectables, some of the benefits will take a little time to appear.
Younger.com: What are your most-requested procedures?
Dr. Kim-Abroms: We offer a huge array of non-invasive procedures, so this is a difficult question. BOTOX is a very popular treatment with a great "bang for the buck" in terms of results.
Younger.com: Some minimally invasive skin treatments involve a little downtime. What's the average recovery time I can expect from an in-office procedure?
Dr. Kim-Abroms: Recovery times are all very short, but the exact length of time will depend on the treatment and on the patient. With Botox, most patients leave the office with a few "bee sting"-like injection sites that resolve within 1/2 to 2 hours. Fillers can sometimes create a bit of redness, swelling and bruising, but even for patients with very sensitive skin this should clear up within a couple of days.
If recovery time is an issue for you, it's important to make the distinction between minimally invasive and ablative / invasive treatments. Minimally invasive treatments have little to no downtime, whereas ablative resurfacing treatments and laser lipolysis both require several days to a few weeks for full recovery.
Dr. Grace Kim-Abroms is a physician providing a full range of aesthetic treatment services such as Smartlipo™ and BOTOX Cosmetic to San Luis Obispo patients through her practice, Rejuvenation Medical Skincare & Laser (http://www.irejuvenate.com). After earning her medical doctorate from McGill University's highly regarded Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Kim-Abroms gained extensive experience in laser skin rejuvenation. She is an active member of several professional boards including the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery.
