FDA Advisory Committee Recommends Juvederm Voluma XC for Cheek Augmentations

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Dr. Tracy Pfeifer

FDA Recommends Juvederm Voluma XCEarlier this week Allergan, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee recommended Juvederm Voluma XC as a safe treatment option for cheek augmentations.

The unanimous vote to recommend it by the Medical Devices Advisory Committee, while not binding, will be taken into account when the FDA makes it’s final approval decision.

Juvederm Voluma XC is an injectable hyaluronic acid dermal filler that would be used to correct volume deficiencies in the mid-face. This distinction would be the first and only of its kind for dermal fillers in the U.S. market, if the FDA approves it.

In a company press release Allergan’s Scott M. Whitcup M.D., the Executive Vice President, Research and Development, and Chief Scientific Officer stated: “ Today’s recommendation is an important step in the FDA review process for Juvederm Voluma XC.”

Whitcup went on to say that Allergan is committed to working with the FDA to provide consumers with “the first treatment option that has been specifically developed” to treat age-related volume deficiencies in the cheek.

If approved by the FDA, Allergan expects to launch Voluma XC later this year.

More About Allergan, the Company Behind Juvederm Voluma XC

Established in 1950, in Los Angeles, CA, Allergan, Inc. started as an eye care company with the first antihistamine eye drop in the United States.

Sixty years later and now a multi-specialty health care company, Allergan focuses on a number of medical specialties including: eye care, medical aesthetics, breast aesthetics, urologics, obesity intervention, neurosciences, and dermatology.

In addition to Juvederm, Allergan also manufactures the injectable treatment Botox and topical treatment Latisse. Their portfolio of products also includes the Natrelle line of breast implants.

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Convenient Solutions for Lines, Wrinkles and Age Spots

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Dr. Tracy Pfeifer

Botulinum Toxin Type A and Injectable Dermal FillersIf you’re a busy New Yorker, and you’re bothered by facial wrinkles, forehead lines, age spots, and rough skin - consider one of our “lunch hour” procedures.

Quick Treatments Ideal for Busy New Yorkers

Injectable treatments like Botox and facial fillers offer a quick and convenient solution for the deep lines on your face.

Chemical peels work to exfoliate and refresh your complexion, reducing skin discoloration and improving skin texture.

Botox® is the most popular brand name of botulinum toxin, and comparable products include Dysport and Xeomin. Last year, these were the most popular non-surgical cosmetic procedures in America.

Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin are neuromuscular toxins that are used to treat newly formed facial lines. By injecting the solution into the tiny muscles that contract and cause formation of lines, the muscles will relax and wrinkles gradually flatten out.

Injectable fillers like Juvederm or Restylane are used to treat deeper wrinkles and facial lines. They can also be used for adding volume to facial features like your lips. Other popular dermal fillers include Radiesse, Sculptra, and the new Belotero. Discover which injectable filler is right for you during a consultation.

The less invasive procedures like Botox or soft tissue fillers can be finished within one hour. The busiest people can schedule a session over their lunch break and quickly reduce the wrinkles around their mouth, forehead, and eyes.

Discover a Treatment Option That Fits Your Lifestyle

Botox, fillers, and chemical peels are excellent for a quick pick-me-up, but the results are usually temporary. For a long lasting solution to the signs of aging, a face lift or a brow lift may be your ideal choice. Contact us in Manhattan or Long Island to learn more.

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How to Get a Flatter Stomach

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Dr. Tracy Pfeifer

get a flatter stomachGetting a flat abdomen is one of the toughest things to do. In addition to watching what you eat and working out, breaking down your weight loss plan into short and long term goals can help. Keep in mind these four steps to help you get a flatter stomach.

1. Prevent Overeating

You can prevent overeating simply by choosing a small plate and carefully choosing what to eat first. A new research letter published in this month’s issue of the American Journal of Preventative Medicine suggests these two strategies for dieters to use to prevent overeating. The research observed peoples habits in buffet lines.

Rachel Begun, spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a registered dietitian who was not part of the study, stated: “Research shows that when faced with a variety of food at one sitting, people tend to eat more. It is the temptation of wanting to try a variety of foods that makes it particularly hard not to overeat at a buffet.”

2. Monitor and Optimize Your Meal Times

A recent study in the International Journal of Obesity found that it may not be just what you eat, but also when you eat it. Dieters involved in the study who ate their lunch earlier in the day lost more weight than those who ate a later lunch.

3. Exercise and Track Your Daily Activity

There’s no way around it. If you want to slim down, you need to move your body. “Most days we don’t realize how sedentary we are,” writes Fresno plastic surgeon Darshan Shah on his blog. “The Nike Fuel Band is something I use to keep my activity level on track! I set a goal for 3000 Fuel points a day, and If I am not there by the end of the day, I go for a walk with the dog before dinner.”

4. If You’re at a Healthy Weight, Consider Abdominoplasty

Also known as a tummy tuck, abdominoplasty is a procedure that can eliminate loose skin and fat around the midsection. Earlier this year, researchers found that 70 percent of women who participated in a study lost weight after tummy tuck surgery. The women involved with the study reported that they felt satiated more quickly when eating after their tummy tuck.

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Male Plastic Surgery and Cosmetic Injections Grow in Popularity During 2012

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Dr. Tracy Pfeifer

Injectables and Male Plastic Surgery Grow in Popularity in 2012Earlier this week the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) announced their 2012 National Totals for Cosmetic Procedures. Like other statistical releases for 2012 the main focus is on breast augmentation regaining its claim to the most popular surgical procedure in the US.

While they might not be as sexy of a topic as breast augmentation, injectable nonsurgical procedures and male plastic surgery have been quietly growing in popularity.

Injection Treatments Lead the Nonsurgical Cosmetic Facial Procedures

Of the total number of cosmetic procedures performed in 2012, just over four of every five treatments were non-surgical. While they are cheaper and offer a more subtle solution than the comparable surgical procedures, the majority of nonsurgical treatments, almost 58 percent, were injectables.

The top five nonsurgical procedures of 2012 are as follows:

  • Botulinum Toxin Type A-better known as Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin, botulinum toxin type A procedures saw a huge jump, 24 percent, in the number of treatments administered in 2012.
  • Hyaluronic Acid-Also known by the brand names Juvederm or Restylane. Hyaluronic acid is an injectable, dermal filler that reduces wrinkles and facial lines.
  • Laser Hair Removal
  • Microdermabrasion
  • Chemical Peel

Skin rejuvenation treatments accounted for a quarter of the nonsurgical procedures in 2012. Between 2011 and 2012 skin rejuvenation procedures like laser skin resurfacing and chemical peels grew by 25.1 percent and 15.5 percent, respectively.

Male Plastic Surgery Continuing to Rise

Cosmetic procedures for men have been on the rise, they have increased 106 percent from 1997 to 2012. In fact, the nearly one million cosmetic procedures performed on men last year accounted for one tenth of the total number of cosmetic procedures.

The surgical procedures for men have increased significantly, almost 20 percent, between 2011 and 2012. The top 5 plastic surgery choices for men are not all that different from the top 5 for women. Liposuction, tummy tucks, and eyelid surgery appear on both lists. However, ear surgery, or otoplasty, and male breast reduction are exclusively on the men’s top 5 list.

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