Aug 30, 2016 | Injectable Fillers, Uncategorized
Your goal is simple: achieve a fuller, more youthful face. But with treatment options ranging from Botox to chemical peels to facelifts, it can be challenging to choose the right treatment for your needs. We’re breaking down the basics about one of our most popular nonsurgical treatments: derma fillers.
So what are fillers, anyway?
Derma Fillers
As people age, their skin begins to lose that youthful glow. This is due to both external stresses and the skin’s natural decrease of collagen and elastin production. Skin cells become thinner, drier, and less elastic, causing the formation of wrinkles. Outside stresses like sun exposure, smoking, and a poor diet can speed the aging process. Derma fillers replenish hydraulic acid, a naturally-occurring element in the skin that helps cells retain moisture. When hydraulic acid is injected into specific areas of the face, it smooths wrinkles and creates a fuller, more youthful appearance. Derma fillers like Juvederm target fine lines and wrinkles on the face, while fillers like Restylane Silk are more commonly used to plump areas that have lost volume over time, such as the lips.
Preparing for Facial Fillers
Derma fillers are a quick, low-risk procedure with results that can last over a year. The procedure itself takes less than an hour and has minimal recovery (some patients experience slight bruising or swelling). The goal of derma fillers is to subtly enhance natural beauty, leaving friends to say, “Wow, you look great today! What’s different?” To prepare for your injectable fillers appointment:
- Follow all instructions given by Dr. Brantner
- Keep the office staff updated on your current health and medications
- Stop taking NSAIDS, Aspirin, excessive Vitamin E, and St. John’s Wart for 2 weeks prior to your appointment
- Avoid alcohol for 24 before your appointment
To make an appointment with Dr. Brantner, call Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in Johnson City, TN.
Injectable Filler
Aug 25, 2016 | Botox®, Uncategorized
Botox is one of the most popular nonsurgical cosmetic treatments available. But thanks to pop culture, there’s a lot of misinformation about Botox treatments. We’re clearing the air with these frequently asked questions about Botox.
Botox FAQs
Does Botox hurt? The needles used in Botox injections are small, so most patients feel no more than a small pinch. If you’re worried about pain, Dr. Brantner can administer a topical numbing cream to the injection site.- How long will the appointment last? Botox treatments typically take no longer than 10-15 minutes.
- What’s the recovery like? Botox recovery is minimal. Some patients may notice a small bump on the injection site. You may also experience slight bruising. For the best results, don’t lie down for 3 hours following a Botox treatment and avoid strenuous activity for 24 hours.
- How long before I see results? Results are typically visible within 24-48 hours and typically last several months.
- How can I make my results last longer? Botox is a temporary treatment that targets the muscles of the face to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Patients must repeat injections every few months to maintain results; however, some patients find that results lasts longer after several Botox treatments.
- How many injections will I get in a Botox treatment? For crow’s feet, Dr. Brantner will inject the muscles surrounding each eye 3 times. To treat frown lines, Dr. Brantner will give you 5 injections into the forehead.
- Do men use Botox? Botox is a popular cosmetic procedure for men as well as women. 17.5% of patients treated with Botox are men.
Want to know if Botox is right for you? Call our office to schedule a consultation with Dr. Brantner.
Aug 19, 2016 | Uncategorized
Nobody likes filling out forms. It feels like a chore to show up 30 minutes early, only to sit in an uncomfortable chair in the waiting room checking endless boxes. Well, at Dr. Brantner’s office we’ve provided more comfortable chairs and an easier way to fill out your medical forms. Why are medical forms so important?
What to Know about Medical Forms
We do our best to keep your paperwork to a minimum, but medical forms are necessary for your health and protection. When you make an appointment with Dr. Brantner, you’ll need to read and sign these forms:
- Financial Policy (ensures that patients understand copays, insurance, and their financial responsibilities)
- Advanced Healthcare Directive (information about patients’ rights to make their own healthcare decisions)
- Consent for Photography (allows Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery to take photographs when necessary for a procedure)
- PHI Consent (Information regarding the privacy of your protected health information)
You’ll also need to fill out the following forms:
- New Patient Intake/History (gives our healthcare professionals necessary information regarding your health, medical history, and family history)
- Registration Info (Personal and insurance information of the patient)
Tips for Filling Out Medical Forms
- Save time by downloading your medical forms from our website, filling them out at home, and bringing them with you to your appointment.
- If you cannot fill out your forms prior to your appointment, arrive early so you have time to do so before your scheduled appointment.
- Read each form thoroughly before signing.
- Notify our office about current medications (including how frequently you take them), as well as over-the-counter drugs and vitamin supplements, which can affect healing.
- Know your health history and family medical history before your appointment.
- Double check your health information for accuracy before we add it to our records.
Have a question about the importance of medical documents, what to expect at your appointment, or how to schedule a cosmetic consultation? Call Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in Johnson City, TN.
Surgical Forms
Aug 11, 2016 | Uncategorized
No two surgeries are exactly alike, and Dr. Brantner tailors each procedure to the health, history, and desired outcome of each patient. Dr. Brantner consults with each patient prior to surgery to determine how to give them the best results. But good results rely on more than finding a skilled, experienced plastic surgeon. They rely on the patient too. Want to get amazing plastic surgery results? Avoid these bad habits.
5 Ways Patients Can Ruin Their Results
- Withhold information. You may not think a previous procedure is relevant, but leaving it off your medical history form could seriously impact your surgery and recovery. Past procedures and health complications may affect the safety of your surgery, or they may change how Dr. Brantner approaches the procedure. It’s always safer to give too much information instead of too little.
- Forget about current medications. When filling out their current medications form, many patients only consider prescription meds. But aspirin, vitamins, and over-the-counter medications can seriously impact your procedure and recovery. Notify your doctor’s office about all your current medications and supplements, even if you take them infrequently.
- Lay out in the sun. Sun exposure lead to complications with non-surgical procedures like laser hair removal and chemical peels. The sun also makes scars more noticeable. Avoid sun exposure after a procedure, and always protect your skin by covering up with sunscreen, sunglasses, and a sun hat.
Smoke. Smoking affects the skin’s ability to heal, leading to a longer recovery. It also increases the risk of infection, scarring, and other complications. For the sake of your health, we recommend you never smoke, but if you’re intent on keeping the habit, you should quit at least 2 weeks prior to surgery and refrain from smoking during recovery.- Decide the rules don’t apply. Your doctor gives instructions based on knowledge and experience. His goal is to give each patient the best possible results, as well as protecting their overall health. Ignoring your surgeon’s treatment plan, recovery instructions, or prescribed medications is the fastest way to ruin your results.
For more information on plastic surgery in Johnson City, TN, call Dr. Brantner’s office.
No Smoking
As people age, their skin begins to lose that youthful glow. This is due to both external stresses and the skin’s natural decrease of collagen and elastin production. Skin cells become thinner, drier, and less elastic, causing the formation of wrinkles. Outside stresses like sun exposure, smoking, and a poor diet can speed the aging process. Derma fillers replenish hydraulic acid, a naturally-occurring element in the skin that helps cells retain moisture. When hydraulic acid is injected into specific areas of the face, it smooths wrinkles and creates a fuller, more youthful appearance. Derma fillers like Juvederm target fine lines and wrinkles on the face, while fillers like Restylane Silk are more commonly used to plump areas that have lost volume over time, such as the lips.
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