Plastic Surgery

Located in Raleigh, North Carolina

and serving patients Nationwide

Q: Dear Dr Law,

What is a medical spa?

What can I do, with little or no recovery time, to “tune up” my appearance for the holidays?

I’ve had two children and no amount of exercise will improve the ‘pooch’ below my belly button. Do I need a tummy tuck?

I’ve been hearing so much about BOTOX®. What is it and what is a BOTOX party?

I had a chemical peel years ago that was painful, itchy and kept me away from work for days. Are there new alternatives available?

My friend had facial laser ‘resurfacing’ and was bright red for months. Is there a long-lasting solution for facial wrinkles that doesn’t have such a long, unpleasant recovery?

What is a medical spa?

A: A true medical spa combines pampering spa treatments with medical-grade skin care treatments and procedures that provide visible results.

As a plastic surgeon, I believe in professional, scientifically-based skin care and have referred my patients to aestheticians over the years to prepare their skin for surgery and to maintain the health and vitality of the skin following surgery, laser resurfacing or other medical procedures. In my new practice we have fully integrated the aesthetic surgery office and medical spa. The advantage of this approach is that all of an individual’s aesthetic needs can be met in one location, where the combined expertise of the surgeon, nursing staff and medical aestheticians is used to determine the most appropriate treatment plan for each client.

On the same day as a facial or Vichy capsule body treatment, our clients may have facial veins or rosacea treated with the pulsed-dye laser, fine wrinkles eliminated with BOTOX ®, or lips enhanced by collagen injection. Spa treatments are always enjoyable, but if you are looking for more advanced skin and body care in a place where aesthetic procedure and surgery consultations are available, a medical spa owned and operated by a board certified plastic surgeon may be ideal for you.

Back to the questions.

Q. Dear Dr Law,

What can I do, with little or no recovery time, to “tune up” my appearance for the holidays?

A. A number of non-invasive and minimally invasive treatments are available which can make a significant difference in your appearance, with little or no ‘down time’.

BOTOX ® can improve or eliminate fine lines around the eyes (crow’s feet), as well as creases between the eyebrows and across the forehead. BOTOX injection takes less than five minutes to perform, and the injection is usually undetectable after several hours. Wrinkles improve in 4 to 7 days. Collagen injection can instantly soften deep nasolabial creases, ‘plump up’ thin lips, and fill out marionette lines (vertical lines that extend downward from the corners of the mouth). The mild swelling associated with collagen injection usually disappears by the following day. The collagen product I am using does not require a skin test, and can be injected on the day of consultation.

Facial veins and rosacea can be vastly improved and often completely eliminated in a single treatment with our new pulsed dye laser. Full face treatments for diffuse facial redness produce very mild edema which disappears in one to two days. Medical microdermabrasion is performed at a level designed to completely renew the skin of the face, neck and chest. When combined with medical grade anti-oxidant ingredients, a rejuvenated facial appearance is produced immediately.

Back to the questions.

Q. Dear Dr Law,

I’ve had two children and no amount of exercise will improve the ‘pooch’ below my belly button. Do I need a tummy tuck?

A. A tummy tuck is a surgical procedure designed to tighten the abdominal wall and remove excess abdominal skin and fat. It sounds as though you may be a good candidate for this procedure.
Changes in the abdomen after pregnancy may include:

• An excess of abdominal skin and fat
• Stretch marks around and below the belly button
• Weakness of the abdominal wall (the ‘pooch’)

A full tummy tuck can correct all three problems, and restore a flat and youthful abdominal contour. A new, youthful-appearing belly button is created. Women with a lower abdominal ‘pooch’ alone can often have a mini-tummy tuck through a small incision in the bikini area. The lower abdominal wall is tightened and a small amount of skin may be removed if necessary. Recovery from this procedure is quicker than following a full tummy tuck.

Some women simply have an extra ‘fold’ of skin in the lower abdomen, particularly after C-section. This can easily be improved by removal of the extra skin only. Liposuction of the hips and waist can often be combined with a tummy tuck to improve the contour the abdomen circumferentially. Clearly, as no two patients are exactly alike, the procedure which is performed must be individualized to the needs of each patient.

Back to the questions.

Q: Dear Dr. Law,

I’ve been hearing so much about BOTOX ®. What is it and what is a BOTOX party?

A: BOTOX is a protein that interferes with muscle contraction. It has the reversible effect of blocking nerve stimulation of muscles where it is injected, so that muscle contraction is weakened or inhibited. Since its FDA approval it is marketed as BOTOX Cosmetic®.

Many facial wrinkles and creases are active lines caused by the contraction of facial expression muscles, which can be blocked by BOTOX injection. The effect is temporary, usually lasting 3 to 4 months. Areas of the face that respond well include ‘crows feet’ lines around the eyes, vertical frown lines between the eyebrows, and horizontal lines on the forehead. BOTOX is not necessarily the ideal treatment for all facial wrinkles and creases in every patient. Be sure your physician discusses all alternatives with you, including injectable fillers (like collagen and fat), non-invasive collagen remodeling, laser resurfacing and surgery.

BOTOX is an injectable medication for use by medical professionals. A ‘BOTOX party’ is a gathering designed to make the treatment less intimidating to attendees, but a word of caution: ‘BOTOX parties’ are sometimes held outside of medical settings. Before joining a ‘party’, ask yourself the following questions:

• Have I been asked to provide a complete medical history?
• Have I been advised of alternative treatments?
• Have risks or potential complications been discussed?
• Have I been asked to give my informed consent?
• Will I receive adequate follow-up care?

Back to the questions.

Q: Dear Dr. Law,

I had a chemical peel years ago that was painful, itchy and kept me away from work for days. Are there new alternatives available?

A: Absolutely. Nobody enjoys the downtime and discomfort associated with chemical peels. New alternatives not only provide better results, but most importantly, there is no risk of scarring or pigmentation problems with today’s less invasive alternatives. The trend today is a series of treatments that provide immediate results and no downtime. The result is a natural, youthful appearance without the “waxy” or “done” look sometimes associated with yesterday’s chemical peels.

Medical microdermabrasion starts with a light mechanical resurfacing to help with dark spots, scarring, wrinkles and acne. The next step is a multi-acid peel with a high concentration of stabilized Vitamin C, green tea and other anti-oxidants to produce new collagen and combat free radical damage. Skin lightening products may be administered to further even out skin pigmentation. More serious issues such as deeper lines or lack of elasticity can be addressed with laser collagen remodeling. These treatments can be performed on the face, neck, chest, hands, or any area of the body where skin improvement is desired. To maintain results, a home care regime consisting of pharmaceutical-grade skin care products and a full-spectrum, chemical-free sunblock is essential.

Back to the questions.

Q. Dear Dr Law,

My friend had facial laser ‘resurfacing’ and was bright red for months. Is there a long-lasting solution for facial wrinkles that doesn’t have such a long, unpleasant recovery?

A: Yes, now there is an alternative. A few words first, however, about laser resurfacing…
Laser facial resurfacing improves wrinkles by creating a second-degree burn, which removes the epidermis and injures the dermis below, causing new collagen to be produced. Deep chemical peels work in the same way. The unfortunate downside of these treatments is the prolonged redness associated with a burn injury of the skin. Ideally, one would like to stimulate new collagen production in the dermis without burning through the epidermis. This process is sometimes referred to as ‘non-invasive collagen remodeling’.

We are now able to accomplish this using the long-pulse pulsed dye laser. This laser has been shown scientifically to promote the production of new collagen in the dermis, which can improve skin tone and reduce wrinkles of the face, neck and chest. The epidermis does not absorb the laser energy, so no burn injury is produced. A series of three or four treatments at monthly intervals can significantly improve facial wrinkles. There is no down time between treatments. Many patients have this treatment performed on their lunch hour!

Back to the questions.

For more information about Botox or laser resurfacing or if you would like to schedule a complimentary cosmetic surgery consultation, please contact the Raleigh, North Carolina office of Dr. Michael Law Today!

The content of this page was most recently modified on April 10, 2008

Home / Arm Lift / Bio / Botox / Breast Augmentation / Breast Lift / Breast Reduction / Brow Lift / Community / Contact / Eyelid Lift / Face Lift / Facial Implants / Pick a Surgeon / Hair Removal / Liposuction / Eyelid Surgery / Media / Neck Lift / News / FAQ's / Ear Surgery / Out of Town Patients / Philosophy / Rejuvenation / Restylane / Rhinoplasty / Tour / Tummy Tuck / Site Map / Links