Have you ever wondered what was the difference is between a plastic surgeon, a nurse practitioner, and an injector, or pondered how a medi-spa on Groupon can be selling Botox for $8/unit, when most places you see charge $12+/unit? I, being the constantly curious person that I am, have asked myself these questions, and more, especially being in the beauty industry.
When I recently met Dr. Babak Azizzadeh, after hearing many great things about him about his practice, Center for Advanced Facial Plastic Surgery, I couldn’t help but pick his brain about these questions that I am sure many of us have.
Dr. Azizzadeh is a double board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California. As the Chairman and Director of the Center for Advanced Facial Plastic Surgery, Dr. Babak Azizzadeh is an internationally recognized expert in facial plastic surgery. His work with plastic and reconstructive surgery has made his center a destination not only for patients of facial plastic surgery, but also for patients in need of complex facial nerve procedures. Dr. Azizzadeh’s client list includes executives, dignitaries, celebrities, and even other physicians from around the world.
Dr. Azizzadeh is behind some of the most famous faces and bodies in Hollywood, but you would never know it thanks to his natural approach. His work is so good that you cannot tell the person has had any, only that they look like the best version of themselves.
I was so thrilled that Dr. Azizzadeh was open to letting me pick his brain with questions that not only I have about plastic surgery and medical aesthetics, but questions my audience specifically asked! Below, Dr. A goes into detail, describing what possibly may be the answer to all of your questions regarding anything having to do with medical aesthetics (i.e. Botox, fillers, facials, and beyond.)
Q: You are a highly trained and renowned surgeon in Los Angeles. What is the difference between a plastic surgeon, a nurse practitioner, and an injector in the medical aesthetics world?
A: Every state has a different criteria for who can inject fillers and Botox. Most states allow nurse practitioners, nurses, physician assistants and licensed medical professionals to inject fillers and Botox. ”Core aesthetics physicians” refers to doctors who are trained in Plastic Surgery, Facial Plastic Surgery, Oculoplastic Surgery, and Dermatology (training typically includes going to medical school for four years, and have continued residency and fellowship training for an additional 4 to 8 years). The critical question for someone to research when they are thinking about getting injections is the practitioner’s experience, expertise, passion and artistic eyes! Furthermore, they need to have the ability to sense impending complications and manage them appropriately. You definitely don’t want to go in a back of a salon getting injected by a “rising star” or at a Botox party.
Q: Why are there so many price discrepancies for the same treatment across different practices? Is there a risk to choosing a “discounted” service for it may be too good to be true?
A: The art and science of injecting fillers and Botox is not a commodity like buying the same pair of shoes at different retailers. Well trained injectors with a lot of experience and expertise tend to have higher prices. As a general rule, you want to get injection by someone who has a tremendous amount of experience expertise, who has an amazing artistic sense and understands how to manage complications. There is always a reason for “discounted” services and it’s generally not a good one in aesthetic medicine..
Q: For a more mature client that is wanting to reverse the signs of aging, what treatment(s) would you suggest to address issues such as fine lines, wrinkles, and loss of volume? Can you achieve a “face lift” look without going under the knife?
A: Obviously, fillers, Botox, laser resurfacing, and skin tightening systems have been all the rage and over the past decade. The only issue with those modalities are that they address certain issues amazingly well (such as skin texture and volume) but don’t address the global factors such as change in facial shape, excessive skin laxity and fat/gland positional changes that require surgery as we reach our 40s, 50s and beyond. The reason so many people don’t like the results of fillers is that sometime we try too hard to compensate for these aging changes with volume augmentation when the problem is related to another issue. A beautifully executed deep plain face and neck lift in a younger patient can be an amazing option because it allows the surgeon who has a great aesthetic eye to get fabulous rejuvenation results without any evidence that someone has had surgery to achieve it. The reason for this is that the skin elasticity and tissues are more elastic and you’re not making a dramatic change that’s visible.
Q: Why do you think minimal or non-invasive procedures are becoming more popular?
A: It’s simple: better technology and results while avoiding going under the knife. There is also a significant social media marketing advantage with new technology. Overall, I love the direction we are going but we need to be more cautious with doing treatments that have not yet been proven to give real results just because they are “non-invasive”.
Q: What are the most popular treatments in your office by age range? 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s+?
A: 20s: skin care, lip fillers, rhinoplasty, Botox for masseters, lip lifts, buccal fat repositioning (most surgeries in this age group is not related to aging but rather genetic issues that have bothered people most of their lives)
30s: skin care, facial and lip fillers, Botox (crows feet, 11 lines and forehead)
40s: more fillers (much more cautious not to overfill), skin care, laser resurfacing, Botox, fat transfer, blepharoplasty and in the late 40s face and neck lifts
50s and beyond – all the above plus buccal fat repositioning, lip lifts and rejuvemation rhinoplasty
Q: Do you think social media has affected the rise in popularity of medical aesthetics in the younger generation?
A: ABSOLUTELY, 100%! De-stigmatized but also sometimes popularuzed procedures that are not necessary for many people (such as the recent buccal fat pad removal) as well sets unrealistic expectations of quick recovery.
Q: Medical aesthetics can only do so much — what are your other lifestyle tips for keeping your skin looking young forever?
A: Sun avoidance, drinking lots of fluids, avoiding excessive alcohol, meditation and exercise, diet with antioxidants to reduce skin inflammation, moisturizing skin, early adoption of medical grade skin care.
If you are interested in meeting with Dr. Azizzadeh for a consultation, you can contact his office here.
Photo credit Glamour Russia