I Did My Research

Have you done your research on a specific treatment or product? Keep reading to learn more about doing research.

There are so many cosmetic treatments and products available. New products and treatments come out every year. For example, this year we started offering the Instaglow Facial and a new product called Upneeq that opens your eyes. It’s hard to keep track of them and even harder to know which one is right for you. So it’s always a great idea to learn as much as you can about various treatments. Unfortunately, it’s hard to know the real truth.

Nowadays, anyone can post something on a website, and it’s even easier with social media. For example, people see posts on Instagram that show a treatment, product, or result. It’s easy to believe pictures and videos. Unfortunately, many people saying things are not experts and don’t know risks and benefits or have something to gain. For example, the Brazilian Butt Lift is a popular treatment. But when things go wrong, the side effects can be disastrous. There have been multiple deaths reported from this type of surgery when inappropriate products are used. Some people are trying to sell their product and treatment and often times overemphasize or exaggerate the benefits. For example, some doctors say that a treatment will remove something such as dark spots, wrinkles, or cellulite. There are no perfect treatments and they should instead be saying that the treatment will improve these conditions. This is an important distinction because if you say remove, patients will have a certain expectation. And there are often unhappy when their expectations aren’t met.

Sometimes someone may say something that the vast majority of other professionals do not agree with or that has not been proven. For example, a patient came to our office one time wanting to receive a Botox treatment while she was pregnant. There have been no studies on the safety or effectiveness of Botox on women who are pregnant or breast feeding. So the safety in such women is not known. Therefore, Dr. Alex recommends that women who are pregnant or breast feeding wait until they are done breast feeding before receiving Botox treatments. This is also true of other treatments such as laser rejuvenation and dermal fillers such as Voluma, Vollure, and Volbella. However, this patient read of a web site that a nurse in Texas said it’s safe to receive Botox when a woman is pregnant. But Dr. Alex did not treat this patient.

Fortunately, there is a lot you can learn by searching online. However, this does not replace the expertise of a provider who has decades of training and experience. Therefore, it’s important that even though you may have done your research, to listen to what the expert has to say. It’s never a good idea to say I want this treatment for a certain thing. Instead, come into your consultation with an open mind. Bring up your concerns and listen to the options your provider has to offer. A common concern that patients have is the presence of nasolabial folds, sometimes called smile lines. There are the wrinkles that go from the sides of your nose to the corners of your mouth. These are caused by volume loss and are treated using fillers such as Voluma, Vollure, and Volbella. One time Dr. Alex had a patient that insisted on using Botox to treat these wrinkles. Unfortunately, after explaining this multiple times, the patient insisted that she wanted Botox in the area and refused to get fillers. As you may imagine, she got no treatment at all. Coming in with such an attitude is a waste of a patient’s time and also their provider.

Sometimes people post pictures on social media that have been edited, intentionally or not. Many times, before and after pictures look great because the patient is wearing makeup in the after picture, the lighting is different, or something else. And they will say the result is from a particular treatment. What happens is that patients come in with an expectation of a non-surgical result that may only be possible with surgery. In these cases, we usually refer the patient to a surgeon who can provide the results they expect.

One of the most common unrealistic expectations is that a certain treatment will fit a given budget. Unfortunately, inflation has caused prices to go from high to even higher. Injectable products such as Botox, Voluma, Kybella, and Qwo have increased in prices. So have lasers and other energy-based devices. Not only this, but the investment is for the time of the expert provider, and those with more experience and expertise will charge more. There are many other things that also come to play. The revenue generated from cosmetic services must also provide for overhead such as payroll for staff, rent, insurance, and many other things just to keep the office open and the lights on. It’s always best to get a quote range before you come to your appointment. For example, when someone schedules a consultation for Botox, we always provide a price range for them. That way, they know what to expect before they visit the office and prepare their budget accordingly.

In summary, there are many places you can get information and do research. But always trust your provider, their expertise, and their advice. It’s important to work together to come up with a plan that the provider can achieve with services that fit your budget and results that will make you happy.

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Dr. Alex has performed over 10,000 cosmetic treatments with many satisfied patients. Contact us to schedule an appointment for a free consultation with Dr. Alex in our Encino, CA office.

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