Dr. Robert Vitolo has been described as having “the eye of the artist and the hands of a seasoned surgeon, whose skills make your vision of beauty, a reality." He is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Additionally, he is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the International College of Surgeons. He is a licensed physician in New York and New Jersey and has three office locations in the New York City and New Jersey area.
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Noninvasive injectables are making their mark on the world of cosmetic surgery. As Haute Beauty watches the trend persist throughout the years, we wonder – are there any noninvasive surgeries we don’t know about? We turned to Haute Beauty expert Dr. Robert Vitolo to answer our question.
Not many people know about all the noninvasive injectables available to you. The most common ones talked about are injectable fillers that have been around for 40 years or the use of neurotoxins, namely Botox, that have been around for 30 years. But, did you know about the long-acting fillers like Voluma that are used to increase the bony framework of the face that has been lost by bony demineralization that comes with aging?
Botox
Minimize wrinkles and frown lines. Sounds ideal, doesn’t it? Botox is an FDA-approved injection that uses powerful NEUROTOXIN to improve some of the most common signs of aging. Most will resort to Botox when they notice their skin no longer projecting a smoother or young-looking feel. Dr. Vitolo’s patients who received Botox say it makes them look more rejuvenated, alert, and ready to take on the day ahead.
There is no downtime associated with Botox injections. However, the initial results will take three to five days to be noticeable and usually last between four to five months.
Photo Credit: Dr. Robert Vitolo
Fillers
Unfortunately, as we get older, our facial volume begins to break down, resulting in sunken cheeks, nasolabial folds, more facial wrinkles, and lines. Upon noticing, you head over to Dr. Vitolo’s office. There are many types of fillers on the market and it takes an expert to decide which ones are the best for your specific problem areas.
The intermediate-lasting fillers like Juvederm and Restylane are good for the superficial wrinkles around the mouth. These fillers are placed into the dermis or in the subcutaneous tissues beneath the wrinkles and usually last five to six months. The long-acting fillers, such as Voluma, are placed directly on the bones of the face and are used to rebuild the bony framework of the face that has been lost over time. As aging occurs, the bones of the face get smaller thru the absorption of calcium and minerals, but the skin of the face remains the same and that is what causes the deep wrinkles and jowls to develop. What is the fix? Remove excess skin with a facelift or add volume to the shrunken bones by using long-acting fillers like Voluma.
Voluma is inserted directly onto the bone, under local anesthesia, thru a very fine cannula and can be used to reconstruct the cheekbones, increase the size and shape of the chin, and increase the length of the jawline thus lessening the appearance of the jowls. The results are instant!
Photo Credit: Dr. Robert Vitolo
Frequently the shorter-acting fillers are combined with the long-acting fillers at the same time to create a “lunchtime facelift,” as depicted in the before and after photos of this 70-year-old woman taken immediately after the 45-minute procedure.
The results are, of course, not the same as a facelift, but there is no downtime and the cost is minimal compared to a facelift. For the patient who has a sudden event or wedding to attend, this is an ideal procedure to save the day.
