NON SURGICAL TREATMENTS
Vive Life Care are able to provide a number of cosmetic
enhancing procedures that do not involve any incisions, surgery or
general anaesthetics. Typically these procedures are provided to
those customers who do not wish to consider surgery as an option or
whose facial appearance issues do not yet justify surgical
intervention. Prospective customers are advised to contact their
local hospital unit in the “find your local hospital” section of
this website in order to discuss the local non-surgical treatments
facilities on offer at each hospital. Non-surgical treatments will
generally cover the following procedures:
DERMAL FILLERS
Restylane is a crystal-clear, biodegradable (non-animal
hyaluronic acid) gel from Sweden which is injected into the dermis
with a very fine needle. The result produces a short-medium natural
enhancement, which will improve the appearance of facial lines and
wrinkles. This product is ideal for soothing fine and medium depth
wrinkles, sculpting lips and shaping facial contours. The results
can last for up to 6 months , depending on the structure of an
individual’s skin, lifestyle and age. Redness and swelling may
occur after treatment but will typically disappear within 48
hours.
FACIAL PEELS
Chemical peel uses a chemical solution to improve and smooth the
texture of the facial skin by removing its damaged outer layers. It
is helpful for those individuals with facial blemishes, wrinkles
and uneven skin pigmentation. Phenol, trichloroacetic acid (TCA)
and alphahydroxy acids (AHAs) are commonly used for this purpose.
The precise formula used may be adjusted to meet each patient’s
needs.
Alphahydroxy Acids
(AHAs) such as glycolic, lactic or fruit acids are the
mildest of the peel formulas and produce light peels. These types
of peels can provide smoother, brighter-looking skin for people who
can’t spare the time to recover from a Phenol or TCA peel. AHA
peels may be used to treat fine wrinkling, areas of dryness, uneven
pigmentation and acne. Various concentrations of an AHA may be
applied weekly or at longer intervals to obtain the best result. An
alphahydroxy acid such as glycolic acid, can also be mixed with a
facial wash or cream in lesser concentrations as part of a daily
skin-care regimen to improve the skin’s texture.
Trichloroacetic Acid
(TCA) can be used in many concentrations, but is most
commonly used for medium-depth peeling. Fine surface wrinkles,
superficial blemishes and pigment problems are commonly treated
with TCA. The results of a TCA peel are usually less dramatic than
and not as long-lasting as those of a Phenol peel. Infact, more
than one TCA peel may be needed to achieve the desired result. The
recovery from a TCA peel is usually shorter than a Phenol peel.
Phenol is the strongest
of the chemical solutions and produces a deep peel. It is used
mainly to treat customers with coarse facial wrinkles, areas of
blotchy or damaged skin caused by sun exposure or pre-cancerous
growths. Since Phenol sometimes lightens the treated areas, your
skin pigmentation may be a determining factor as to whether or not
this is an appropriate treatment for you. Phenol is primarily used
on the face; scarring may result if it is applied to the neck or
other body areas.
LASER RESURFACING
In recent years,
laser resurfacing has become one of the safest and most effective
methods of treating facial lines, wrinkles and blotchy skin as well
as improving the skin tone, contour and texture of acne, injury or
chicken pox scars.
The laser resurfacing process strips away damaged cells to make
way for new cells to form, thus removing the need for incisions and
subsequent scarring. This procedure can involve either the whole
face (performed under general anaesthetic), or smaller isolated
areas of skin (under local anaesthetic).