Categories
Treatment

We’ve Got it in the Bag: IV Infusions

Intravenous technology was first discovered in 1831 but was not widely utilised and available until the 1950’s.

Intravenous is a term that means “into the vein”. This treatment is commonly utilised in situations where patients require medication to be administered at a slow but constant rate or in emergency situations where the medication must be absorbed as quickly as possible.

Often the liver and stomach breakdown certain medications instead through this method the required medication can be given directly into the blood stream.
Five years ago we saw a growing interest in the “IV Hangover cure” amongst celebrities in London, New York and L.A.

What began as a hangover cure has transformed into a viable treatment technique for an array medical of issues and deficiencies. This technique is not in its infancy but new nutrient infusions are being developed to cure various ailments.

Dr William Mooney Founder of Face Plus Medispa “With IV therapy you skip something called ‘first pass effect’, which occurs when you eat something orally. Whatever is ingested has to go through customs, and customs is the liver.

Everything you eat meets the liver and the liver takes a lot of the veracity and efficaciousness out of oral vitamins. Vitamins A, D, E and K in particular are, for the most part, macerated by the time they get through the liver.”

“So using an IV means you can give an accurate dose that works on the target cells, which are the cells that need it, and then you can customise exactly what is administered according to what the patient needs”.

How does it work?
The process starts with a fluid substrate, 500mls to a litre of fluid is used, and that is dictated according to what the patient is treating.

“For example, if they are dehydrated, normal saline would be used. If they have overindulged then ‘dextrose’ would be used, which replaces the sugar because insulin changes when you have too much alcohol.

If they have been for a big run then something called ‘four percent and a fifth’ would be used, which is a combination of both re-hydration and sugar. Trace elements like calcium and zinc can be added for patients recovering from surgery or trauma.

Magnesium is great for patients who have undergone strenuous exercise. Vitamins B and C are great for treating jet-lag” Dr William Mooney, Founder Face Plus Medispa.
Face Plus Medispa’s most popular IV treatment would be the “Bondi Reboot”. With this treatment the patient receives a wonderfully energising mix of nutrients including Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Magnesium Sulphate and more!

In addition, the patient will also receive nasal delivery of oxygen and 20 minutes under the LED light therapy. Following this session, patients will leave more energised, hydrated, awake and skin will appear brighter and plumper.

“Always go to a credible doctor and check their qualifications, and avoid gimmicky ‘hangover clinics’ and those that come to your home — you need to be professionally supervised in a medical environment,” Dr Mooney said.

IV treatments are available at the following clinics, to book in a consultation with the onsite Doctor:
Bondi Beach: 02 8897 0077
Bondi Junction: 02 9386 4411

Click here to find out more about injectable treatments.

Categories
Treatment

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

Sweating is a very normal part of being a human and it’s healthy to sweat.

The body has between 2million and 4millions sweat glands and when the body heats up these glands release sweat to help cool the body down.

Most of us can use an over the counter antiperspirant to avoid those unsightly sweat patches and some use a prescription antiperspirant. These products work by blocking the sweat ducts and this in turn reduces the amount of sweat that reaches the skin.

Muscle relaxants have widely been known for diminishing wrinkles and if you have read our recent blog (Click Here), we also use it to lift and shape the brows and other facial features.

Believe it or not, it also helps with sweating! This treatment is often administered to excessive sweaters or those who choose to sweat less for a particular event like their wedding (nervous groom). Our celebrity clients seek this treatment for red-carpet events or if they need to be in front of hot studio lights, whilst filming or performing.

We primarily prescribe this treatment to those who suffer from excessive sweating, where the sweating begins to interfere with their day to day activities and confidence.

There are a few products available to treat the various areas of concern (listed below) but the most common would be Botox, short for Botulinum toxin, it is a neurotoxin protein that treats the hyperhidrosis by blocking a neurotransmitter that stimulates the sweat glands, paralysing them.

Areas of treatment:
Hairline
Forehead
Upper lip
Nose
Under arms
Hands – painful treatment area
Feet – painful treatment area

The number of units required will vary depending on the area, this can range between 10 to 100 units. Patients will notice a significant reduction in sweat within 4weeks of the first treatment. The results can last up to 6months but individual results may vary.

Jean-Charles Neveu-Collins, clinical manager is an advocate for this treatment and he explains why “Having a muscle relaxant treatment to stop axillary (under arm) hyperhidrosis can help people with excessive sweating.

Excessive sweating can make patients feel self conscious and embarrassed due to body odour and wet clothing. I personally experienced this treatment and I loved the fact that I did not have to apply deodorant!

This treatment doesn’t have to be just for excessive sweaters, it can also address facial sweating on areas such as you nose, cheeks, forehead and upper lip. A light dosage of miso therapy will assist with the reduction of facial sweating”.

We briefly mentioned earlier that the hands and feet are a painful area to treat, JC explains further, “I have treated patients with numbing cream and ice but patients have still experienced pain. I would even recommend patients undergo this treatment under anaesthesia.

This area is particular is painful due to the high number of sensory nerve terminals in our hands and feet which are a part of our touch sense. As painful as it is, the treatment is life changing and definitely worth the few minutes of pain”.

Note: other treatment areas mentioned are not painful. For those who are concerned, numbing cream and ice will ensure the patient feel no pain in these areas.

Injectable treatments are available from all three clinics, to book in a consultation:
Bondi Beach: 02 8897 0077
Bondi Junction: 02 9386 4411
Bankstown: 02 9796 7007

Click here to find out more about injectable treatments.

Categories
Treatment

Fill ‘er Up: Define & Plump Cheek Bones

Filler is an extremely popular treatment today.

When it comes to your face, you should only ever allow an expert with the right training and experience.

Ageing and weight loss causes the cheeks to lose their plump and youthful appearance, which can leave you looking gaunt and tired.

Using a temporary injectable filler, a cheek augmentation is a safe, effective and non surgical way of restoring the volume to the face, increasing cheekbone projection, whilst improving the facial contour and symmetry.

Prior to any injectable treatment you will be required to have a thorough consultation with one of our experienced nurse injectors, this can take approximately 15 to 20minutes.

A cheek augmentation treatment takes about 30minutes to perform and no incisions are required. Your nurse may massage the injected area to ensure the contours created by the filler appear natural.

Following your injectable treatment you are able to go about your normal day, no downtime or bandages are required. You may experience some soreness, tenderness, swelling and bruising.

“As we age the mid face loses volume. There are three areas that most patients complain about, the tear troughs, nasolabial folds and the marionettes. To create a natural lift in these three areas you must only replace the lost volume, rather than adding volume. Adding ‘new’ volume can cause the treatment area to look unnatural ” Jasmine Laredo, nurse injector, Face Plus Medispa, Bondi Junction.

Injectable treatments are available from all three clinics, to book in a consultation:
Bondi Beach: 02 8897 0077
Bondi Junction: 02 9386 4411
Bankstown: 02 9796 7007

Find out more about our injectable treatments here.

Categories
Treatment

Tired No More: Brow Lift

Zero recovery time with fewer risks, the liquid brow lift has quickly become one of the most popular non-surgical treatments on the market.

Patients seeking a liquid brow lift are looking to brighten the look of their eyes, lift and create an arch in their brows. This is an ideal procedure for young and active patients.
Clinical manager and expert injector, Jean-Charles Neveu-Collins, Face Plus Medispa, Bondi Junction gives us the full low down:

Treatments such as muscle relaxant can de used as artistry to reshape eyebrows by lifting them.

To achieve an aesthetically pleasing outcome, the technique is an art form that must be carefully performed with precision.

Let’s just go back to the muscle anatomical basics. Muscles in our body only work one way, they contract, not push. Therefore, to enable our body movements, our muscles work by pairs. E.g. to lift our forearm up, we contract our biceps and the go the opposite way, we would contract the triceps.

The same principle applies for the muscles in out face. However, we have lot more muscles and more than one opposing muscles. This is why we have many different facial expressions to show different emotions.

This is also why; relaxing facial muscles for cosmetic purposes is a form of artistry. It is easy to freeze for the sake of “freezing wrinkles”, but the frozen “stunned deer in the headlights” is not a good look!

As a muscle is relaxed in the face, this allows the opposite muscle to either lift or drop, resulting in different cosmetic outcomes.

In the case of an eye brow lift, the muscles pulling the lateral brow down can be relaxed giving an eyebrow lift, but we can also change the shape of the brow, giving it a nice lateral flare.

As time goes by, natural facial changes occur and we lose facial volume in areas around the brow accentuating brow ptosis (drop). Treating that volume loss with hyaluronic acid dermal filler around the eye area, can restore a youthful appearance, opening the eye and lifting the brow.

The price of muscle relaxants vary between $5.50 (Dysport) to $16(Botox) per unit (Administered by nurse), quantity will vary from patient to patient, also effected overall treatment price.

Prices for fillers start at $490 per ml, the appropriate filler for the patient and the area will be used. Face Plus Medispa carry all fillers available in the market place.
Aquamid is available at Face Plus but can only be administered by Dr William Mooney.

Injectable treatments are available from all three clinics, to book in a consultation:
Bondi Beach: 02 8897 0077
Bondi Junction: 02 9386 4411
Bankstown: 02 9796 7007
Find out more about injectable treatments here.

Categories
Treatment

Fight Gravity: Liquid Face Lift

Collagen is made of proteins, containing a large amount of two amino acids hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine.

These acids provide collagen with the flexibility and strength to hold the tissue and our organs together, and as we grow they continue to repair damaged cells.

Factors including, age, exposure to sunlight and free radicals effect the skin as collagen loses its elasticity and the production of cells decrease.

Another important protein for skin, found in the body is elastin. Elastin is responsible for allowing the tissues in the body to be stretched and contracted, like a rubber band.

Very much like collagen, elastin is plentiful and healthy in young skin, keeping the skin smooth and taut. Again, as we age, we produce less elastin and the elastin we do have begins to lose its ability to “snap back”, becoming permanently stretched.

This loss of collagen and elastin results in the sagging we see around the eyes, jawline and neck. “The reason why we have nasolabial folds and jowls is due to volume loss, muscle weakening, ligaments weakening, bone resorption and GRAVITY!

In a liquid face lift you are replacing the lost volume that can be caused by years of weight gain, weight loss and fat pads separating and general aging. Fillers and muscles relaxants are injected in areas which lift and recreate lost structure due to general aging” Says Hannah Blore, nurse Injector at Face Plus Medispa.

Prevention is key and avoiding the sun is one of the main factors that will assist in skin strength and resilience.
For those seeing the signs or have already lost volume and elastin in the above mentioned areas can explore the incredible treatment know as the “Liquid Face lift”.

The injectable lifting treatment is often a combination of fillers and muscle relaxants into areas where there is a loss of volume.

Treatment areas:
Nasolabial folds: These folds appear due to volume loss in the mid face. Filler can be injected into the cheeks to lift off the nasolabial folds.
Jowls: Resorption of the bone at the jaw line angle is responsible for the development of jowls.

Filler can be injected into the cheeks and/or the jawline to lift the skin causing the jowls around the jawline.

Around the eyes: A muscles relaxant and filler is injected into the temples and around the orbit of the eye. This will rejuvenate the eyes.

Eyebrows: In particular patients we can lift the brows with anti wrinkle injections. This is caused by an over active depressor muscle around the eye.

The price of a liquid face lift will vary from patient to patient. This price can be impacted by age, gender, volume loss and of course the treatable areas.

The Liquid Face Lift treatments are available from all three clinics, to book in a consultation:
Bondi Beach: 02 8897 0077
Bondi Junction: 02 9386 4411
Bankstown: 02 9796 7007

Find out more about injectable treatments here.

Categories
Treatment

New Skin in 5 Days

Rejuvenate your skin with nature!

The Herbal Aktiv Peel is a plant based corrective skin resurfacing treatment that supports and promotes the skin’s natural regenerative processes.

The peel is designed to compress the process of skin renewal, giving you new skin in just 5 days. The skin’s barrier is never compromised or exposed to microbial infection, resulting in minimal trauma and a very safe procedure.

Medically proven
Pure plant based ingredients
No synthetic chemicals or acids
Over 50 years of worldwide success
Suitable for most skin types and conditions

How it works:
Your first treatment –
Performed under steam, your therapist will first clean and prepare your skin for the Herbal Peel. 

Once the skin has been properly prepared, your skin will be massaged with the herbs.
The herbs are left on the skin for an additional 20 minutes, vital to step in revealing your new skin.

Once all herbs have been removed your therapist will then apply the appropriate after care.

The aftercare is a vital part of your transformation with products you must use at home.


Final treatment –
Four to five days after your first peel you will visit the medispa for the final treatment, to reveal your new skin!

Under steam, your therapist will massage a Herbal Skin Elixir that will remove the old skin. At this point in time, the skin is highly receptive and this is the perfect time to apply the Herbal Hydrating Cream to calm, nourish and moisturise.
20minutes later the hydrating cream is removed and your new skin will appear!

“From start to finish, the Herbal Aktiv Peel can take between 45minutes to an hour. The Herbal Aktiv Peel is as powerful as having a resurfacing laser treatment without the risks. you will see new skin in 5 days” Says Amy Cameron, from Face Plus Medispa, Bondi Junction.

For optimum results, most patients will be prescribed three treatments one month apart.

The Herbal Aktiv Peel by Alex Cosmetics is available at all Face Plus locations:
Bankstown: 02 9796 7007
Bondi Junction: 02 9386 4411
Bondi Beach: 02 8897 0077

Categories
Treatment

Moles & Skintags: Should they stay or should they go?

Check your skin regularly!

Maybe one has appeared in an inconvenient and irritable place or perhaps it’s more a case of aesthetics and you simply want it gone.

In this blog, I aim to give some guidance and talk about our best option on how to safely remove moles and skin tags but will start by strongly encouraging you to get any suspicious, or changes in existing, moles checked out by your doctor or dermatologist first.

We often think we have our bodies all mapped out. Perhaps that’s why the phrase ‘I know it like the back of my hand’ is used when you are 100% certain of something. But how well DO you know your body? Without looking, do you know how many moles or beauty spots or skin tags or freckles you have and where they are?

Like most maps, it’s the landmarks we’re most familiar with and the parts of our bodies we most like or most dislike, we can’t be sure to know (or even see) every square inch, and just like maps, they evolve. Bodies, just like landscapes, are subject to change.

The good news is that moles do not have to remain a part of your landscape if you do not wish and you do not have to rely on surgery either, which can have its own complications. At Face Plus Medispa we have a highly effective mole removal method: Radiofrequency.

Sometimes referred to as Radiosurgery, this non-surgical treatment generates minimal heat and creates fine punctures around the mole using ultra high-frequency waves that safely removes the mole. The beauty with the Radiofrequency treatment is that it:
is very safe
can treat many moles at once
is virtually pain free
often leaves no scar
can be used to remove skin tags
has permanent results

The only ‘downtime’ following this non-surgical mole removal or skin tag removal is waiting for the scab to fall away that develops shortly after the RF treatment.

What’s in a tag?
Moles are basically clusters of skin cells and can be genetic and/or as a result of a lot of sun exposure, especially in your youth but what are skin tags?
Skin or ‘cutaneous’ tags are harmless, soft growths of often flesh-coloured skin that usually appear in people aged 50 and above.

Other than age, the common causes are said to be diabetes and obesity and the skin tags tend to appear on the neck, eyelids, armpits and groin area, or other ‘folds’ where the skin experiences friction from skin-on-skin contact or clothing.

It is very common but luckily skin tags are not dangerous and they can be left alone or easily removed. It’s a personal choice that can depend on the position of the skin tag. For example, those that grow on the eyelids can be plain annoying and irritating, those on the neck may not cause any bother at all.

If you DO opt for skin tag removal, as explained above, this can be done using radio frequency treatment, which you can read even more about here.

So there you have it. We have a great option mapped out for you and if interested, all you need to do is book a consultation at our Sydney clinics.

Not sure where to find us? Don’t worry, you won’t need a compass, you can find us right here in Bondi Junction, Bondi Beach or Bankstown.

Book now for a skin consult

Categories
Treatment

How to Terminate Back Acne aka ‘Bacne’

Back Acne Be Gone!

If acne had a catchphrase it would most likely be “I’ll be back”. And just like the Terminator franchise, it’s (sadly) true to its word.

The good news is that just like the robots in the film, bacne can be stopped, and at Faceplus Medispa in Sydney, we have an array of ammunition primed for action against the invasion of said back acne.

So firstly, what causes acne?
There are a number of contributing factors; excess oil production thanks to a change in hormones is one of the most common reasons. The oil, along with existing dirt or dead skin cells on the surface of the skin can clog the pores and aggravate it, causing spots.

The fact that our backs are harder to reach and wash than the face makes it susceptible to congested pores. Pollution, bacteria, sweat and even humidity can also play havoc with our sensitive skin.

Bacteria live on the skin and if it enters the clogged pore or follicle it can multiply, causing inflammation and acne cysts and pustules, the red painful looking spots we recognise as acne.

What can we do?
Our nurses and skincare practitioners will start by are asking some questions and taking a closer look, and will then be able to draw up a bespoke plan to treat your acne.

We say ‘bespoke’ not because we’re trying to be fancy but because the simple truth is your skin, lifestyle, genetic make-up, personal skincare habits and history of acne and possible scarring is different to everyone else’s so it makes no sense to make a sweeping statement that one specific treatment will cure the acne on your back, or even your face for that matter.

Here are some of the top acne fighting options available at our Medispa clinics:

Back to Back Treatment
We often neglect our backs when it comes to skin care, which isn’t helpful if you have deep pores or oily skin.

So why not lie down and treat your back to a full cleanse, massage, deep exfoliation, enzyme peel and completed with a mask? Not only is it a thorough cleanse for the skin on your back, it’s also extremely relaxing!

Herbal Activ Peel
Laden with plant-derived ingredients such as witch hazel, calendula and spirulina, this peel is massaged onto the affected skin and includes post-treatment instructions and a skincare regime to follow.

The natural ingredients are perfect for acne-prone skin and will help strip away the dead layers, revealing healthier skin.

Lumps and bumps package
One treatment is rarely enough to tackle problem skin and so we have come up with three different packages to attack mild, moderate and aggressive acne that include lasers and peels for the best results.

Check them out here.
Sebaceous Gland Ablation
Ablation… it has the same ring to it as ‘obliteration’ and that’s pretty much what this treatment does to active acne, and it does so without harsh chemicals or medication.

There are thousands of sebaceous glands on our skin and we use an electrical current to target spots on an existing breakout in order to shrink it and stop future spots from appearing. It will take several treatments to decrease the pore size but we find it an effective tool to combat acne and are happy to be one of the very few facial rejuvenation clinics in Sydney to offer this SGA treatment.
Blitz acne with blue light

Call the cops! Blue lights are not just used to attract attention for emergency vehicles, when used as laser therapy, as with Omnilux LED, they also offer amazing anti- acne properties by targeting bacteria, destroying excess sebum production and reducing inflammation.

Dr. Spiller Skincare

It’s no secret that at Faceplus Medispa we are big fans of Dr. Spiller products for the simple fact it works and we see the results on a regular basis to affirm this! Two products from the extensive range we are likely to recommend with acne breakouts are:

The decongesting Dr.Spiller’s Acnoderm gel that contains cinnamon bark and amino acid Arginine, which helps reduce inflammation associated with pustules.

 Dr. Spiller’s roll on, comprising of bearberry extract and the ‘pimple power ingredient’ that is salicylic acid, which actively helps clear existing spots and prevents new blemishes from appearing.

There you have it. A breakdown of fighting back breakouts. Don’t suffer alone; let us be your Terminator and win the war against spots, so we can say Hasta la vista, bacne!

To make a booking click here.

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