Don’t Sweat It: Botox® Hyperhidrosis Treatments
Most of us get ‘sweaty palms’ when we’re nervous or anxious, but for a few of us this is a constant condition that can be acutely uncomfortable, if not downright embarrassing. Hyperhidrosis is the technical name given to the condition of excessive perspiration, which the areas most often affected usually being the face, hands, feet, armpit and groin. It often leads to a real ‘catch-22’ situation for sufferers, as they are nervous because they sweat and then sweat even more because they’re nervous. Any way you look at it, it’s not a pleasant syndrome. The good news is that Botox® hyperhidrosis treatments can quickly, efficiently and painlessly relieve you of this condition.
At the Melrose Aesthetic Centre, we aim to get you looking – and feeling – as good as you possibly can. Our Botox® hyperhidrosis treatments are administered via a series of tiny injections of purified protein into the targeted areas. No anaesthesia is needed as the procedure is quick and painless, usually taking just a few minutes and providing noticeable relief from discomfort and eradication of excess sweating for a period of approximately four to 10 months, whereafter a ‘top-up’ session may be required.
Whereas this procedure is not a ‘cure’, it certainly does the job of easing symptoms and their associated physical and psychological discomfort. The Botox® hyperidrosis treatments administered at the Melrose Aesthetic Centre work by blocking the nerve endings of the sympathetic nervous system, which is charge of sweat production. This effectively relieves excess perspiration and can give sufferers a huge boost of confidence and a feeling of control over their condition.
Whereas we may all know about the efficacy of Botox® when it comes to treating wrinkles, crow’s feet, laughter and frown lines, few people are in the know about the wonderful results being achieved with Botox® hyperidrosis treatments. Contact us today to discuss our range of therapies and how our Botox® hyperidrosis treatments will keep you ‘safe and dry’!
Benefits of our Detox
Are you considering a detoxification program at Melrose Aesthetic Centre? If so, learn the benefits of our detox methods so you will understand why it is a fine choice.
What is detoxification?
Detox is the process whereby the body transforms life or health threatening toxins that have gathered into something that is non-damaging. We expose ourselves to the damaging toxins every day by absorbing them. To help purify the body, detoxification is recommended. Along with the procedure itself, it is important to maintain a nutritional diet.
Benefits of detoxification
By following one of our detox methods your immune system will improve and get the much needed boost to sustain a healthy body. It will help eliminate damaging toxins from the body. We carry many toxins in our bodies that are created from emotional stress, our diets, and the environment. The detoxification procedure can also help protect against cancer and give you a better fight against it as it helps produce healthy cells in the body.
Our scientifically proven treatments can lend a hand with various allergy problems such as pollen and asthma. It helps to purify digestive tracts, which in turn promote minimal congestion and inflammation. Detoxification can also aid in cleansing the blood stream.
As you can see, there are several benefits to our detox methods. At Melrose Aesthetic Centre, we want to help you fight those toxins and get rid of them for good. By receiving the detoxification treatment and maintaining a healthy diet as well as doing exercise you can fight those harmful toxins that cause fatigue, weight gain, and irritability.
Pigmentation and Sun Damage
Effective Solutions for Skin Pigmentation and Sun Damage
Pigmentation and sun damage to the skin can both be disfiguring and the latter can have serious long-term consequences if untreated. Blessed with an exceptional climate, South Africans have become a nation of sun worshipers with all of the attendant consequences.
Other unsightly facial blemishes arise from a variety of conditions and can include birthmarks, excessive freckling, rosacea, acne scarring and port wine stains to name a few. Our dietary habits, use of medications and fluctuations in hormonal activity are also factors that contribute to changes in skin pigmentation.
In the past, sufferers may have had simply to resort to the use of makeup in order to camouflage these conditions that, for many of those afflicted, can often be the source of acute embarrassment and has even led to their becoming reclusive.
Today, there is welcome relief both for these sufferers as well as for the victims of excessive sun exposure. It comes in the form of specialised laser treatments or various forms of facial skin peeling, the ultimate choice of procedure being largely determined by the type and severity of the condition that is to be treated.
Laser treatments actually use broadband light at selected wavelengths that are most appropriate for a given condition. The highly-concentrated, pulsed beam acts to heat the upper skin layers with the result that its cells are stimulated to produce additional quantities of collagen, an important building material for the growth of new and healthy cells.
The procedure has been used with equal success for the reduction of stretch marks and is safe for use on any area of the body.
Skin peeling is a more rigorous approach categorized as superficial, medium or deep peeling. It is effective against all types of pigmentation and, with deep treatments, even the most severe acne scarring can be removed while superficial to medium peels are generally sufficient to deal with less severe problems.
A professional consultation with Melrose Aesthetic Centre should help you determine the best means to heal any pigmentation and sun damage that you may be experiencing.
Non-Surgical Eyebrow Lift
Avoid the Knife with a Non-Surgical Eyebrow Lift
A non-surgical eyebrow lift may not render cosmetic surgery redundant but any advance that results in a less invasive procedure must certainly be considered as a very positive step and one that, more than anything, reduces discomfort and risk to the patients and minimises their recovery time.
For many of the patients that elect to undergo this procedure, it is the far lower cost relative to that of surgery that is the motivator while others will simply admit to having a strong aversion to the scalpel and all of its implications.
Regardless of how it is achieved, the object of lifting the brows is, in many cases, to rejuvenate the whole area of the forehead and brows by elevating the position of the latter. In the process this acts to reduce the lines and wrinkles that very commonly affect the forehead. The same procedure may also be adopted in case where there is a lack of facial symmetry in this area as is the case when one of the eyebrows is positioned visibly lower than the other.
Where surgical procedures require special considerations such as how the hairline may be used to conceal any scarring that may result, no such concerns are associated with the more recent, non-invasive alternatives of which Botox is probably the most-widely used.
A series of injections are administered around the forehead and in the region of the brows and eyes. The ultra-fine needles used ensure that the patient will feel little more than a tiny pinprick and the entire treatment can actually be completed in the space of just a few minutes. Redness and bruising are generally rare and do not persist for long. The full effects of treatment can normally be seen within a week and, typically, it should need repeating no more than twice to three times over the course of a year.
It can be combined with the use of fillers where lining is more extensive. Either way, performing your non-surgical eyebrow lift is a job for the trained specialists of Melrose Aesthetic Centre.
Botox for Laughter Lines
Why Not Try Botox For Those Laughter Lines?
Today, undergoing Botox treatments for laughter lines has become almost as common as visits to a hair salon or a nail bar and the impressive results will certainly keep you looking and feeling good for a great deal longer than either an expensive perm or a manicure.
The appearance of facial lines is, of course, a natural consequence of aging that, in time, affects us all but it is the signs of premature aging that, though largely preventable, have become common today. While much of the damage derives from our lifestyle choices such as the excessive use of alcohol or tobacco, others appear to occur quite naturally.
Each common facial expression such as smiling, frowning or laughing, is a direct result of the contraction of muscles that are located beneath the skin. When these expressions are repeated often and sustained for long periods, the muscles gradually lose some of their ability to relax after contraction. The long-term result is a small depression or line in the skin’s surface that persists due to the continued, partial contraction.
Treatment with the Clostridium Botulinum toxin whose properties include that of a powerful muscle relaxant has long been used in many medical applications where inappropriate muscle contractions occur. In 1989, it was first applied for cosmetic purposes by a Canadian medical team who used it, with great success, to treat fine facial lines and the rest is history. Although commonly used to describe the procedure itself, Botox is, in fact, a brand name and one of several similar products prepared from botulinum toxin. Minute amounts of the substance injected at the site of the affected areas enables those partially contracted facial muscles to finally relax along with the small depressions in the skin that they had been causing.
The treatment is both safe and essentially painless when administered by a trained professional and, although not permanent, it should be 3 to 6 months before another session is needed.
Talk to a consultant at Melrose Aesthetic Centre and learn how Botox for laughter lines could help you.
Botox vs. Fillers
Botox Vs. Fillers – Is There A Winner?
In the botox vs. fillers match, there can really be no clear winner since each of these very effective cosmetic procedures has its specific applications, while the individual needs of those seeking such treatments will tend to vary quite considerably. Gaining a good understanding of how these procedures actually work will serve as a good starting point when considering which of these treatments may prove to be the more suitable in your particular case.
The trade name Botox is a contraction of ‘botulinum toxin’, a substance produced by the causative organism of ptomaine poisoning and the most powerful natural poison known. It is widely employed in extremely minute doses for a range of medical procedures including non-surgical facelifts. Its action in such doses is that of a muscle relaxant which explains its use for the treatment of excessive blinking, cross eyes and other muscle spasms to name just a few applications. Interestingly it is also effective in the treatment of migraine and excessive sweating.
The use of Botox for cosmetic purposes was first proposed in 1989. It has since become a globally-accepted treatment for frown lines and similar conditions and works by temporarily relaxing the overworked muscles that cause them.
By contrast, dermal fillers are either natural or synthetic substances that, as the name implies, when injected in the affected areas, act to plump up the skin and thus to fill in those fine lines. Although permanent fillers exist, their use often leads to side effects and so their popularity has waned.
On occasions the two procedures are used together to enhance effects but it should be understood that both are temporary solutions. For Botox, 3 to 6 months is typical while fillers can normally last from 6 to 8 while newer products offers results of 12 to 18 months duration.
Most importantly, whichever treatment you may decide is best for you, it is important that it is administered by trained and experienced medical professionals At the Melrose Aesthetic Centre they will help you to make the Botox vs. fillers decision with confidence.
Interview with Hardus Bester published in “Medical Aesthetics” December 2011 newsletter
The Melrose Aesthetic Centre boasts an impeccable reputation for keeping up with the latest international trends and providing clients with a total and specialised anti-ageing solution. In addition to the treatments and products that they offer, they also dramatically change lives with their sought-after lifestyle management services. The centre treats a number of high-profile celebrities and business executives, even politicians from South Africa and abroad.
Our second interview was with Hardus Bester, founder and Marketing Director of The Melrose Aesthetic Centre.
When did you first get involved in Aesthetics and how did The Melrose Aesthetic Centre come about?
In the early 2000’s I had a small, part-time clinic, operating in Norwood, in conjunction with a qualified doctor. It grew very rapidly, so we moved it to Melrose Arch in 2003. All the doctors involved use to work just a few days a week, but when Dr. Gordon Cohen joined the practice in 2006, it was in a full time capacity.
Tell us about the doctors that you currently have working in the practice.
Dr. Gordon Cohen specialises in skin rejuvenation treatments and administers all injectables. He also performs all the Laser Lipolysis treatments and the more advanced skin rejuvenation treatments with the Sciton laser. He has a health and nutrition qualification and an MBA from Wits. Dr. Cohen is the decision maker about new treatments at the centre. The intellectual property that he has introduced to The Melrose Aesthetic Centre has been invaluable to the business.
Dr. Mark Opperman, who also studied gynaecology, got involved in aesthetics in 2002, being one of the first doctors to administer Botulinum toxin in SA. He also specialises in injectables and laser lipolysis.
The third member of our practice is not a doctor, but a laser therapist – Cherie Fraser, a qualified Somatologist, who has completed courses in chemical peels and micro-dermabrasion in the UK. Cherie has also undergone local and international laser training. Cherie currently works with the Sciton PROFILE laser system from America; a very advanced piece of equipment, consisting of a dual lamp with a broad range of wavelengths, allowing targeted effective treatments for various skin conditions.
What is the most popular treatment in the practice this time of year?Botox and fillers are always popular this time of year and there is always an increase in the demand for slimming treatments and laser lipolysis before the summer holidays.
What would you say makes The Melrose Aesthetic Centre unique? What is your speciality?
Our practice is not your typical doctors’ rooms… when you enter The Melrose Aesthetic Centre; you enter into a welcoming, comfortable lounge and not a cold reception area. It is our aim to enhance the patients’ experience, by stimulating all the senses through the look, smell, feel and sound of the practice, much like at a spa. We follow up with our patients regularly and all email content we send is personalised. Our practice is all about the patients’ experience and is not a clinical, medical vibe.
What rewards you the most about being involved in The Melrose Aesthetic Centre?
I am passionate about people and marketing and love to be able to offer people solutions that help to enhance their lives. I am an entrepreneur and I love being involved in one of the fastest growing industries is in the world. We’ve seen astounding results here and I will forever cherish that amazing feeling of knowing someone’s life has been changed for the better.
What have you found over the years to be the best way to market an aesthetic centre?
I stick to what I’ve always maintained – direct marketing! I come from a Herbalife background and in the almost five years with that company I learned the value of person-to-person selling and communication. I find the most valuable marketing tool is still a stand in a busy shopping centre and making direct contact with people. Internet marketing can also be a strong tool, but ensure that you have the right people assisting you with your search engine optimisation (SEO). This is a great passive way to market. I measure my efficacy by how often my phone rings on a day.
Lastly, what are your goals for The Melrose Aesthetic Centre and for yourself for 2012?
For the business, my aim to make it the most popular aesthetics brand in SA and to branch out into franchises. For my new marketing venture, Gorgeous Marketing, I want to work on getting it more established and branching out into other medical and aesthetic areas like plastic surgery.
Hardus Bester, Dr. Gordon Cohen and Cherie Fraser are all speakers at the next Medical Aesthetic Convention on 18 and 19 March in Cape Town.
Visit www.medicalaesthetics.co.za to book your seats.
Laser resurfacing around the eyes
Client X had a laser resurfacing around his eye area to reduce wrinkles and puffiness. Here’s what he had to say: “I highly recommend this treatment. Be brave and do it – it’s worth it!”
How Can Botox Treatments Help You?
Just How Can Botox Treatments Help You?
To answer the question – “How can Botox treatments help you?” it is necessary to first understand what they actually do. It often alarms people to learn that the substance used in these treatments is among the most powerful natural toxins known to man. Produced by Clostridium botulinum, the causative organism of ptomaine poisoning, one of its properties is that of a powerful paralysing agent. It is commonly used to treat the severe facial pain that can occur in cases of neuralgia where the trigeminal nerve is involved and to immobilise certain muscles during surgery, so its use in medicine is both well-established and safe.
Facial wrinkles are creases, folds or ridges that form in the skin and, in addition to being a natural result of aging, their onset is often accelerated by a lifetime of repeated and sustained facial expressions, Frowning and smiling require the contraction of the small facial muscles that are located beneath the skin and, with constant use, their ability to relax after contracting gradually begins to reduce resulting in the premature formation of fine wrinkles.
These are an ideal target for treatment with the botulinum toxin and the injection of minute amounts of the substance serves to relax the partially contracted facial muscles which then results in a general smoothing of the superficial wrinkling. The effects are temporary, lasting for between 3 and 4 months on average and dependent upon factors such as age and skin type. However, most of the patients that opt for these treatments consider them well worth the time and money for the pleasure and renewed self-confidence that they impart.
In addition to treating wrinkles it’s used in procedures to sculpt the tip of the nose, to treat drooping that occurs at the corners of the mouth as well as to reduce the excessive area of gum that, in some patients, may be exposed when smiling.
As to how else Botox treatments can help you, if you are one of the millions that suffer chronic migraine or the 3% that perspire excessively, you’re in luck.