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Terry L. Hand, M.D.
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LATISSE IS COMING!
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U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Approves LATISSE™
Allergan, Inc. announces that the FDA has approved LATISSE™ (bimatoprost ophthalmic solution) 0.03% as a novel treatment for hypotrichosis of the eyelashes. Eyelash hypotrichosis is another name for having inadequate or not enough eyelashes. LATISSE™ is the first and only science-based treatment approved by the FDA to enhance eyelash prominence as measured by increases in length, thickness and darkness of eyelashes.
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The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery invites you to take this informative quiz regarding the right procedure for you! Click the above button and enjoy! |
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ASK THE DOCTOR
I am trying to choose between several doctors for my procedure. Why should I choose your office? J.C.
I chose plastic surgery as a profession because I truly enjoy the artistic opportunity of each and every aesthetic procedure I perform. Cosmetic surgery is a delightful field of medicine: creative, constantly evolving and always challenging. I am very fortunate to have a wonderful team to support me and my patients. We as a team understand that every patient requires absolute confidentiality, availability and empathy. The mission of our practice is to provide a pleasing, natural surgical result to each patient in our comfortable, safe outpatient facility.
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Happy New Year!
Welcome to our inaugural newsletter! For many years I have had the privilege of treating wonderful patients from all over the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. My challenge has always been keeping up with new and old faces (sorry for the pun!) and making my patients aware of the latest in interesting plastic surgery procedures as well as what is happening in our practice. I will share with you innovative research and techniques in the plastic surgery community and my opinions regarding their value. I can most often be found with a medical journal in the evenings and have seen in my years of practice, many variations on almost every procedure. Some are time tested and true. Some are hype. I will share my honest opinions and experiences.
Our office staff and I are very excited to announce the launch of our new website on January 1st. We worked diligently to add more photos per your requests and have updated our information about new and old procedures. The facelift was a success!
An exciting new product announced in this newsletter is Latisse, the only FDA approved product to enhance both eyelash length and fullness. We expect the launch of this product in early February.
My staff and I wish you a happy and healthy 2009. We look forward to assisting you with your cosmetic surgery questions and solutions in the new year.
All the best,
Terry Hand, M.D.
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| Smaller Procedures With Big Benefits |
No one can deny that in these questionable times, finances are always a concern. In addition, I am seeing more and more patients that would like a "pick me up" procedure without the downtime and lost work hours of the more extensive surgical procedures. With these two concerns in mind, I have several suggestions:
1) Think Mini! What do I mean? Mini-facelift and mini-abdominoplasty are the current preference for patients that do not require extensive muscle work or skin removal. That little pouch of a belly that won't go away can benefit by liposuction and a tuck of the area below the belly button (mini-abdominoplasty). Recovery time is usually minimal. The patient can have this procedure on a Thursday and return to a job with light physical requirements by Monday. A mini-facelift requires about the same amount of downtime and results in a dramatically freshened appearance of the face.
2) Fillers are your friend! Some of the nicest advances in our arsenal of anti-aging solutions for the treatment of the aging face are the current dermal fillers. I am able to correct the stubborn lines between the nose and the mouth easily. The downturned corners of the mouth can be uplifted. The lips can be plumped or just the outline of the upper lip can be injected to minimize etched lines. Many possibilities exist, all of which dramatically can change and refresh a face instantly. The hyaluronic acid fillers including Juvaderm™, Restylane and Elevass generally provide correction for 6 to 9 months. Radiesse lasts between 12 to 18 months. I use all of these fillers in my practice and tailor the appropriate one or combination of fillers based on the depth of the wrinkle, its location, your budget and your preferences. There is usually no downtime. I encourage patients to avoid anti-inflammatory drugs for 10 days prior to treatment to avoid bruising.
3) Above all relax! One of the most popular procedures our practice does almost daily is injecting Botox®. Botox® is a safe, effective drug used to alleviate facial lines caused by the repetitive pleating of facial muscles. I most often use it for the treatment of furrows between the eyebrow, forehead wrinkles, crow's feet, snarl lines and to weaken upper lip pleating. It is injected directly into the muscle responsible for the unwanted wrinkle and with good technique, will allow for natural facial movement elsewhere. Botox® usually begins to work its magic within 3 days but may take up to 2 weeks to see its full effect.
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| Featured Procedure: Eyelid Lift |
Blepharoplasty, commonly referred to as eyelid lift, is a plastic surgery procedure designed to rejuvenate the appearance of the aging eye and to create a more youthful appearance. The eyes truly are the feature that most people notice first as tired and sad or refreshed and animated. Candidates for this procedure have noticed excess skin on the upper and lower eyelids, often with areas of puffiness that never seem to go away. The expectation of the surgical outcome for blepharoplasty should be of a more youthful and rested appearance of the eyes. Visual fields may be widened if excessive upper skin has blocked vision.
Procedure Description
Dr. Hand performs the eyelid lift procedure in our accredited Marin County outpatient surgical facility. Depending on the extent of the procedure, the eyelid lift will be performed under local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia.
Blepharoplasty is a procedure designed to remove sagging skin and muscle from the eyelids, and to remove "bags", by trimming away excess fat bulges. In some cases, the upper or lower lids can be treated alone. If indicated, all four lids may be treated at the same time. Excess drooping of the eyebrows and the corner of the eyelids may also require a forehead lift to achieve the best correction. During lower eyelid blepharoplasty, Dr. Hand also performs a mid-facelift to lift and reposition the fat of the cheek area and to minimize the nasolabial folds (the folds between the nose and mouth).
An early sign of early aging is puffiness around the eyes, often associated with wrinkling of the eyelid skin. Normally, everyone has a small amount of fat surrounding the eyeball. If the quantity of fat increases or the local tissues stretch and weaken, the fat begins to bulge producing "bags". Occasionally, this bulging is seen in young patients and is an inherited familial trait, not the result of aging changes although correction is possible.
The incision on the upper eyelid is placed in the lid crease. The lower eyelid incision lies just along the lash line. Both incisions may extend for a short distance slightly beyond the edge of the eyelid, in a natural smile crease. Excess fat, muscle and skin are removed and/or repositioned. Excellent healing is characteristic of the eyelid skin, and once the wounds are mature they usually become quite inconspicuous. Repetitive motion wrinkle lines will be softened, not completely erased. Most procedures are completed in one to two hours.
Read More About Eyelid Lift and View Photos
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| Thank you for taking your valuable time to reconnect with our office.
Our office would like to extend the offer of a no cost consultation and follow-up consultation for our loyal clients that subscribe to this newsletter. Please do not hesitate to let Cheri or Lisa know if you have further questions about any of our procedures that we can assist you with in the future.
Sincerely,
Terry L. Hand, M.D.
900 S. Eliseo, Suite 103
Greenbrae, CA 94904
(415) 461-6742
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