Facial Wasting Treaments

Facial Wasting Treatments by Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Douglas M. Senderoff, MD, FACS

Your facial wasting treatment  is a relatively simple nonsurgical procedure. Your facial wasting treatment can be performed in one of Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Douglas M. Senderoff, MD's beautiful, modern offices located in Manhattan and Westchester, New York. The procedure can be performed in under an hour and the results are immediate. Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Douglas M. Senderoff, MD has successfully treated hundreds of facial wasting patients.

This page contains the various options to treat your facial wasting. If you have any questions about the procedures please feel free to schedule a complimentary consultation with the doctor at his Manhattan or Westchester, New York offices .
 
Please note: of all the facial wasting treatments below, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Douglas M. Senderoff, MD recommends Radiesse™ Replacement Therapy (formerly known as Radiance™ ) as the treatment of choice for facial wasting.  If you have any questions about any treatment please feel free to contact Doctor Senderoff at his NYC office.
 
Facial Implants - Facial implants can help restore a more normal facial appearance for HIV-infected patients with facial wasting syndrome. Facial implants are used to correct a flatness of the cheeks and lack of width or fullness of the face for patients with sunken cheek bones who desire for a fuller, rounder, chiseled or contoured look. Facial implants are performed as an outpatient procedure in Doctor Senderoff's fully accredited Manhattan, New York surgical facility.
 
Depending upon the facial region and surgical complexity, the facial implant procedure takes between 30 and 90 minutes. The surgery is performed under local anesthesia with IV sedation under general anesthesia as an out-patient.

Fat Grafting - also know as fat transfer, free fat transfer, autologous fat grafting/transfer/transplantation, liposculpture, lipostructure, volume restoration, micro-lipoinjection, fat injections, f/g and even the "Space Lift®" is a surgical treatment which can correct facial wasting in patients - including HIV+ infected patients. Fat Grafting or Fat Transfer is a surgical procedure to remove surplus fat cells and re-implant them in areas where they are needed - to the lips, nasolabial folds (mouth to nose folds), under the eyes, cheeks, chin, and temples. This procedure usually create a moderate amount of swelling but can result in a more youthful and healthy look.

Fat grafting is a controversial procedure. It has been argued by some surgeons that most of the fat is reabsorbed after transfer and therefore patients require several treatments. In addition fat grafting requires an extra amount of time and discomfort while the fat is being harvested and processed.  There are patients who do report success with fat grafting for facial wasting.  Some of the variables that may affect the success of fat grafting include:

- fat cell removal techniques
- handling techniques after removal
- spinning/emulsions/serums/etc.
- re-implantation techniques
- patient's metabolism
- patient aftercare of treatment area
- vascularity (blood vessel formation to the fat cell)
- hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments (HBOT)

Perlane® / Restylane®  can be used for restoring facial volume in HIV+ patients with facial wasting.  Perlane® / Restylane® can also be used to augment areas such as the cheeks and chin, nasolabial folds, and for volume augmentation of the lips. Both Restylane ® and Perlane are gels that are injected into the skin (cosmetic injectable fillers) with an ultra-fine needle to lift and add volume to the facial wasting areas being treated. These injectables are similar to one of the body’s own natural substances (hyaluronic acid), both Restylane ® and Perlane ®  have been proven to be safe. These cosmetic injectable fillers raise the skin and ‘fill in’ the particular area being treated. The results are immediate but temporary.

Restylane ® and Perlane ® are classified as cosmetic fillers.  While there are numerous injectable fillers on the market today, many of them have their drawbacks ranging from potential allergic reactions to temporary results.
 
The benefits of Restylane® and Perlane®:

- No skin test is necessary. Allergic reactions are almost non-existent
- Lasts up to 60% longer than collagen fillers
- Clinical trials show that Restylane and Perlane are effective for up to six months

Radiesse™ (formerly knows as Radiance™) - Radiesse (Radiance) is unlike any other facial wasting treatment. Radiesse (Radiance) is a calcium based filler used to restore facial volume to areas that have lost their fullness.

Unlike temporary facial wasting treatments that must be continuously repeated, Radiesse™ (Radiance™) can last for years. Radiesse™ (Radiance™) facial wasting treatments are painless, quick, and provide immediate results. Radiesse™ (Radiance™) facial wasting treatments are performed as a nonsurgical outpatient procedure in one of Dr. Senderoff's Westchester or Manhattan, New York offices.

Depending on the area treated, most of the correction may last for several months or years. Some touch-up treatments may be necessary. What many patients like the most about Radiesse™ (Radiance™) is that they don't have to come back every couple months for their facial wasting treatment - Radiesse™ (Radiance™) is long lasting.

Radiesse™ can be used to fill out wrinkles, scars, depressions, and most importantly signs of HIV+ induced facial wasting. 

The areas that respond best to Radiesse™ treatments include:

- Naso-labial folds
- Sunken cheeks
- Temporal depressions
- Peri-oral lines
- Lips
- Depressed scars
- Oral commissures

What to  expect after your facial wasting treatment with Radiesse™ (Radiance™): No down-time. Immediate results. The treatment site may have a little swelling, which may last 24 to 36 hours depending on the area treated. There may be some slight bruising at the injection site, which can be covered with make-up.

Some of the benefits of the Radiesse™ as a facial wasting treatment include:

- Results are immediate
- No reported allergic reaction
- Radiesse™ is soft and remains pliable for years.
- It is cost-effective because it is long lasting.
 
SCULPTRA™ (also known in Europe as New-Fill) is FDA approved  to treat facial wasting (lipoatrophy) in people with HIV induced facial wasting. Sculptra™ is a cosmetic facial filler and is injected into the skin for restoration and/or correction of the signs of facial fat loss (lipoatrophy) in people with human immunodeficiency virus. SCULPTRA™ is a synthetic injectable material which is is biocompatible (a material that does not harm the body) and biodegradable (able to be broken down by the body).

The effects of SCULPTRA™ for facial wasting are not immediate. SCULPTRA™ takes several weeks to gradually correct facial depressions. SCULPTRA™ is injected below the surface of the skin in the area of fat loss and provides a gradual increase in skin thickness over time. Visible results appear within the first few treatment sessions.  SCULPTRA™ helps improve the appearance of facial wasting by increasing skin thickness in the treated area.

If you have any additional questions about these facial wasting treatments please feel free to contact the doctor, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Douglas M.  Senderoff  at his Manhattan, NYC or Westchester, New York office for a complimentary consultation.