Illegal injectable products for cosmetic procedures are becoming very popular on the black market these days. Always choose a board certified dermatologist when receiving any kind of medical or cosmetic dermatology treatment.
Click here to read an article that discusses the rise in deaths due to illegal cosmetic procedures.
LATISSE™ is the first and only FDA-approved prescription treatment for hypotrichosis, used to grow eyelashes, making them longer, thicker, and darker. Eyelash hypotrichosis is another name for having inadequate or not enough eyelashes. Start a nightly routine today, and see a dramatic change in the way your lashes look!
If you are a member of Brilliant Distinctions, receive $25 off instantly when you try the new LATISSE™ bottle – offering enough solution to last 10 weeks! In the LATISSE clinical study, half of LATISSE patients (69/137) saw significantly more prominent eyelashes at week eight, with full results by week 16. Brilliant Distinctions members who purchase a 5mL bottle of LATISSE in Lupo Center through November 30, 2012 will instantly receive $25 off the product. Rebate terms and conditions apply.
Not a member of Brilliant Distinctions but interested in the saving? Sign up to become a member today. Members of the Brilliant Distinctions Program receive special offers, exclusive invitations and earn points on Allergan products and services including Botox®, Juvederm®, Latisse and Vivite. To learn more about the Brilliant Distinctions Program, click here
With so many medical and cosmetic treatments available today, it’s hard to believe that one device can be the solution to multiple skin conditions. In 1999, Dr. Lupo became the first physician in Louisiana to use the Intense Pulsed Light device, and since then, it has become the most popular light treatment option at the Lupo Center for Aesthetic and General dermatology
Intense Pulsed Light, or IPL, targets and dramatically improves red and brown discolorations, broken capillaries, skin texture, fine lines, facial veins, acne scarring and even unwanted hair! It is one of the most effective options to improve the redness and flushing caused by rosacea, as medications alone do not ameliorate these symptoms.
IPL refers to a non-laser, non-invasive, broad band, light treatment using energy in the visible and near-infrared light spectrum. It is best as a treatment for overall photoaging and is often called photorejuvenation or “Fotofacial.” IPL energy targets the blood vessels and generates heat to tighten and shrink them, while also stimulating new collagen.
With its no-downtime side effects, patients can receive IPL treatment during their lunch hour and return to work or attend an event on the same day. Make-up can also be worn immediately after the treatment.
Each patient’s condition is unique, and the average patient requires 3-5 IPL sessions in order to see optimal results. Improvement rate is more than 80 percent and the results last years if the discoloration is caused by sun damage. With other discolorations, such as rosacea, relapses may occur more frequently: 6 months to two years, in Dr. Lupo’s experience.
Of course, a good post IPL skin care program will prolong the benefits and prevent further damage from occurring as quickly. One product that Dr. Lupo recommends with the IPL treatment is Neocutis PERLE, a skin brightening cream formulated with Melaplex™. PERLE is a hydroquinone-free skin care cream that brightens the skin while reducing the appearance of skin discoloration and uneven skin tone. Any patient who purchases a package of three IPL treatments by November 30, 2012, will receive a complimentary bottle of PERLE (quantity limited; non-transferable). Schedule your IPL appointment today!
Personal hygiene is one of the most important things to do to keep our skin, hair and nails healthy and attractive looking. This daily routine, which should begin as early as childhood, not only helps with our appearance, but it also protects from certain diseases.
Many kids struggle with daily hygiene, so the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) has created an interactive kid-friendly website designed to teach them the importance of keeping their bodies healthy.
The Kids Skin Health™ Program, which includes games, common questions and facts about personal hygiene, is an educational online service by the AAD’s Skin Knowledge and Information Network.
Do you want to help a friend who has recently gone through some sort of personal trauma that has caused them to age quicker or look extra tried? Dr. Mary Lupo can help on their road to recovery!
Nominate your friend or relative who has recently gone through personal trauma (death of a loved one, divorce, caretaker for an ill relative, cancer survivor, etc.), and Dr. Lupo will give your friend free Botox® for a year… and you, too, for being such a great friend!
Nominations are accepted from now until December 15, 2012. The nominee cannot be a current patient of the Lupo Center. Self nominations are accepted.
For more information or nomination forms, contact Abby Lupo at abby@drmarylupo.com or 504-288-2381.
Since 2002, millions of women and men have used Botox® to reduce the severity of their frown lines in order to gain a more youthful appearance. Botox® is a neuromodulating protein that decreases the stimulation of muscles by the nerves. When injected in key places, the movement of facial muscles is reduced, which results in a decrease in lines.
Although the FDA approved Botox® specifically to treat the lines between the eyebrows, many practicing physicians use the drug for “off-label” treatments that conceptually work by the same principal. Dermatologists and plastic surgeons have successfully used Botox® to treat crow’s feet and forehead lines. The treatment of all three of these areas at the same visit can also result in a reshaping and lifting of the brows.
Dr. Lupo believes the first step to creating a natural, younger-looking face is to take a global approach to facial rejuvenation: look at the face as a whole to determine which treatment(s) will work best for each patient. While Botox® is typically used on the upper one-third of the face, treating the lower two-thirds of the face with this product is another “off-label” way to improve lines and reshape the face.
There are several ways that Botox® can reduce the lines around the mouth, lower face and jaw line. Botox® can be injected into the fine lines around the mouth to reduce lipstick lines. It can also be injected into key areas to reduce the downward pull of certain muscles, which results in a lift to the corners of the mouth. The masseter muscle (the muscle used when chewing) can become enlarged for certain ethnic groups or when people grind their teeth. This results in a squared jaw shape that is not as feminine as an oval or heart-shaped face. Injecting Botox® into the masseter muscle can soften and reshape a squared face. When Botox® is injected into the platysma muscle (the muscle that runs from the jaw line to the collarbone), it can lift the lower face and improve jaw line definition.
Botox® can also help with lines on the nose and improve a smile. The muscle on each side of the nose can be injected to eliminate the bunny lines on the nose that are visible when some people frown, squint or even smile. When Botox® is injected into a muscle near the nose, a gummy smile (where too much gums show at full smile) can be improved.
Dr. Lupo has also used Botox® to treat redness, flushing, rosacea, acne, scars and seborrheic dermatitis. Dr. Lupo is a Platinum Plus injector in the Botox® Cosmetic Network and has been chosen by Allergan to teach other aesthetic physicians proper Botox injection technique® to ensure great results that look natural.
Dysport® is an alternative to Botox® that was FDA approved in 2009. The Lupo Center uses both Botox® and Dysport®, and after an evaluation, we can determine which product is best for each patient.
Most of us wish we could slow down the effects aging has on our looks – and maybe even get a few years back in the process. Fraxel® is proven laser technology that can help reverse the visible effects of aging, naturally helping you look as young as you feel. With Fraxel®, change isn’t drastic or scary – it’s you, just younger.
The Lupo Center for Aesthetic & general dermatology offers the most advanced Fraxel® Restore Dual Wavelength System to better address pigmentation, wrinkles, acne scars and surgical scars on the entire body with minimal discomfort. Dr. Lupo chooses to use the Fraxel® system because of its very high safety record and proven results for all types of skin, and because it causes minimal disturbance to the patient’s everyday life during the course of treatment.
Fraxel® is a non-invasive laser therapy for people who want to look good – and want real results – but don’t want the drastic change or extended downtime that comes with surgery. Dr. Lupo customizes the intensity of each treatment level in accordance with the patient’s needs, giving the patient a choice between superficial, moderate or deeply penetrative treatments. In most cases, the patient can expect dramatic results with smoother, brighter and younger looking skin without looking plastic and fake.
Fraxel® is effective on:
• Fine lines and wrinkles – like crow’s feet and brow lines
• Surface scarring – erasing effects of acne and other scarring
• Pigmentation – minimizing the appearance of age spots
• Sun damage – helping heal dangerous skin damage
• Actinic Keratosis (AK) – a common pre-cancerous skin condition
To learn more or to see if you are a candidate for Fraxel®, schedule a consultation with one of our doctors. Any patient who schedules a Fraxel consultation or receives a Fraxel treatment by December 31, 2012 will receive 10% off of a package of Fraxel® treatments for one area.
Please note that Fraxel is a very specific laser and some doctors rent a less expensive and less advanced fractional non-ablative laser, yet call it “fraxel” – after all, not every tissue is a Kleenex!
While kids are excited for summer beach trips, not all of us are as eager to show off our bodies in a swimsuit or summer clothes. Whether you’re embarrassed about the way your arms look in a tank top or have difficulty zipping up your favorite sundress, we want to help you feel more confident this summer by introducing you to a skin-tightening treatment called Exilis®.
While skin-tightening technology has been available at the Lupo Center for Aesthetic & General Dermatology since 2004, our patients have seen drastic changes to their bodies since introducing Exilis® into our practice in 2010. BTL’s Exilis offers a revolutionary non-invasive form of treatment for the reduction of wrinkles and for the reshaping of targeted fat deposits, with visible results often after the first session. It is used in areas such as jowls, neck, eyebrows and especially the abdomen. Exilis® treatments can even postpone or eliminate the need for invasive surgery. Exilis® was awarded “Best Skin Tightening Device” in the U.S. market during the 2012 The Aesthetic Show in Las Vegas.
Exilis® is a monopolar radiofrequency device that causes both shrinking of loose tissue immediately, as well as long term collagen production that lifts and tightens loose skin over time. Exilis® is recommended for any patient between the ages of 25 and 70+ who desires cosmetic improvement, particularly those areas that show the signs of aging, unhealthy life style and have not responded to other treatment options.
The recommended course of treatment is generally four to six sessions, one every two weeks, and there is no downtime after the treatment. Exilis® has been tested in clinical studies and proven to be safe and effective, and there have been no significant side effects reported with the treatment.
Dr. Lupo has been interviewed on WWLTV’s “Wrinkle Free Friday” segment where she discussed the Exilis treatment and its benefits. To view the news segments, click on the links below:
To learn more about Exilis® and to see if it is right for you, schedule a consultation today @ 504-288-2381
Acne is one of the most common skin conditions affecting people of all ages – from babies and teenagers to middle age women and men. Acne is an inflammation of the skin’s pores that can appear as pimples, blemishes, whiteheads, blackheads and in severe cases, deep, painful nodules and cysts. The most common areas that are affected are the face, neck, chest and back. Some factors that contribute to acne breakouts include family history, lifestyle factors, menstrual history or use of specific cosmetics and skin care products. It is important to never pick or squeeze blemishes as this can increase discoloration and future scarring. While there are several instigating factors to acne breakouts, today, there are many effective ways to treat active acne and acne scars.
Acne often goes untreated because many people believe that it needs to “run its course” before it can clear up. Not only is this myth, but not treating active acne can cause self-esteem issues and permanent scarring and dark spots on the skin. Because there are different forms of acne and each patient is unique, board certified and nationally acclaimed dermatologist Dr. Mary Lupo uses prescription treatments and/or non-surgical skin rejuvenation treatments to help her patients. Some of the cosmetic treatments available at the Lupo Center for Aesthetic and General Dermatology to help with active acne include chemical peels, SilkPeel®, CoolTouch®, Excel V®, IPL and Isolaz®.
While some patients no longer suffer from active acne, they are reminded of their past condition because of the scars that were left behind. Luckily, there are several options to reduce the appearance of the redness or scars from acne. Dr. Lupo uses the following non-surgical skin rejuvenation treatments for acne scars: Fraxel®, CoolTouch®, CO2 laser/Deep FX, IPL, Isolaz®, SilkPeel®, chemical peels and fillers, including Juvederm®, Restylane® and Radiesse®.
While each patient is unique and treatment types may vary, the Lupo Center is able to help stop or reverse the signs of acne. If you have questions or concerns, please call our office today to schedule a consultation.
Lupo Center for Aesthetic & General Dermatology 