The most underused cosmetic procedure

People come in to our office requesting a variety of procedures. Botox and fillers are among the most frequently requested procedures, but the newest use of fillers, what we call "facial Sculpting" is almost never the patient's initial request. Yet, when shown photographs of the results, many patients choose to have it performed at the time of the visit, or schedule a subsequent visit to have it done.

There are several possible explanations as to why this procedure has not become more widely known. First there is no standardized name for the procedure. Second, there is no company with a big advertising budget pushing the procedure or getting it on the Oprah show. Third it takes a fair amount of artistic skill to create good looking results. This is not the type of procedure that is likely to be performed by a nurse in an unsupervised clinic in a mall.
Nevertheless there are several good reasons why facial sculpting should be more widely known and performed. It is a procedure that produces significant results with minimal to no downtime. It produces results that are very natural looking yet are very attractive. It gives a more youthful appearance by actually repairing one of the major factors producing an aged appearance, the loss of deep tissue. Many older procedures produced a changed appearance, but not a more youthful appearance. Finally, facial sculpting is relatively cost effective compared to other cosmetic procedures. With time, as this procedure becomes better known, it will very likely become one of those most requested by patients.

Gerald N. Bock MD
Stockton, CA
California Skin Laser Center