New skin-deep beauty treatments

Face it: Plastic surgery is out, high-tech beauty treatments are in.

According to a recent report by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the number of surgical cosmetic procedures performed fell 17 percent in 2009. Meanwhile, minimally invasive procedures such as facial fillers are on the rise. The latest beauty breakthroughs promise to tighten jowls, lengthen lashes and banish wrinkles -- all without a scalpel or the need for downtime.

Fresh fill

Selphyl, the newest treatment on the block, is not for the weak-stomached. In this procedure, a small amount of a patient's blood is drawn, spun down to concentrate the platelet-rich plasma, then injected into unwanted facial lines or scars. The whole process takes about 20 minutes, and the results are said to be immediate, promising improved collagen production during the following month or two.

Unlike other facial fillers such as Juvederm and Restylane, Selphyl does not contain any animal or synthetic components. "It's completely natural," says Dr. Charles Crutchfield III of Crutchfield Dermatology in Eagan, the only Twin Cities physician to offer the treatment. "There is virtually no risk of an allergic reaction. It's essentially you helping you."

Selphyl also costs less than other fillers ($1,300 for four areas) and results last longer (one or two years). And although it might sound futuristic, repurposing platelets to rejuvenate tissue isn't new; the technique has been used for years to treat athletic injuries and wounds.

A better Botox?

Although Dysport also is purported to last four months to Botox's three, Hagberg says that only about half of her patients noticed the longer staying power. And while consumers had hoped that the introduction of a competitor would drive down the cost of Botox, prices of the two treatments have remained comparable.

Pain-free lift

When skin heads south, more doctors are turning to noninvasive technology to defy gravity. At Zel Skin and Laser Specialists in Edina, Ultherapy is the new treatment of choice. Unlike traditional face-lifts and first-generation skin-tightening treatments such as Thermage, which uses heat, Ultherapy employs ultrasound waves to lift and tighten facial muscles and tissue without disturbing the upper layer of skin.

The procedure takes less than an hour and requires no anesthesia or recovery time. Results continue to improve over the next few months. Zel's Dr. Brian Zelickson says the treatment is best for people with mild to moderate skin laxity in the face and neck, and is even more effective when used in conjunction with fillers.

Lash out

Dr. Jaime Davis of Uptown Dermatology & Skin Spa in Minneapolis says that while some of her patients have experienced mild irritation from applying too much of the product, she has yet to see adverse reactions. Davis recommends that people use half of the amount suggested by the manufacturer, which she says works just as well and lasts twice as long.

Sometimes, less really is more.