I am 65 year old caucasian woman with great skin when I don’t smile. I had pearl fractional laser by cutera 3 weeks ago and I was told it takes a few months to see improvement in my cheeks when I smile. Right now I see no improvement and am thinking about fillers if it doesn’t improve. When I smile, the skin under my eyes puffs and the deep wrinkles radiate down my cheeks. I could send you pictures if that would help. What would you suggest? Would fillers such as sculptra help?
Answer:
Hi,
It sounds like you have “dynamic lines.” The minor edema (swelling) that results from the laser skin treatment as well as the initial dehydration of the skin can make new lines appear where they did not before. The edema also can improve “static lines” but as the edema wears off, these old lines can reappear if the laser treatment was not aggressive enough to treat these wrinkles or lines.
A combination of Botox and Fillers may be beneficial. Botox to reduce dynamic lines and fillers to add volume and stretch out the wrinkles. However, I would have to see you or at least see your pictures to be able to determine if that is the best treatment for you. Waiting a few more weeks for the initial trauma of the laser to subside is a good idea. I would be happy to see you in either of my Washington DC area offices, in Herndon Virginia or Chevy Chase Maryland.