On average, you can expect the wrinkle-reducing results of Botox treatment to last three to four months. However, Dr. Julio Clavijo-Alvarez is often asked by Botox enthusiasts whether there is anything they can do to make their results last longer. In fact, there is! Read on for tips to make Botox results last longer.

Schedule Regular Treatments (At First)

Having Botox injections regularly weakens the muscles over time, relaxing them so they don’t contract as frequently and cause prominent wrinkles. Initially, you may schedule treatment every four months; however, after a year or two, you may notice the effects lasting longer and need to schedule treatments less frequently.

Choose the Right Injector

As Dr. Clavijo discussed in a previous blog post, not all Botox injectors are created equally. An experienced and reputable injector knows how to target the right muscles with the precise amount of product for long-lasting results. Look for someone that is a board-certified plastic surgeon and has extensive experience using Botox (and other injectable fillers). A less-experienced injector may over- or under-treat the area, messing with the longevity of the effects.

Beware of Cheap Gimmicks

Steer clear of med spas that advertise special “Botox Days” (especially if they are held on a Friday). The cheap prices may seem appealing, but the practice may actually be trying to use up reconstituted Botox that is close to expiration. Old or over-diluted Botox certainly wears off faster than normal.

Don’t Stress About Lines and Wrinkles

Botox relaxes the facial muscles that contract to form wrinkles, but constantly looking in the mirror and worrying about your wrinkles only activates the facial muscles more, canceling out the effects of treatment. Avoid obsessing about wrinkles and try to relax and enjoy the results of your Botox.

Protect Your Face from the Sun

Unprotected sun exposure can dilate the blood vessels, potentially dispersing the Botox more quickly than normal. Not to mention, sun contributes to the breakdown and premature aging of the skin anyway. Use facial sunscreen and wear a wide-brimmed hat.

Schedule a Botox Appointment

If you are bothered by noticeable wrinkles around your forehead or eyes, schedule an appointment to discuss Botox with Dr. Clavijo. Call ReNova Plastic Surgery today at (412) 638-2391 to make your appointment.

SculpSure – Not painful

• Sculpsure – Not painful procedure for the removal of stubborn fat.
• Sculpsure is an Easy, fast and effective non invasive fat reduction method.
• Not painful and customize to the any patient needs
• No need for surgery or anesthesia.
• No time down
• Fast:  only 25 minutes.
• Affordable.

Trust your SculpSure procedure to the best-reviewed plastic surgeon in Pittsburgh.

For the growing population of people who want a slimmer, sleeker physique without going through an invasive surgery, the latest fat reduction technology is here in the form of SculpSure. SculpSure fat reduction is a non-invasive body contouring treatment that uses laser technology to get rid of stubborn fat on a patient’s stomach and flanks (the area where “love handles” often reside). ReNova Plastic Surgery is proud to offer this latest advancement in fat reduction. In this blog post, Dr. Julio Clavijo-Alvarez discusses how it works to eradicate fat for good, and what makes it superior to CoolSculpting treatment.

How Exactly Does SculpSure Work?

The SculpSure fat reduction treatment uses laser energy to heat up the fat cells in the treatment area, which causes them injury. The natural response of the body’s immune system is then to eliminate those damaged fat cells, which are naturally metabolized by the body. Since this treatment is non-invasive, the heating of the fat cells is done through laser light administered by a handheld applicator that is moved over the surface of the skin in the area(s) being treated.

What is a SculpSure Fat Reduction Treatment Like?

A SculpSure treatment takes approximately 25 minutes, during which time patients are free to read, listen to music, or use their phones. No anesthetic is used or needed, as this is a non-invasive and painless treatment. Although SculpSure uses focused laser heat to damage fat cells, it is administered through an applicator that cools the area as it works, so that it doesn’t affect the surface of the skin or cause discomfort. Instead of using suction like other fat reduction methods (such as CoolSculpting), the applicator itself is laid flat on the skin, allowing the laser energy to penetrate into the underlying tissue. And since SculpSure uses four separate applicator heads, the doctor is able to treat multiple areas at once for maximum body sculpting benefits in a shorter period of time. After the treatment, patients are free to return to work, driving and all other normal daily activities — there is no recovery period or downtime. Results can be seen in as little as six weeks, and optimal results after 12 weeks.

SculpSure vs. CoolSculpting: Why SculpSure Comes out on Top

With a 90 percent patient satisfaction rate, SculpSure fat reduction treatment is clearly ahead of the game over other treatments of its kind — including CoolSculpting, a fat reduction method that uses cooling technology to freeze and eliminate fat cells. A comparison of the two methods, as follows, shows why SculpSure fat reduction is superior.

Treatment time:

• CoolSculpting: 60 minutes
• SculpSure: 25 minutes

Number of applicators used:

• CoolSculpting uses only one applicator.
• SculpSure uses four applicators, allowing the doctor to treat multiple areas at once — and in a shorter period of time.

Patient comfort level:

• CoolSculpting applicator (whether vacuum-assisted or flat) potentially creates a number of sensations, including pulling, tugging, tingling or stinging.
• SculpSure applicator moves over surface of skin comfortably; use of chilled applicator head ensures maximum patient comfort level.

Recovery:

• CoolSculpting patients often report discomfort, bruising and/or a numbing sensation in the treatment area for weeks after treatment.
• SculpSure patients have not reported any of these effects after their treatment.

Results:

• A CoolSculpting treatment results in a 22 percent reduction of fat in the treatment area after two to four months
• A SculpSure treatment results in a 25 percent reduction of fat in the treatment area after only six weeks to three months

Learn More about SculpSure Fat Reduction

Find out more about this innovative, effective fat reduction method offered at ReNova Plastic Surgery when you schedule a consultation with Dr. Clavijo-Alvarez. Call his practice today at (412) 638-2391.

Mom’s,

Thanks for being the foundation of our life, for supporting our dreams, and for giving us your unconditional love.

Happy Mother’s day

ReNova Plastic Surgery and MediSPA

Dr. Julio Clavijo-Alvarez is conscientious about educating his patients prior to Botox treatment. Explaining the procedural steps and managing expectations is key to an overall satisfactory patient experience. However, patients of other doctors may not be so lucky. A quick Internet search brings up stories of what people wish they had known before their Botox injections. Dr. Clavijo thought it would be helpful to share some of these observations with his patients.

Research the Person Administering the Injections

Surprisingly, there are gynecologists and dentists that offer Botox treatment in their offices, but are not properly trained to administer the injectable. They may have learned their technique at a weekend course and are under-qualified and inexperienced. Avoid these options at all costs — even if they offer deep discounts.

 

The person administering your injections should be a board certified plastic surgeon or one of their trusted, experienced staff. It’s perfectly acceptable to ask the surgeon or technician about their training and experience.

Don’t Fear the Needle

The needle that injects the Botox is tiny and nothing to be anxious or stressed about. If you prefer, you can ask for a cold compress to numb the area. However, Botox injections are not painful and do not require any anesthetic.

Avoid Having Treatment the Day of a Big Event

If you want Botox in preparation of a class reunion or wedding, don’t schedule your appointment for the day of the event. It takes a few days for the results to become visible, and you might have minor bruising. If it is your first time having Botox, give yourself a buffer of about a week. If you have it regularly, give yourself three to four days.

Botox Can Treat Hyperhidrosis

Many patients are unaware of the versatility of Botox. For example, it can be injected into the armpits or hands to stop excessive sweating. For more than 10 years, Botox has been safely used to decrease sweat production, and it has received FDA approval for the treatment of hyperhidrosis.

With Extended Use, Botox May Last Longer

Everyone tolerates the injectable differently. However, for some Botox patients, the more treatments they have over time, the less product they need. In general, the secret is to inject the area of interest as soon as you see recovery of the muscle activity. Early intervention will help weakening the muscle. At the end, you will benefit from longer cycles of treatments.

Schedule a Botox Appointment Today

If you are interested in relaxing your forehead muscles with Botox, please schedule an appointment with Dr. Clavijo to learn more. Call ReNova Plastic Surgery today at (412) 638-2391 to make your appointment.

Liposuction remains one of the most popular plastic surgery procedures performed to remove unwanted fat and sculpt targeted areas of the body. But like all surgical procedures, liposuction has risks. Following simple instructions can dramatically reduce the risk of a complications, especially during the recovery period. Managing your expectations can also help ease stress during recovery. Here, Dr. Julio Clavijo-Alvarez of ReNova Plastic Surgeryshares important do’s and don’ts for your liposuction recovery.

Do’s

Do expect some swelling. Swelling is a common side effect during liposuction recovery.

Do wear your compression garment. This garment (which resembles Spanx) puts pressure on the healing tissue and tightens the skin. It can also help to reduce swelling and bruising.

Do take short walks when you feel ready. Moving around (slowly and gently) may reduce the risk of blood clots.

Do call the office if you have a question. The doctor and our staff are always available to answer any questions you have during the recovery process. No question is off-limits — you can ask us anything. We are here to help.

Do eat properly and hydrate your body. Stick to healthy, well-balanced meals and plenty of water to nurture your body as it heals. Also, this gets you in the habit of maintaining your weight so you can enjoy your liposuction results for years to come.

Don’ts

Do not expect immediate results. You will notice slight improvement right after surgery, but it can take several months to enjoy your final results.

Do not take aspirin or other anti-inflammatory medications for pain. These drugs can increase the risk of bleeding and should be avoided. Prescription pain medication given by Dr. Clavijo will optimize your recovery and favor the final outcome.

Do not eat foods high in sodium. Consuming too much salt can worsen swelling and make you look puffy.

Do not smoke or drink as you recover. Nicotine and alcohol can cause complications and are prohibited.

Do not skip a follow-up appointment with Dr. Clavijo. Even if you feel fine, he needs to check your healing progress and make sure everything is on track.

If you have any questions about the information presented here, please contact Dr. Clavijo by calling (412) 638-2391 or sending an email.

As you research body sculpting with liposuction, it is understandable that you will have questions about the procedure, its benefits and its risks. One of the questions that frequently arises in liposuction consultations with Dr. Julio Clavijo-Alvarez at ReNova Plastic Surgery is whether liposuction is painful. Here, the doctor explains the answer in detail.

During Surgery

The surgery itself is not a painful experience. Tumescent anesthesia and oral sedation medications are administered orally or intravenously in order to keep patients comfortable for the duration of the operation. The anesthetic medication numbs the pain receptors and the oral sedation medication puts the patient into a comfortable state. The patient’s vitals are monitored continuously throughout surgery to ensure the medications are administered continually and in safe dosages.

A scenario in which liposuction surgery might be painful is if the procedure is performed by someone other than a plastic surgeon in a shoddy or outdated facility. Luckily, that is not a concern with Dr. Clavijo, a board-certified plastic surgeon that operates in accredited hospitals or surgical centers.

During Recovery

Everyone has a different threshold for pain; some have a very high tolerance and others are more sensitive. However, the vast majority of liposuction patients note that, while they may feel sore (as if they just completed a difficult workout), they don’t generally experience pain. Oral medication is prescribed if a patient starts feeling very uncomfortable. Applying ice packs to the treated area can also help decrease discomfort.

Patients that ignore Dr. Clavijo’s instructions during recovery and push themselves to resume physical exercise or work too soon could experience complications that cause pain. As long as patients follow his directions and limit physical exertion during the recovery period, pain should not be an issue.

A Non-Surgical Alternative to Liposuction

If, after learning more about liposuction, you are still hesitant about having surgery to eliminate unwanted body fat, Dr. Clavijo offers several non-surgical body contouring alternatives, including the revolutionary SculpSure treatment. SculpSure uses a laser to damage fat cells, which are then naturally eliminated from the body. SculpSure does not require anesthesia, incisions or injections, and the recovery downtime is minimal. Though the results may not be as dramatic as liposuction, it is a worthy alternative.

To learn more about SculpSure or liposuction, please schedule a one-on-one consultation with Dr. Clavijo. Call ReNova Plastic Surgery today at (412) 638-2391 to make your appointment.

Facelift surgery, especially when performed by an experienced surgeon who knows how to deliver natural-looking results, has the ability to take up to 10 years off of your appearance. But how do you maintain these beautiful results? Though your skin texture and how quickly it shows signs of aging are largely a matter of genetics, certain lifestyle habits are also key factors that can either hinder or prolong your results. In this blog post, facelift surgeon Dr. Julio Clavijo-Alvarezdiscusses what to do— and what not to do — to keep your skin looking smooth and youthful after facelift surgery.

Tip #1: Follow a Healthy, Balanced Diet

It is a known fact that what you put into your body shows up in your skin, which is why eating foods that are rich in nutrients will help maintain the health of your skin as well as your body. Facelift surgery can do wonders to turn back the clock with your appearance —but it can’t stop the clock altogether. The aging process will still cause skin cell regeneration to move at a slower pace, causing your skin to dry out and sag. This process results in lines and wrinkles forming once again. How can you slow this process down?

A well-balanced diet full of dark, leafy greens, brightly colored fruits and vegetables, complex carbohydrates and lean meats will stimulate and maintain a healthy rate of cell regeneration for your skin, causing it to create new, healthy skin cells and flushing out toxins more efficiently. And with the addition of foods that are rich in antioxidants (think beans, berries and nuts), your skin will have further protection from free-radical damage.

Tip #2: Ditch the Cigarettes

At ReNova Plastic Surgery, Dr. Clavijo-Alvarez recommends to all of his patients who smoke and are undergoing surgery that they stop smoking for at least the few weeks before and after their surgery. Not only does smoking (and other nicotine and tobacco products) hinder the healing process, making the recovery period much longer, but it may also result in wound-healing problems and even skin tissue death. As if this weren’t a good enough reason to throw those cigarettes away, smoking also significantly accelerates the skin’s aging process, breaking down the skin’s elasticity which leads to dull, tired and drooping skin along with deep grooves and fine lines on the face (and particularly around the mouth). The carbon monoxide that cigarettes contain depletes the skin’s nutrients, including vitamin C (which helps the skin repair itself when damaged).

Tip #3: Sun Protection is Key

Exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays breaks down the elastin in the skin, causing it to dry out and lose its youthful buoyancy. The damage caused by sun exposure, especially direct and prolonged exposure, will break down the skin’s fibers, causing brown spots and weakening its structure so that it is more prone to tearing and bruising. To protect your face from the sun (particularly in the first six weeks after surgery), use a sunblock with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 and wear a hat for added protection. And don’t think that you’re in the clear when you go to the tanning bed — the UV radiation used has the same skin-aging effects; so it is best to avoid it altogether.

Want More Facelift Tips?

Would you like to learn more about preserving the beautiful results of facelift surgery, including using top-of-the-line skin care, such as the Zein Obagi line offered at ReNova Plastic Surgery? Contact our practice today when by calling (412) 638-2391.

At ReNova Plastic Surgery, Dr. Julio Clavijo-Alvarez offers both breast augmentation using breast implants and natural breast augmentation using fat transfer (a process that removes fat from another part of the body via liposuction, refines the fat, and then injects it into the breasts). In this blog post, Dr. Clavijo-Alvarez discusses which one might be ideal for you, based on your surgery goals and body type.

When Breast Implants Might Be a Good Choice

Do you want a more dramatic increase in your breast size — say, more than one cup size? Do you have a thinner body type? If the answer to one or both of these questions is yes, then breast implants may be the better choice for you. The advantages of using breast implants over fat transfer are that breast implants can add more volume, provide a better breast shape and allow you to create better symmetry between the breasts (especially when one breast starts out larger than the other).

The use of breast implants also allows you more control over the final size of your breasts than fat transfer. This is because between 50 and 80 percent of the fat transferred to the breasts will be reabsorbed by the body, whereas breast implants won’t change in size or shape over time — even if you gain or lose weight. And if you are slim and have no excess fat to harvest and use for fat transfer, using breast implants is a more realistic option.

When Fat Transfer May Be Right for You

Are your dream breasts just a little bigger than they are right now? Do you have “problem areas” of extra fat on your body that you want to get rid of? If you are looking for a more subtle increase in breast size (one cup size, for example) and you have extra fat on your body, then the natural breast augmentation procedure using fat transfer may be the better option for you.

Some women, especially those with smaller breasts who just want a bit more added volume, prefer the more natural feel of their breasts with fat, instead of an implant, added to them. (Other women, however, may feel that silicone implants mimic the look and feel of natural breasts just as well if not better than fat.) Natural breast augmentation also eliminates the risks involved with placing a foreign object (breast implant) in the body. These risks, though rare, include more serious and uncomfortable problems like capsular contracture (where scar tissue forms around the implant, causing it harden) and rippling, when wrinkles on the surface of the implant can be seen through the skin.

And if a woman has extra fat bulges on her body that she wants to smooth out, the natural breast augmentation procedure is like two body enhancement procedures in one: the slimming, smoothing effects of liposuction coupled with the breast-plumping effects of breast augmentation, for an all around sexier shape.

Call to Schedule Your Consultation

Would you like to discuss your breast enhancement options further with Dr. Clavijo-Alvarez? Why not schedule a consultation with him by calling ReNova Plastic Surgery at (412) 638-2391.

Deciding to have breast augmentation surgery can solicit many different emotions throughout the process, from the preoperative period through recovery. Plastic surgeon Dr. Clavijo-Alvarez has helped countless women feel good about their breasts through his breast augmentation procedures at ReNova Plastic Surgery. He is familiar with the emotional aspects of the process, and is here to help you understand what types of emotions are common for women to have — both before and after surgery.

Emotions That Often Lead to Having Breast Augmentation

A woman who is unhappy with breasts that are smaller than she desired, or that are asymmetrical (where one is larger than the other), may feel insecure and embarrassed; experience low self-esteem and/or intimacy issues; and avoid certain types of clothing and activities. Many women who were once satisfied with their breast size and shape find themselves unhappy with the sagging and “deflating” effects that things like pregnancy and weight loss has had on their once round, firm breasts.

Common Emotions While Adjusting To Your New Body

Just like any life change, it may take some time for you to adjust to your new body — not just physically but emotionally. This process is different for every patient — some have an easier time adjusting, while others experience a rollercoaster of emotions for a short time. These feelings, the result of the body’s reaction to the stress of surgery (a reaction common for any type of invasive surgery, while the body is recovering), are usually temporary, not lasting longer than a few weeks, at the most. Feelings can range from sadness and anxiety to elation. If you feel this way, be assured that it is normal and will pass. If, however, it lasts more than a few weeks, you may wish to see a doctor as this could be a sign of a separate issue, like depression.

Having fully adjusted to their new breasts from breast augmentation, many women report having better self-confidence, which affects every part of their life, from their social life to their personal life, and even on into the bedroom. A small word of caution, however: though loving the look of your new breasts can do wonders for boosting your self-image, it shouldn’t be your sole source of self-esteem. This is why it is so important to have realistic expectations of the surgery beforehand, and not expect it to solve all of your self-esteem problems.

Learn More about Breast Augmentation

Dr. Clavijo-Alvarez offers both traditional breast augmentation (with breast implants) and natural breast enlargement (using fat transfer from a patient’s body) at his practice, ReNova Plastic Surgery. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Clavijo-Alvarez, call (412) 638-2391.