VITALITY INSTITUTE

Dr. Kalil and the Vatility Institute staff welcome questions from patients and encourage them to participate in their commitment to health and beauty. This FAQ section addresses just some of patient's common concerns.

DR. KALIL RESPONDS

-I have sun damage on my face, neck, chest and hands. What can be done?

With aging, we will all get sun damage just from living, but the level of damage will depend mainly on 3 factors:

1-Genetic: pertaining to race in general. Some of us are simply born with skin that that deals well with the sun and other damaging factors over the years.
2-Enviromental: relating to lifestyle in general; whether one is a smoker or non- smoker; the degree and length of exposure to the sun or tanning beds; and other factors.
3-Personal habits: this relates to how one has treated their skin; the level of protection you gave your skin; the type of maintenance and repair you’ve utilized.

We have ample advice for the 2ND factor that mainly calls for moderation, rather than extremes or prohibition. As for factor 3, it is very important to stimulate the skin in such a way as to entice and force the skin itself to increase its turn over and thus, regenerate more and with younger and less damaged cells and therefore, better skin overall.

When it comes to stimulation, nothing comes close to – in multiple and specific ways - to stimulating the skin like the chemical peels. Of course, the new generation of peels that almost completely eliminates the pain of the conventional peels, along with no down time. This is vital and fitting for the fast-paced lives the present times impose on us. But most of all, drum roll please…the kind of results we now see are too good to be true in relation to the simplicity and speed with which the new pees produce results and, in just a few days.

We will say it again: it is too good to be true, but the beauty of the whole process is that it only takes 2 minutes and less than 7 days later, you will be able to judge for yourself, seeing the results and realizing that what we’ve promised has been delivered. Everyone around you will notice. Even if you started with beautiful skin, it will only get prettier. Wouldn’t you like to know the truth about everything – like relationships - in less than 7 days?? How many bad marriages could have been avoided!!

-Botox vs. fillers. What’s the difference? How long do they last?

Botulinum toxin, is a toxin, (duh). Derived originally from a bacteria, it causes a temporary paralysis of the muscles. When the muscle stops moving or having tone underneath, the skin on top of it relaxes. Typically, it is injected into areas where excessive movement causes the skin to wrinkle, especially when the skin has lost its elasticity. Typical areas of injection are the forehead, between the eyebrows or glabellas, and around the eyes (crow’s feet and some crows seem to have more feet than others..)

The lines in those areas are called dynamic lines as they are caused by movement.
The toxin effect usually last from 3 to 6 months, according to lifestyle mostly, Active lifestyles seem to shorten the duration of action, especially excessive exposure to heat or sun.

The fillers, as the name clearly say, are substances that, when injected into the skin, will fill a space and create volume. The typical, and well antiquated, filler has been collagen. Fillers will work to create volume either to shape lips, cheeks or others, or a volume to lift depressive lines or areas.

Most fillers used today are temporary, beside silicone, which means they disappear from the skin, gradually, over a period of time relative to each product.
Most will last 3 months to 1 year and the areas injected also affect durability as a couple of them have a tendency to last longer. Discuss this in more details with your skin shrink.

-I have acne scarring and brown discoloration spots on my face. What can I do?

A combination of customized peels and strategically placed fillers will, from the first session, show you dramatic improvement. Stimulation takes time and perfect results will take a little longer when we deal with acne scarring.

-I hate the long lines on both sides of my face and mouth. Can I fill these?

If those lines are the ones associated and aggravated by usual movements, such as laughing or chewing, a few things can be done depending on the degree of damage and how involved the patient wants the treatment to be. From milder to aggressive treatment, we would use fillers, chemical peel light to heavier, strategically placed Botulinum Toxin, and finally aggressive intradermotherapy.

As with everything else in aesthetic medicine, the best results will come from clever and synergistic use of all the above to achieve the most dramatic, but still natural, results.

-How do I get rid of lines on my forehead and between my eyes? I always looked tired.

Easy breezy! This is the prime area for the Botulinum Toxin, and some of the easiest facial lines to deal with. So easy we usually propose to do it blindfolded (yes, kidding). The ones between the eyes, the one or two heavy depressions in the middle, might need the additional use of fillers according to severity.

-My lips are too small and I have lines above and below. What can I do?

For lip size, of course we have all kind of fillers available. The lines above the lips, we call them smoker’s lines whether you smoke or not!

Basically those lines will be inflicted upon all sooner or later, according to genetics, lifestyle and smoking habits. They are due to the loss of volume, by atrophy, of all components of normal tissue with age. This leaves the skin sort of looking less than full, with lost elasticity and thinning of the skin. Both factors that lead to lines can occur early on at each pouting movement but mostly occur during normal speech. Those lines become permanently visible, even when one is at rest as the aging process continues. Fortunately, we can eliminate them completely, again employing synergistic methods including fillers, Botulinum toxin and the V.I.Peel

-I always look tired. How can I get rid of dark circles?

Dark circles are caused by 1 or 2 factors:
1- Pigmentation, racial or not. For this, the V.I .Peel or any depigmenting treatment will help.
2-Thinning of the skin and falling of cheeks exposing the deep veinous plexus that reflects as dark circle. Fillers can create thickness, and help burry the veins deeper, making them less visible at the skin surface. We have some other methods as well.

-I am unhappy with my neck and my chin. What can I do?

This depends on the underlying problem but we do have multiple solutions and they range from injections to melt the fat or to stimulate and tighten the skin to intradermotherapy, chemical peels and the new SSL’s (suture suspension lifts) that have become successful in the non surgical lifting of the face and neck.

-How long can I put off having a facelift?

Forever. It, all depends on your expectations. Improvement is easily attained and can progressively be modulated to lifestyle and desire. We will show you in 7 days or less a considerable improvement and with a personalized maintenance program, you will only become younger week after week.

-My eyes age me. They look hollow. I am afraid of fat injections?

Why use fat that need extraction? Unless you are undergoing a liposuction, this is unpredictable and thus, might disappear in an unpredictable way that can leave visible lumps or asymmetry. We simply open a box and use some of the finest, safest and smoothest fillers and inject them into a thin and unforgiving skin.

-Why is Dr. Kalil’s peel the V.I. (or VIP) Peel different from an AHA Peel?
And how often should I do the peel to maintain my skin?

AHA peels are similar to all other peels in conforming to the general rule “no real pain or downtime, no real results.”

Our peel, using the synergy of almost all possible modes of actions to chemically stimulate the skin, will produce absolutely, results never seen before in less than 7 days.

Would you like to take the peel challenge??

-I can’t afford downtime. How long for recovery after the V.I. Peel?
And can I go in the sun?

There is no real recovery time for the client, but a recovery time for the skin. The degree of visibility of the peel will evolve from almost invisible to a 2-3 day period where some fluffing and a slight or mild redness might be seen. In our experience, this is easily concealable with the simple use of a moisturizer.
For customized peels, refer to doctor.

You can go in the sun immediately if you wish so. The only days that are an absolute “no no”, are the 2 or 3 days of fluffing, where the skin is exposed unevenly and is extra sensitive. After the peel is finished, sun can be enjoyed with increased moderation as long as it is also reasonably protected. For a full blast tan, wait only 14 days.

-Feather Lift (threadlift) vs. Curl Lift. What are the pros and cons?

The technical differences - in medical terms - have been published recently in a medical journal, peer reviewed, state that the difference is that the featherlifts and its sisters (and it has many such as the contour threads) are not lasting at all and that the hold is very poor.

But the most important and essential difference is that the first ones involve placing suture threads in the skin on the face, causing in many cases permanent and visible tracks under the skin. This is a horrific risk for no results on top of that.

Whereas the Sutures Suspension Lifts, pioneered by us, and to which the curl lift is one of the earlier innovations, are procedures that use a needle exclusively in the scalp area and the hair line.