Cost/Benefit Analysis of Injectable Treatments

When the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Botox Cosmetic injectionsin 2001, it ushered in a new era in plastic surgery.  What followed was a boom in injectablecosmetic treatments has driven the plastic surgery industry.  According to American Society of PlasticSurgeons (ASPS) statistics, the number of Botox injections performed was triplethat of all surgical procedures performed last year. And injectable facialfillers--which began with collagen injections, but have since expanded toinclude Radiesse, Juvéderm, and others--havenow grown to be as popular as all surgical procedures combined.  Overall, injectable treatments have increasedtheir popularity by over four times from 2001 to 2008, while the number ofsurgical procedures has decreased slightly.

The surge in injectable treatments is due first to thenumerous significant advantages they offer, but they also have significantdrawbacks.  This article looks at theirbenefits and disadvantages.

Benefits ofInjectable Treatments

There are two main types of injectable treatments available:  Botox and facial fillers.  Botox can treat facial wrinkles that are dueto the habitual action of muscles, such as many forehead wrinkles, crows' feet,and lipstick or smokers' lines around the mouth.  Facial fillers like Restylane can treat anothertype of wrinkles due to the loss of facial volume or the displacement of fatpads in the face.  When usedappropriately, all injectable treatments give very good localized results.

The main benefits of injectable treatments are:

·        They are low-risk

·        They are performed quickly

·        They have little to no down-time

·        Most show almost immediate results

Theexception to the last point is Sculptra, which is aspecial case.  Sculptra is a treatmentthat stimulates your body to produce its own filler.  It takes several treatments, but when resultsappear, they are longer-lasting and are your own tissue.

Drawbacks ofInjectable Treatments

On the other hand, injectable treatments have manydrawbacks, including:

·        Limited results

·        May require several treatments to achievedesired effect

·        Temporary results

Most injectables only treat very specific, localizedconditions.  They either paralyze musclescausing wrinkles or fill in local wrinkly areas.  And there are some things injectabletreatments cannot do for you.  They docure loose, sagging, or excess skin, except in very minor cases.  They do not cure puffy eyelids, turkey neck,hanging jowls, or sagging brows.  Rejuvenationin several regions requires multiple injections.

Most important of all, results from injectable treatmentsare temporary.  A surgical procedure likea facelift or blepharoplastymay give great-looking results that last 5-10 years, but injectable treatmentsgenerally last only 4-6 months, although some may last a year or more.

Are InjectableTreatments for You?

If you are looking for temporary or localized results thatdo not involve getting rid of excess skin or repositioning facial tissues, theninjectable treatments are definitely for you. On the other hand, if you have large or multiple areas that needtreatment, have excess skin, or are looking for long-term results, you shouldconsider facial plastic surgery. 

It's important to consider the real cost of injectabletreatments.  On average, a Botoxinjection costs about $400, and hyaluronic acid fillers like Juvéderm costabout $600.  A forehead lift costs about$3200, and a facelift about $6000.  Ifyou get Botox injections instead of a forehead lift, thecost equals out in four years, and fillers and facelifts cost the same afterfive years.  A good surgical proceduregives results that last at least five years, and in many cases as long as ten.  Over the long term, surgery is morecost-effective, even if you have to get financing for yourplastic surgery.