Michael Persky MD Archives

Sarmela Sunder, MD and Michael Persky, MD are honored to be among what many aesthetic experts consider the leading multi-speciality faculty ever assembled at one event, The 11’th anniversary of Vegas Cosmetic Surgery and Aesthetic Dermatology—A Multi-Speciality Symposium chaired by S. Randolph Waldman, MD ((Lexington, KY), Renato Saltz, MD (Salt Lake City, UT), and most spirited Donn Chatham, MD (Louisville, KY). Dr. Persky will present “Is There a Role for Non-Invasive Lifting in a Surgical Practice and What is That Role?”, will moderate session on “Non-Invasive Strategies”, and will participate in a round table discussion between world aesthetic experts. Dr. Sunder will present “Why it is Important to Offer Micro-Neeling in a Surgical Practice”, and moderate an aesthetic session. Micro-needling with platelet rich plasma is one of the latest and effective treatments to improve the skin.

Vegas Cosmetic Surgery was initiated to foster a spirit of cooperation and understanding between the four “core” specialties that are primarily involved in the science, practice and teaching of aesthetic surgery and medicine. The Symposium hosts the leading educators and teachers in the fields of facial plastic surgery, plastic surgery, dermatology, and oculoplastic surgery.

Thirty years ago, the original multi-speciality symposium chaired by George Brennan, MD and Dr. Waldman was held in Newport Beach, CA where candid exchanges of facial plastic surgery new ideas and treatments were exchanged in a relaxed and most beautiful atmosphere (think Laguna Art Festival Pageant of the Masters). It is where Dr. Persky first heard about collagen, liposuction, and Botox to name a few things. As it grew, the symposium moved to Las Vegas, but maintained it’s collegial and cutting edge nature.

persky sunder black and white Drs. Persky and Sunder look forward to sharing their experience as well as most importantly learning from others. This is one instance when what happens in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas!

See you when we return. Be well and enjoy your summer!
Dr. Michael Persky and Dr. Sarmela Sunder are located in Encino, California and Beverly Hills, California but service all of Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. Including, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Hancock Park, Brentwood, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Calabasas, Woodland Hills, Tarzana, Westlake, Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills, La Canada, Pasadena, and more. Please subscribe to our blog by clicking the link above, right, and “Like” us on Facebook. Thank you! + Michael Persky

Mary: Is that… is that hair gel? From “There’s Something About Mary“

We have just returned from Phoenix, Arizona this weekend where the Sculptra Aesthetic Training and Education Relaunch Advisory Board was held. About 20 of the world’s top Sculptra injectors met to discuss their vast experience with the use of Sculptra. We were humbled and honored to be included with these brilliant, creative, artistic aesthetic physicians.

oxman sculptra Sculptra (Galderma; Dallas, TX a subsidary of Nestle; Vivey, Switzerland) is Poly-L Lactic Acid (PLLA), the same material that make up absorbable sutures. Sculptra has been used since 1999, was first FDA approved to stimulate volume in patients with HIV lipodystrophy in 2001 in the US. It was approved for cosmetic use in the US in 2004. Sculptra is safe, effective, and has many benefits.

We have found the use of Sculptra to be among the best values of facial rejuvenation because of it’s long lasting nature as well as the ability to treat the entire face. Though Sculptra is used in patient of all ages, it is best to begin Sculptra treatments in young patients as less is needed and the aesthetic benefits are quickly seen. Our faces begin to lose volume (bone and fat) from about 25 years old on. A vial of Sculptra properly placed can reverse the earliest signs of facial aging…mid-face hollowing, hints of jowls, and sagging jaw line.

Sculptra patients look younger. Among the best candidates for Sculptra are athletic wasted faces, post-face lift patients, and patients 45 years old or younger with mid face volume loss, especially men. Sculptra is a unique product in that it provides both lifting and tightening of the face and neck. It not only stimulates mcrae sculptra increased volume in the face, but there is a “Sculptra Glow” of the skin. With Sculptra patients get the benefits of many products combined resulting in improved facial structure and skin improvement. In thin skinned patients with dynamic smile/sleep lines on the sides of their face/cheeks, Sculptra can correct these difficult to treat lines and improve the quality of the skin long term.

Along with improved general skin quality, Sculptra most impressively corrects acne scars. It is also being used to improve the skin and lines of the decollette` and to rejuvenate hands. It is being applied topically after fractionated CO2 laser treatment to markedly improve laser results. We have found that patient results with Sculptra are greater when the patient commits to an excellent skin care product regime during and after their treatment.

The key differentiator of Sculptra is that it stimulates the patient’s own collagen production resulting in natural volume replacement. It is also unique Sculptra male in that the effects of Sculptra occur gradually over weeks to months, and then the results are the longest of any non-permanent facial filler. It is also the only facial volume injectable that heat devices such as Ulthera and lasers can be used over. In fact, we have found that the effects of each of these treatments are exponentially increased when used together!

Sculptra is well suited to allow those of us expert in facial evaluation and aesthetics to use our artistic vision treat the whole face and attain natural beautiful results for our patients.

An article in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery Jan/Feb 2015 by HH Chen, et.al. has documented the quantitative effectiveness of Sculptra over a long time period. The incidence of complications and adverse events with Sculptra are minimal because of the knowledge and experience of it’s use over the years.

There is “something about Sculptra” that has made it one of the best choices for both men and women of all ages to look younger and improve the long term quality of their skin. Should you have any questions about Sculptra please feel free to contact us. Be well!

Dr. Michael Persky and Dr. Sarmela Sunder are located in Encino, California and Beverly Hills, California but service all of Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. Including, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Hancock Park, Brentwood, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Calabasas, Woodland Hills, Tarzana, Westlake, Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills, La Canada, Pasadena, and more. Please subscribe to our blog by clicking the link above, right, and “Like” us on Facebook. Thank you! + Michael Persky

“Beautiful young people are accidents of nature. Beautiful older people are works of art” Eleanor Roosevelt

Voluma is revolutionizing facial plastic surgery and facial aesthetics. Sarmela Sunder, MD and Michael Persky, MD were privileged to attend Dr. Mauricio de Maio’s “Master Course” in Los Angeles, CA this week.

Voluma (Actavis, formally Allergan), a cross-linked hyaluronic acid is the only injectable filler that is strong enough to correct facial sagging. Sagging as we all know is a nasty word, and an even nastier term when applied to ourselves. In the past, injectable fillers have been directed towards correcting lines and wrinkles. Let’s face it (no pun intended), as Dr. di Maio asks, “Would you rather have someone tell you that your face has lines or tell you that your face is saggy?” Voluma corrects saggy!!! Along with correcting saggy, lines and wrinkles improve as well.

At the eight hour live injection session we were privileged to inject 6 women in their 40’s under the guidance of the artistic and experienced eye of Dr. di Maio. Using Voluma in the most efficient, safe, and effective manner combining our injection skills and artistic vision along with Dr. di Maio’s almost 10 year experience of injecting Voluma (FDA approved for use in the US only since Dec 2014) by the end of the injection session all 6 women were extremely pleased with what 2-3 cc of Voluma did for them. Here is the text message that we received the following day, “Hi Dr. P!! I LOOOOVE everything!!! Thank you so much!!….”

Each Voluma patient was asked what they liked best about their cosmetic result. Amazingly, every patient commented about how they loved how their jawline and neck appeared to be lifted. They also loved how Voluma lifted their eyebrows and improved the appearance of their eyes. These effects resulting from knowing where and how to inject Voluma in the proper anatomic location to maximize it’s lifting capability. The knowledge and experience gained this under Dr. di Maio’s tutelage will greatly benefit our patients going forward.

Another important benefit of The Master Course is knowing where to not inject filler in patients, the so called “No Go Zones” to avoid causing sagging, nasolabial fold “sausages”, and the dreaded “apple cheek.” As Dr. di Maio stated in his Brazilian accent, “No human being should be made to look saggy by our treatments.”

Knowledge of the proper facial anatomy is essential for safe injections and minimizing the risk of adverse events. Dr. di Maio drew out the important facial landmarks including blood vessels, nerves, muscles, fat pads, and bones on live models. Once again, as with all aesthetic procedures, it’s not just the product, but it is how it is used, the technique and philosophy of it’s use! Hence the importance of choosing your facial plastic surgeon most carefully.

Voluma, when used properly by experienced, skilled injectors with natural artistic
vision, is a true aesthetic game changer, reversing the effects of gravity on the face and neck. It is our firm belief that every patient above the age of 30 years old can benefit from Voluma. In this day of selfies and iPads/iPhones, women in their 30’s are seeing the signs of loose skin, early signs of jowls, and mid-face hollowness. Voluma can replace lost structure, restoring the foundation that keeps our skin in place, even when we tilt our head down. Try it yourself. Look in the mirror with your chin to your chest. Now check out your jawline and jowls. In youth, facial and neck skin stays where it belongs even when looking down, but as we age, it folds and falls. Worse yet, the older we get the more things fall and sag. Now we finally have an answer that defies gravity, Voluma! By the way, when taking those selfies, always take them from above, you will thank us for that! As Dr. di Maio said, our Voluma treatment goal is for you to “Live Your Life, Tilt Your Head Down!” and “To not look saggy when using your iPad!”

Voluma is stronger and lasts longer than all other fillers, therefore it costs more than other fillers. In premier practices such as Persky Sunder Facial Plastic Surgery, you are receiving not only Voluma, but most importantly you benefit from our technique and philosophy of it’s use. We are among a select few of Voluma experts in the United States, having injected over 500 syringes last year and having attended five di Maio Master Voluma Courses. For those able to afford complete corrective Voluma treatment, dramatic rejuvenating results are obtained in a 30 minute treatment session. For those on limited budgets, The Master Course has given us the tools to treat sequentially over time and multiple visits, using Voluma in the area where our patients get their biggest bang for their buck. When their budget allows for more, we add on to their correction with further strategic placements of Voluma. Voluma lasts up to two years when the proper volume is used.

Feel free to contact us with any questions that you may have regarding Voluma, facial plastic surgery, or natural beauty in general. Be well.

Restylane Silk best

Restylane Silk is a unique hyaluronic acid facial filler that appears to be the best treatment for lip lines and natural lip augmentation. Galderma recently invited top facial filler injecting physicians from around the world to Dallas, TX for the Galderma Aesthetic Injection Network (GAIN) to certify them to become Restylane Silk (and other product) trainers. Dr. Michael Persky was honored and privileged to be among those at the GAIN conference.

Persky Sunder Facial Plastic Surgery is among the first practices in the US and California to use Restylane Silk. The product has been used in Canada, Europe, and outside the US for about 5 years. It differs from Restylane and Perlane as it’s hyaluronic acid particles are filtered to be the smallest among facial fillers. The tiny size of the particles allows Restylane Silk to naturally spread where it is injected, resulting in a very natural smooth filling of lines and wrinkles. It is a very soft product. It can be used by itself to augment lips and to take care of those most difficult to treat vertical (smoker’s) lip lines.

In the study that resulted in US FDA approval for Restylane Silk, ninety-eight percent of subjects reported improvement in their lip fullness 14 days after injection and 76% of the subjects still had lip improvement 6 months after their injection. Experienced Canadian plastic surgeon Arthur Swift, MD stated that his experience is that it lasts close to nine months.

Dr. Persky is injecting this amazing product now and feels that it is a unique product that adds to the ability to create naturally beautiful lips. It is FDA approved and available only to a very limited number of healthcare professionals.

As with all facial aesthetic procedures, the most important aspect of the treatment or product is making sure that you choose your treating physician most carefully, based on their skill, training, experience, and artistic vision.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions that you may have regarding Restylane Silk. Be well!

persky selfie Seems like we have seen at least 10 social media articles a day since Thanksgiving asking, “Are Selfies Leading to More Plastic Surgery Procedures?” The answer is a resounding, “Yes!!!” E’nuff said!

Social media sites Facebook, Instagram (owned by Facebook), Twitter, and others have millions of self taken images for both the subject and the world to see. Add to that the online dating sites, and “looking’ good” has never been more popular.

The focus of the face should be on the eyes, the “windows to the soul.” Selfies, because they are by definition taken by the person in the image, are taken from bad angles which usually accentuate any minor facial flaw, drawing attention away from the subjects eyes. This leads patients to seek treatment of what bothers them on their selfie photo.

Whether it is something minor that is corrected non-invasively with a few units of Botox or a syringe of Voluma, or something that requires surgery such as rhinoplasty to remove a hump from the nose, or a mini-face/neck lift for the jowls and neck, the treatment should result in a natural appearance that returns the focus of the face to the subject’s eyes.

When choosing your facial plastic surgeon, take your time, do your due diligence, and make your decision based on their skill, experience, and most importantly their natural artistic vision.

As for my selfie above, fortunately there is a double standard in our society whereby men can get away with more aging, thus I will just perform and write about more facial plastic surgical procedures based on my selfie rather than seek treatment for that funny looking face. Be well!

Michael Persky, MD and Sarmela Sunder, MD are Voluma injection experts (certified in The deMaio Voluma Master Injection Technique), and have the greatest experience injecting Voluma in the area. Voluma immediately replaces lost volume in the face. We have attached a few videos about Voluma to this blog post for our patients educational benefit.

Voluma was FDA approved for use in the USA in December 2013, but has been a favorite filler in Europe since 2008 as demonstrated in this video:

Our New York City aesthetic dermatology colleague Doris Day, MD demonstrates Voluma injections on the Bethnaey Frankel Show below:

Shino Bay Aguilera, Miami, FL demonstrates his “Rejuva-Lift” technique with Voluma, and using Sculptra along with Voluma:

Lastly, our facial plastic surgeon colleague Steven Weiner, MD, Destin, FL shares a patient testimonial of his 64 year old patient:

Our patients at Persky Sunder Facial Plastic Surgery love the natural results that Voluma gives our patients. Please feel free to contact us with any questions that you may have regarding facial plastic surgery. Be well.

Michael A. Persky, MD, Mauricio de Maio, MD @ de Maio Voluma Masters Technique Course

The more beautiful they are, the harder they fall…for Voluma that is. Voluma continues to amaze. For that instant “pick me up” there is nothing in the history of man that immediately gives a “Wow” when the mirror is looked into. Treating several very beautiful women who are attractively even more beautiful with a little Voluma in the right place. Most fortunate to have early US experience with Mauricio de Maio, MD Sao Paulo, Brazil, de Maio Voluma Masters Injection Technique certification. Voluma is usually thought of as a great filler to replace cheek volume in aging faces. It is amazing at just that, but anywhere from 2 to 6 cc may be needed for optimal aesthetic results.

Getting back to beautiful women who are first seeing the earliest signs of facial volume loss, particularly in the mid-face, under the eyes, around the mouth, with 1-2 cc of Voluma, wow, beauty more so! We have treated over 400 happy Voluma patients. Most grateful to all of you, be well!
Dr. Michael Persky and Dr. Sarmela Sunder are located in Encino, California and Beverly Hills, California but service all of Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. Including, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Hancock Park, Brentwood, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Calabasas, Woodland Hills, Tarzana, Westlake, Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills, La Canada, Pasadena, and more. Please subscribe to our blog by clicking the link above, right, and “Like” us on Facebook. Thank you! + Michael Persky

The world has lost a great woman, plastic surgery has lost it’s best spokeswoman, rest in peace funny lady, may your soul be bound to eternal life. Our deepest condolences to her friends and family.

Ms. Rivers wrote a patient’s guide to plastic surgery after consulting with 26 plastic surgeons, “Men Are Stupid…and They Like Big Boobs!”

Joan Rivers on Plastic Surgery:

“My face is falling so fast that when my gynecologist examines me he wears a hard hat!”

“Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can pay for the plastic surgery.”

“When they bury me and dig me up, they’ll discover I’m absolutely non-biodegradable and non-recyclable.”

“I want to get cloned so that I can see what I look like without all the plastic surgery.”

“My motto is “Better a new face coming out of an old car than an old face coming out of a new car.” Spend your money on you.”

“I wish I had a twin, so I could know what I’d look like without plastic surgery.”

“I’ve had so much plastic surgery, when I die they will donate my body to Tupperware.”

“Looking 50 is great – if you’re 60.”

“I’m never without a bandage.”

“The only way I can get a man to touch me at this age is plastic surgery. And I want to be awake!”

“No more Botox for me. Betty White’s bowels move more than my face.”

“I saw what’s going on under my chin. I don’t want to be the one the president has to pardon on Thanksgiving.”

We will miss you.

Voluma is a revolutionary facial filler that takes years off one’s appearance in a 10 minute injection session, as long as it is injected properly. The absolute best candidate for Voluma treatment is a relatively young person who is seeing the earliest signs of aging in their face. Young patients see dramatic improvement with minimal Voluma (Voluma works well for all ages, but the older the patient, usually the more syringes are necessary.)

We all know that “tired look” as our cheek begins to deflate because of natural volume loss. The cheek has a mild depression from the nasal corner of the eye obliquely to the mid-cheek. This also accentuates the early hollow under the eyelids, the nasolabial fold “laugh lines”, and even premature jowling.

Young patients with these very early signs of aging respond extremely well to strategically placed Voluma. It usually only takes 1 or 2 syringes of Voluma to re-create youthful, natural beauty. The injections are relatively painless. It is most important that patients who are contemplating Voluma make sure to choose their injecting physician most carefully. As with all facial aesthetic procedures, the results should look natural and not “done” or “plastic.” This is accomplished by choosing a well trained physician injector who is skilled, experienced, and has a natural artistic vision of beauty.

Both of our physicians, Sarmela Sunder, MD and Michael Persky, MD are among only a few of US Voluma de Maio Voluma Master Injection Technique trained physicians. They have the most experience injecting Voluma in their area,injecting the most Voluma since it was FDA approved December 2013 (over 300 syringes injected). What we love the most about Voluma treatment is the invariable “Wow!” that patients share when they see themselves in the mirror the first time following the injection.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions that you may have regarding Voluma or any other facial cosmetic procedures. Be well.

2015 Vegas Cosmetic Surgery and Aesthetic Dermatology—A Multi-Speciality Symposium

Virtual Appointments And Consultations Are Available