Voluma, What’s New 2015 ? @PerskySunderFacialPlasticSurgery After de Maio Master Injector Technique Course

“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.

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

We continue to be amazed at the rejuvenating effect that properly used Voluma has on the appearance and well being of our patients. Every day a patient will present saying that, “I’m looking so much older all of a sudden, my under eyes look tired, my cheeks are flat, I have vertical crepe skin lines running down my cheeks, and I hate my jawline and neck! My clients are asking me why I am so tired.”

We educate our patients that these are the normal signs of aging and that they are not alone. As more facial bone and facial fat are lost, the overlying skin and muscle does not have the same support that it had in the past. By strategically placing Voluma, there is an immediate and long lasting rejuvenation, that without exception leads to a “Wow!” once the patient looks in the mirror. A recent patient shared how she was “feeling down”. After the 20 minute treatment with two syringes of Voluma her instant smile, change of attitude, and happiness was most gratifying.

As with any facial cosmetic treatment, procedure, or surgery, it is most important to choose your treating physician very carefully based on artistic vision, experience, skill, and caring nature. Voluma and other fillers are not commodities, rather it is the unique technique, vision, and ability of the injector that leads to excellent, lasting results.

The “Voluma Perk-Up” is one of the very nice perks for us as facial plastic surgeons. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns that you may have regarding facial aesthetics. Be well, and remember, smiling is the best form of facial plastic surgery!

Dr. Persky and Dr. de Maio at Voluma de Maio Master Injection Technique Course

Drs. Persky and Sunder are certified Voluma de Maio Technique Master Injectors. Our patients, staff, and physicians have been impressed with the ability of Voluma to re-volumize the face. Amazing, almost magical transformations can be created using this unique revolutionary filler.

Voluma is a hyaluronic acid (like Juvederm) which because of chemical cross-linking can last up to two years, and is able to lift lax facial tissue immediately better than any other FDA approved filler. It has

Dr. Persky and Dr. de Maio at Voluma de Maio Master Injection Technique Course

been used safely worldwide since 2008 (Mauricio de Maio,MD San Paulo, Brazil has written a book on his experience, and personally trained both Dr. Persky and Dr. Sunder). It was FDA approved for use in the USA and we have been using it since December, 2013.

Voluma is approved for “on label” use on the bones of the cheek, creating natural volumization and curves that transition the cheeks, eyes, nasolabial folds, and even the jaw line. We are now using the product “off-label” in the subcutaneous tissues of the face, it can even be diluted for use in the lips and other areas. It can be injected with non-traumatic blunt tipped canullas with decreased discomfort and minimal bruising. It is
“Hollywood’s New Facial Aesthetic Secret” for looking naturally great.

Voluma is more costly than other fillers because of it’s unique lifting qualities and it’s up to two year effects. The only limiting factor to re-creation of the youthful facial fullness of decades past is the cost of the product and the artistic vision, skill, and experience of the injecting physician. Fortunately for our patients, both Dr. Persky and Dr. Sunder share a natural “da Vinci” artistic vision of classical facial proportions (The Golden or Phi Ratio), are both long time experienced aesthetic injectors, and are Master Voluma injectors. Beautiful, natural results can be obtained with proper use of Voluma. We like to combine Voluma with other fillers such as Sculptra when indicated for patients with volume loss throughout their face.

Dr. Persky has recently presented lectures on Voluma and Sculptra at Vegas Cosmetic Surgery 2014 and State of the Art in Facial Aesthetics 2014 (Atlanta, GA).

Please feel free to contact us with any questions that you may have regarding facial aesthetics. It is our goal to help our patients achieve their facial aesthetic goals in the most effective, safe, comfortable, and natural manner. Be well!