KISS AND TELL

Hollywood has long understood the power of a perfect pouty lip, leaving everyone asking, "What options do I have to obtain that perfect celebrity pout?"

Full and pouty lips are associated with youth, beauty and sensuality. With Valentine's Day around the corner, many want to have those beautiful, kissable lips without the pain and tingling of a lip plumper. If you are looking to enhance the size and shape of your lips, there are many options that will leave you feeling plumped, soft, sensual and naturally stunning.

The ideal lip has a defined border, and the upper lip is smaller than the lower lip. As we age, collagen and fat start to disappear and the lip border breaks down, revealing a less youthful pout. Many different approaches have been introduced to the market for patients searching for that full sensual lip they may have once had or have always wished for. Though lip liner can accentuate the lip size to a certain extent, only so much can be "drawn on." When filling the lip, it is important to keep a natural look by enhancing the border of the lip while keeping the upper lip approximately 75% as full as the lower lip. Anything larger and you can obtain the "ducky look." You also want to be careful not to over-treat lip wrinkles above the lip, because again, this can result in a less natural and more "ducky" look. At VITAHL, we are known for our advanced injection techniques that keep your lips looking natural and like your best you. We can achieve this with fillers or a combination of treatments to best meet your goals.

Juvederm: Popular for instantly plumping lips, Juvederm restores volume and fullness. This smooth gel filler is made of hyaluronic acid which is naturally found in the body, hydrating and adding volume to areas injected.

Botox: Small doses of Botox can be used to evert the lips. When injected into certain parts of the lip muscle, the selective weakening makes the lips roll out to some extent. This leaves you with the appearance of fuller lips. Combining Botox and Juvederm in the lips maximizes the longevity of the Juvederm treatment.

Laser Genesis: A favorite treatment of Hollywood A-listers, this fabulous laser treatment will not only get you red carpet ready, but it can leave your pout looking more plumped. A secret tip - Laser Genesis stimulates collagen in the lips as well as in the skin.

Fat Transfer: For a longer lasting option to achieve that perfect pout, many are turning to fat transfer. This procedure involves transferring your own fat to your lips in order to enhance the appearance. Although this is a more expensive alternative than other lip plumping options, it does last longer and uses your own fat.

Call us at 303.388.7380 to schedule a consultation to see which lip enhancement treatment will give you that perfect pout.

Warm Regards,

IS YOUR SKIN FIT?

As we step into 2012, many of us are making resolutions to get our bodies fit, but are we working to get our skin fit? While getting our bodies in shape may not be easy, we all know we need to eat well and work out in order to keep our bodies healthy and fit. Once our bodies are at our ideal shape, we need to keep ourselves fit with maintenance. Our skin also needs to be kept fit and healthy.

Skin fitness can be broken into three categories – preventing damage, treating damage, and maintaining skin health. To prevent your skin from looking unfit or unhealthy, we all need to be using sun block each day. We also can prevent wrinkles using Botox and lasers. Once we are at the point where we can see the signs of sun damage, including brown spots, redness and wrinkles, we need to start treating our skin to get skin fit. These treatments should be tailored to meet each patient’s skin fit goals, and are best achieved with combination therapy using Botox, lasers, and dermal fillers. Finally, as with our bodies, our skin also needs maintenance treatments to keep our skin healthy.

We too wish there was a one time treatment that would fix all of our skin care issues, but as there is no miracle pill to keep our bodies fit, there is also no one-step treatment that will keep our skin fit forever. At VITAHL, we know how important it is to keep your skin healthy and we know that skin fitness can be costly. For this reason, we offer VITAHL’s SkinFit^TM Membership. For $99 per month, you get a Free Microdermabrasion or Chemical Peel, first access to new treatments offered at VITAHL, and discounts on treatments and products every day. No longer do you have to wait for monthly specials. Now you can get your skin fit while saving every day at VITAHL.

Happy New Year

2012 has arrived, and the first things we think about are our New Year's resolutions. We all make mistakes and have regrets, but no longer do you have to say "what’s done is done." With a new year comes a new YOU, and with the latest technological advances, VITAHL's highly experienced and knowledgeable staff can help you rewind time and erase those unfortunate decisions.

Are you regretting those delicious holiday snacks? You can get a jump-start trimming those excess inches you put on during the holidays with our favorite non-surgical fat blaster, VASER Shape. Why hit the gym for numerous hours a week, when you can see up to half an inch lost in most areas after your first one or two treatments?

Are you tired of looking at that tattoo you thought was a good idea after a few too many cocktails or pressure from your friends (you know what I am talking about, we've all been there)? You can say hasta la vista to your unwanted tattoo mistake, and start fresh, with no regrets, using the latest and most advanced tattoo removal technology on the market, the RevLite SI. You will start to see results within weeks after your first treatment.

Is the cold and snowy weather making you dream of beaches, but you look in the mirror and realize the sun has left your skin lacking that radiant glow you once had? Remember those days when lathering baby oil all over your body to achieve that beautiful sun tanned skin seemed like such a great idea, but now its left you looking dull and leathery? No problem! We have the answer for you – IPL Photo Facial, Ovivo Sol, and Pearl can help erase sun damage, age spots and freckles with minimal downtime.

Not sure where to start? Come in for a free consultation so you can take advantage of the amazing specials we are offering in January, and make 2012 the year to erase your regrets!

Warm Regards,

December 13th VITAHL & DOCARE Fundraiser

As many of you know, once a year I participate in the DOCARE medical trip to a small town in Guatemala, called San Andreas Iztapa. It’s a great feeling to help people in need, and with DOCARE, physicians and medical professionals come together for a week to provide much needed medical attention to some of the world’s poorest people in remote locations. We set up our clinic and local villagers walk for hours to talk with our doctors about their ailments. For some of the patients who are too ill to walk to our clinic, we make home visits. We provide free medical services and free medications. The people from these remote areas do not have the access to medical care that we are accustomed to having, and many of the 500 patients we treat each day have never seen a doctor.

This year, DOCARE celebrates 50 years of service to the medically underserved, and finally in 2011, DOCARE has been able to set up their first year-round continuity clinic. Opening this clinic will have a profound impact on the health and lives of the people of San Andreas Iztapa. With the help of DOCARE, the clinic is being updated to meet US standards and will be open year-round. VITAHL is proud to be a Founding Member of the DOCARE International Continuity Clinic.

We at VITAHL embrace the beauty of giving. Sometimes we all need to be reminded that true beauty isn’t just about our appearance but it’s also about what’s inside. While it’s our goal to help you be beautiful on the outside, we encourage the cultivation of your inner beauty too. Join us on December 13th for DoGood DOCARE, The Beauty of Giving. Your donations will go to help the medically underserved receive much needed care.

To learn more about DOCARE click here.

Warm Regards,

Will XEOMIN BE THE NEXT "LIQUID GOLD?"

First there was Botox, then Dysport, now XEOMIN, and VITAHL is proud to announce that we have been hand selected by Mertz Aesthetics to be an investigational site for the early release of Xeomin.

As the newest FDA approved Botox alternative, Xeomin will be launched in the US in 2012 for cosmetic use. We are ecstatic that we will be receiving Xeomin in November 2011, three months before its release to other medical offices. Xeomin (incobotulinumtoxinA) is indicated for the temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe glabellar lines, or what we like to call your 11's. It has been used since 2005 in Europe, and results are shown to be comparable to those seen with Botox. While Dysprt is also an alternative to BOTOX, Xeomin's profile is more closely related, making it more of a "Coke-Pepsi" equivalent in the fight against wrinkles.

Our patients will be among the first in the country to compare Xeomin for themselves. We wonder, what will you prefer for eliminating unwanted wrinkles? We are excited to find out!

MANAGING MELASMA

If you have Melasma, also known as the "pregnancy mask," you understand the difficulty of managing and eliminating this chronic skin condition. Melsama appears as dark, irregular skin discolorations, usually on the upper cheek, nose, lip, upper lip or forehead. You don't have to be pregnant to get Melasma, but hormones do play a role. Once you have Melasma, it not only flares from the sun, but also from heat. It can be a reoccurring condition for years to come.

At VITAHL, we tackle Melasma with several combined treatments, including topical creams and peels. For some patients, we also use lasers to treat Melasma. Unfortunately, there are no treatments that can cure Melasma, so our goal is to control it as best we can. For some, being on a home care regime with iS Clinical White Lightening or a prescription combination of Hydroquinone and Retin-A will suffice, but for many patients, we need to get more aggressive. At this point, we recommend the Melanage peel, Jessner peels or lasers. Of these, our treatment of choice is Melange, because it can be used on all skin types. Melanage is a revolutionary, non-invasive treatment that has been proven to improve Melasma and sun damage while improving skin texture. The treatment begins in the office, and is supplemented by comprehensive home care products that amplify and extend the peel benefits. We are currently in the process of evaluating new treatments for Melasma. As we continue to see results, we will pass on the information.

If you have or think you may have Melasma, the first step is to call for a complimentary consultation. With perseverance and patience, your Melasma can be improved. Just remember that the most critical step in managing your Melasma is to strictly avoid sunlight and heat, because sun and heat only make this skin condition worsen. If you're going outside, wear your hat and put on your sunscreen!

VASER Shape a Hollywood Favorite for getting Red Carpet Ready!

Body Contouring is all the rage in Aesthetics. At VITAHL we proudly offer VASER Shape a non invasive alternative to liposuction. Treat unwanted fat and cellulite with this non surgical fat blaster! Call VITAHL to schedule a consult to see if VASER Shape is right for you 303.388.7380