Category Archives: Juvederm

Who is Allergan?

Actavis, Allergan, Botox, Brilliant Distinctions, eyes, Juvederm, Latisse, Modesto, Valeant, Voluma, ,

Allergan is the Company who makes BOTOX

Allergan is the company who makes BOTOX, Latisse, and Juvederm.  These are three popular products offered at Surgical Artistry.  Latisse is a take-home product, unlike BOTOX and Juvederm which are injected (by Dr. Calvin Lee).

logo_allergan

Allergan cosmetic products

Allergan is also regarded as an ophthalmic (eye) pharmaceutical specialty company

Allergan makes many other pharmaceutical products – many of them are for the eye – conditions such as dry eye.

Eye Products include:

  • Restasis
  • Lumigan
  • Acuvail

How many Billions in sales for Allergan?

  • It is estimated that Allergan has $7 billion in sales in 2014

Advertising spending for Allergan?

  • In 2012, it is estimated that Allergan spent 162 million in advertising.

Allergan Location?

Headquarter is in Irvine, California

Allergan Merger?

Allergan plans to merge with Actavis.  The battle for Allergan started in April 2014 when Valeant made a bid for Allergan.  Actavis plans to pay $66 billion for Allergan.  Brent Saunders is the CEO and president of Actavis.

For more information about Allergan including the CEO’s BLOG.

  • Allergan home page – this is a great place to start learning about Allergan.
  • AllerganViews: The CEO of Allergan has a blog.  “Our Pursuit, Life’s Potential.” That is Allergan’s vision, and every day, around the globe, our more than 11,000 employees work to deliver on this vision.  David Pyott is the current CEO, as of the writing of this blog which is Dec 10, 2014.
  • Allergan on Twitter
  • Allergan also runs the Brilliant Distinctions program.  Click here to log in direction to Brilliant Distinctions.

Links For Physicians and Nurses who inject Botox and perform Breast Augmentation

Visit Surgical Artistry in Modesto, CA

That’s our BOTOX and Plastic Surgical Practice in Modesto, CA

Dexterity for Botox Injections – Chopin?

Belotero, Botox, Botox Injectors, dermapen, Juvederm, Modesto, Piano for Dexterity, Radiesse, surgical dexterity, Voluma, ,

Dexterity for Surgery, Piano, and Botox Injections

Surgery depends a lot of dexterity.  So does playing the piano.  And so should Botox injections.

LogoR4_3

I have some unique ideas of developing and maintaining my Botox dexterity with Piano Practice.

  • As with piano playing, I like to keep my wrist supple and flexible when injecting Botox.
  • When injecting fillers, there are times where I have to do finger stretches to be able to maintain tension on the skin with my non-dominant hand, and then I also sometimes have to reach for the plunger which may be in slightly awkward positions for my dominant hand – it depends on the style of the plunger.  Radiesse Volume Advantage is one of the larger syringes due to it’s 1.5 cc volume which is more than some of the other syringes of dermal filler.
  • Timing is also key in Botox injections.  Timing is a big deal in music and performing piano.
  • Then there’s the grace in lifting off from the actual Botox injection.  It would be a shame to waste Botox with a heavy handed lift-off – in that case, the Botox isn’t injected into the muscle – it might even be injected into the air.  Thus a light lift-off is key.  It’s akin to musical phrasing with the tapering that occurs and the lifting off of each note too.

Chopin Etude Op. 25, No. 1 (Aeolian Harp) as Botox Dexterity Practice

Here’s a piano piece which is dedicated to finger dexterity building.  It is also one of the most beautiful melodies I have ever encountered in an finger dexterity etude.  This piece is also known as the Aeolian Harp Etude.

Yes, that’s me.  Recorded at my home in Modesto, California.  Yes, this is one of the great things you can do in Modesto – practice piano!  And record piano for YouTube!  And write this blog… ok, the list goes on and on regarding great things  in Modesto, CA.

Quoted from the wikipedia entry on this piece:

“Technically, the piece requires both dexterity and velocity, good balance and weighting of the arms coupled with flexible finger stretches”.

For me my dexterity and musical challenges are: evenness, flexibility in the wrist, and flexibility with finger stretches, light touch, and musical line phrasing. I hope to continue to work on this to make it even better.

Light touch?

And a light touch is very very important in lightening the sensation of any pain from Botox shots.

Consider getting Botox from us in Modesto, CA

Please visit my Modesto Botox injections home page.  We offer other Cosmetic procedures besides Botox.

Our other Procedures include:

 

 

Cosmetic Procedures Besides Botox

Belotero, Botox, Botox Injectors, dermapen, Juvederm, Modesto, Obagi, Voluma

Minimally invasive cosmetic and acupuncture procedures I perform in addition to Botox

Some may call minimally invasive as “non-surgical.”  But to me these procedures are surgical.

  • Asclera vein injections – for those spider veins (especially on the legs).  Their slogan is “Enjoy the freedom to show your legs.”
  • Vein laser with the Dornier Diode Laser
  • Radiesse dermal filler injections
  • Juvederm VOLUMA dermal filler injections for cheeks.Voluma Apple
  • Belotero Balance dermal filler injectionsBelotero Box
  • Juvederm Ultra Plus XC, Juvederm Ultra XC, Juvederm Ultra plus (without XC), Juvederm Ultra (without XC).
  • Derma Pen – skin tightening procedure.  Also good for acne scars.
  • Blue Peel Radiance – Obagi product
  • Blue Peel – Obagi
  • Acupuncture for various conditions such as back pain, headaches, stress reduction, fertility, hormonal balance, allergies, etc.

My Surgical Assisting Consists of:

In addition to these procedures I also perform surgical assisting for plastic surgery, and for Spinal Cord Stimulator Implants and Morphine Pump implantations – both for chronic pain.

Spinal cord stimulator implant
Spinal Cord Stimulator Implant

Conclusions

Yes, this is a Botox Blog.  And Yes, this is connected to my Modesto Botox Home Page.   I just wanted to make a brief mention of the other cosmetic procedures I perform.  I recently (probably for frequently than I know) had a patient who didn’t know that I performed a particular procedure.  And it seemed like she would have liked to know that I was available for that procedure – which was Voluma Injections.  Yes, I do Voluma injections.

In the office, I mainly concentrate on procedures which are done with a needle.  One can call these minimally invasive cosmetic procedures.  And from time to time, I wander off to the operating room to perform, guess what?  Some surgeries!  But most of those surgeries are surgery assists.

Other than surgery, this is how I spend time in the office.  “Botox” here means Botox, and Dermal Fillers, and other minimally invasive Cosmetic Procedures:

Botox Pie Chart
2014 data for how my Veins, Acupuncture, and Botox division of office based procedures. Surgery isn’t included here since it isn’t done in the office. This chart is just the division of my patient load in the office.

Lowest price Botox?

Allergan, Belotero, Botox, Botox Injectors, Juvederm, Modesto

Lowest Botox Price matching?

We get this question from time to time regarding matching the lowest price of Botox or Juvederm.  It isn’t a common question, but it comes up perhaps once per month or so.  I figure it’s worth addressing.

This is not a blog about different Botox-like substances or Botox from other countries.  We receive our Botox directly from Allergan USA, that ensures that it is genuine.  So back to the topic of “Lowest Price for Botox?”

So, do we price match or compete on pricing?

The quick answer is “No.”

But we like to compete on “value”.  But in the end, we don’t see this as a competition.  We have a lot of respect for everyone.  We have set prices that make sense to us.

So the long answer is that we hope that we are considered the “best value.”  But all this depends on what patients value.  It might be different than what I might value.  So I can definitely understand different definitions of value when it comes to Botox injections.

Surgical Artistry doesn’t emphasize or compete with “cheapest” prices.

Our Botox Surgeons (mainly Calvin Lee, MD) value a high level of

  • results
  • safety
  • and comfort.

And the Office values a high level of

  • customer service
  • positive attitude
  • and communication

We hope to win with BEST VALUE.  I think we would lose the battle if we were going for price wars on Botox.

But hopefully we might win with best value – that’s our attempt.

Here’s a link to another topic of Botox Wars – The fight for Allergan Ownership.

 

Email from Allergan about Actavis 11-19-14

Actavis, Allergan, Botox, Juvederm, Latisse, Modesto

I got this letter below from Allergan on 11-19-14 (today) addressing the merging of Actavis and Allergan.  Allergan wanted to stress that they would continue a high quality of research and development as they had before.  Karla from our office sent me a copy of this email which she got, and she wrote that  “It looks like Allergan will become part of Actavis soon.  This email confirms it and reaffirms their commitment to continuing research and development.”

Here’s the letter from Allergan, the makers of our cherished Botox, Juvederm, and Latisse.  For more information about these products, visit our Modesto Botox and Juvederm page.

 

BTXC-color
The fight over Botox!

 

 

November 19, 2014

To our valued customers:

As announced in a press release earlier this week, we are pleased to share that Actavis and Allergan have entered into a definitive agreement under which Actavis will acquire Allergan in a deal valued at approximately $66 billion. Bringing our two companies together represents a powerful strategic combination, creating a dynamic, top 10 global pharmaceutical company.

We anticipate that the acquisition will close in 2Q 2015. Until then, it will be business as usual, with no impact to our operations or the high quality of service that you have come to expect from Allergan. Once the transaction closes, we will notify you of any relevant changes, and it is our goal to minimize any possible impact this could have on you, your patients, and our employees.

Like us, the Actavis culture is centered around innovation and customer service, and investment in R&D will remain one of the top priorities of the integrated company. The combined company will offer a broad portfolio of products in Eye Care, CNS/Neurosciences, Medical Aesthetics/Dermatology/Plastic Surgery, Gastroenterology, Women’s Health and Urology and Anti-infective therapeutic categories, as well as the highest quality generic, branded-generic and Over-the-Counter products. The combined company will provide an exceptional level of R&D support, with approximately $1.7 billion invested annually in brands, generics and biopharmaceuticals aimed at delivering high quality products to address unmet patient needs.

We want to thank you for your support and to assure you that we remain dedicated to exceeding your expectations and delivering products and services that make a difference to you and your patients. We look forward to sharing more details of our combined products and services in the future. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact your sales representative or visit our websites at actavis.com and allergan.com.

Sincerely,

Brent Saunders, CEO and President, Actavis

David Pyott, Chairman and CEO, Allergan

Juvederm Voluma for the Lips?

BOTOX Questions, Juvederm, Voluma, ,

Interesting Botox Questions and Filler Questions

Question #1 (first of a series I hope to compile).

Today our office got asked the questions from a patient who called the office:  “Can Juvederm Voluma be used for the lips?”  This is a great questions.   Lately it seems that I never have a straight forward answer.  But I’ll try to be straightforward with this Botox/Filler question.  The quick and dirty answer is: “YES.”

Can Juvederm Voluma be used for the lips?

The reason that this is an interesting question is that it is an off-label FDA usage question which can’t be answered legally by the drug company, Allergan who makes Botox, Latisse, Juvederm, etc.  However, I can attempt to answer the question as a doctor who injects Botox and Juvederm of all sorts including Voluma.  I have a practice in Modesto, CA.  And I would recommend that people see me in person before taking any of what I type here as personal advice.  Disclaimer:  The information here is just for general information purposes, it’s not meant to be medical advice.  Please visit my website for contact information so that I can see you as a patient in my office, in person, if you are seeking medical advice.  Website is:  www.InjectionArtistry.com – my Botox injection home page.

In general Juvederm Voluma is used in the cheeks

Cheek volumization with Voluma is the FDA indicated usage.  It has a possibility of lasting up to two years.

Two year indication in the cheeks

This is the main motivation for many people to ask if Juvederm Voluma can be used anywhere else – such as nasolabial folds or marionette lines – areas where Juvederm ultra or ultra plus has been used.  This includes the question about Voluma for lip augmentation.

The Duck Look for lips

If you are looking for very big duck-look for the lips, Juvederm Voluma could possibly be an excellent choice.

Lip augmentation with Voluma? How else could it be done.

There’s also the possibility of diluting down the Voluma with Saline – this would possibly gives the lips a softer look.

My personal preference for Lip Augmentation:

I prefer to use either Juvederm ultra or Juvederm ultra plus for the lips.  The XC versions of these products are excellent.  I would prefer not to use,  in my own practice Juvederm Voluma for the lips.  But in the hands of another injector,  Voluma might just be great for the lips.

2 years for the lips with voluma?

I would doubt that Juvederm Voluma would last that long in the lips.  Thus I’m not sure that I’m sold on the idea of using this product in the lip location.  But with the proper dilution, I think we could find ourselves a very versatile product for the the whole face!!

Summary on Voluma for lips:

  • No, it’s not usually used for lips, Voluma is usually used for cheeks
  • No, I don’t think it will last two years in the lips.  Probably more like 7-10 months?  That’s just an educated guess.
  • I think if it’s used on the lips, Voluma could be diluted
  • Voluma, if diluted could be used on many other parts of the face
  • My personal preference for Lip augmentation fillers is Juvederm Ultra or Ultra plus, especially the XC versions of those products.

Parting words

I do have a rambling style of writing – I think.  But this is my blog and I write however I want.  This page is meant to be a discussion about Juvederm Voluma and Lip augmentation.  This is not meant to be an advertisement in any way nor is this deemed to be medical advice of any sort.  And much of the discussion here is off-label FDA usage of Juvederm.

I hope you have found this page to be somewhat useful – especially if you are a colleage Botox/Juvederm injector.  Please feel free to visit my Botox Modesto WebPage.

Cosmetic Fillers compared in terms of thickness

Allergan, Belotero, Juvederm, Modesto, Radiesse, , , ,

Each cosmetic dermal filler is like a paint-brush

There are all these terms to describe the different properties of fillers including G prime, lift, thickness, hardness, and much more.

I have some thoughts about the projecting capabilities of the fillers and I feel that it is related simply to thickness.  These are my own thoughts about these cosmetic fillers.  I have been doing Botox and Fillers since 2006.  Please consider looking at other sources if you are seriously needing to compare thicknesses of these fillers.

The empty boxes of the dermal fillers used today
The empty boxes of the dermal fillers used in one day at my office in Modesto, CA.

From thinnest to thickest:  Comparing Dermal Fillers

  • Belotero Balance (Merz product) – thinnest
  • Juvederm Ultra XC
  • Juvederm Ultra Plus XC
  • Radiesse diluted with some added liquid lidocaine
  • Juvederm Voluma XC
  • Radiesse – straight out of the box. – thickest

I know integral lidocaine is currently being considered in Belotero Balance and Radiesse, but at the time of writing this blog – they have not been available.

Radiesse, Juvederm Ultra XC, and Belotero Balance cosmetic syringes - complement Botox injections very well
Radiesse, Juvederm Ultra XC, and Belotero Balance cosmetic syringes – complement Botox injections very well

 

I hope you can visit us at our office in Modesto for Botox and Dermal Filler Appointments.

Botox Related Products at Surgical Artistry

Allergan, Belotero, Botox, Juvederm, Modesto, Radiesse, ,

We carry products from Allergan (makers of Botox), Merz, Valeant, and others

We don’t have any contracts with any one company to be exclusive.  Botox belongs to the Allergan family of products: Latisse, Botox, and Juvederm.  These are the products we carry at Surgical Artistry.  We also carry aesthetic products from Merz, Mentor and Valeant.

These are the Botox related products we carry:

Not necessarily made by the Botox company, Allergan.

  • Asclera, injected for vein sclerotherapy.
  • Botox – Botox is supplied to us directly from Allergan USA in the form of 100U vials
  • Juvederm Ultra (without lidocaine)
  • Juvederm Ultra Plus (without lidocaine)
  • Juvederm Ultra XC
  • Juvederm Ultra Plus XC
  • Juvederm Voluma XC
  • Belotero Balance (Merz product)
  • Radiesse Volume Advantage (Merz product, this is 1.5 cc’s)

This list changes from time to time.  Feel free to call us.  Our contact info is at our Botox Home Page.

belotoro balance shelf

Above is a picture of our Belotero Balance Shelf

 

Radiesse, Juvederm Ultra XC, and Belotero Balance cosmetic syringes - complement Botox injections very well
Radiesse, Juvederm Ultra XC, and Belotero Balance cosmetic syringes – complement Botox injections very well

Above picture was taken on our conference table which has that rough texture on top.

We do not currently carry:

  • Xeomin
  • Dysport

Please take time and visit us on the web and in person.  www.InjectionArtistry.com

Botox, Veins, and Acupuncture: How my time is broken up in the office

Allergan, Botox, Botox Injectors, Juvederm, Modesto, Radiesse, statistics, year in review

Office time is divided up among three main procedures:  Botox, Veins, and Acupuncture

I had a chance to do some data analysis from January 1, 2014 to June 30, 2014.  This is the first half of 2014.  I get the question from time to time regarding what part of practice involves Botox or Acupuncture or Veins?

I’m happy to report the results.  Basically it says that Botox is the biggest chunk of the office practice coming in at 47%, and Acupuncture is a close second at 45%.  Veins occupies 8% of the practice.

What about Surgeries?

That wasn’t included here.  It would be harder for me to figure out surgery vs. these office based procedures because the time required for surgery is usually much longer.  These numbers here (and percentages) are based on the total number of patients coming in for these procedures.  It is not based on time spent.  It is just based on “patient load.”

So here’s the graphic that shows the division of office based procedures:

Botox Pie Chart
2014 data for how my Veins, Acupuncture, and Botox division of office based procedures. Surgery isn’t included here since it isn’t done in the office. This chart is just the division of my patient load in the office.

Allergan and Valeant – Letters against the possible “Vallergant” merger

Allergan, Botox, Juvederm, Modesto, Valeant

On April 24, 2014, Dr. Tammy Wu wrote a letter against the idea of the possible merger of the Allergan Botox giant along with the skin care / cosmetic giant Valeant.  This was 2 days after Valeant had proposed a merger with Allergan – or possibly a hostile takeover?

While this merger may make some sense since there is many crossover items – basically competition could be eliminated with this type of corporate merger.  But we have been afraid that customer service will be hurt as will future research and development.  Esepcially with our beloved Botox.

Allergan just published on their website about 100 of the 500 letters they have received from their physician customers.  This is the link to the letters from physician customers to Allergan – all of these are against the idea of the “Vallergant merger”.  I figured it’s a cute name for combining the companies.

Dr. Tammy Wu’s letter is among those 100 published.  In fact, I think in reading them, she was the first one to write.  Perhaps she sparked a flurry of letters to Allergan.

This is her letter:

Dear Mr. Schaison:

As a physician who has experienced the “Valeant” service, I have to say that I am not impressed with them.  Specifically, our office had enjoyed a great relationship with Obagi Medical Products (OMP) and have done business with them for many years. As you may be aware, Obagi was acquired by Valeant last year.

Since the merger/ acquisition, every aspect of OMP has gone down the tubes. Customer service, billing service, product quality control (we receive leaking products and broken products almost with every order – which had never happened before when Obagi was independent), shipping control, timing of delivery of products, etc. have all been negatively affected. The poor OBagi representative has to backtrack and apologize almost on a regular basis for all the mishaps that have happened since the merger.

Allergan has been a leader in aesthetic products and more, and I hope that Allergan will stay independent and have no affiliations with Valeant. I respect Allergan for its research and development aspects, and I believe the future is quite bright for Allergan as an independent company.

I hope that the Board of Directors will take into consideration as much as possible the implications of this merger and what it will do to the reputation of Allergan – in my opinion, if it’s the same as Obagi and Medicis, it will only be negatively affected. We stopped using Medicis products as a result of bad customer service, and we are currently considering eliminating Obagi from our office as a result of all the mishaps.

Thank you for reaching out to us physicians. I know that I am not the only physician hoping for a positive outcome from this, which would be Allergan Independence, no Valeant involvement.  Thank you for listening.

Sincerely,

Tammy Wu, MD

Diplomate, American Board of Plastic Surgery

Surgical Artistry, Inc.

2336 Sylvan Avenue, Suite C

Modesto, CA 95355

Some Background info:  Allergan has the products that we carry: Latisse, Juvederm, and Botox.  It also has SkinMedica.  Valeant has Obagi, Restylane, Perlane, and many other dermatologically related items.

I would like to mention that Obagi has tried to improve on it’s customer service since we had initially complained, but it is a different culture, it seems at Valeant, and I do think that some change is unavoidable.  But we hope to adapt and get used to the new culture.  And we’ll probably adapt too, if Allergan and Valeant were to become combined.

Visit our Modesto Botox home page.

Actavis update

UPDATE: Valeant didn’t end up merging with Allergan.  Actavis ended up being the company which merged with Allergan.