NEW YORK, July 14 (UPI) -- New toxins and wrinkle fillers are reportedly becoming popular alternatives to surgery for removing facial age lines and to puff up cheeks.
Dr. Babak Azizzadeh, a facial plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills,Calif., told The New York Times he uses a "cosmetic cocktail" he developed that includes Botox, a toxin that relaxes frown lines; Sculptra, a synthetic filler; and Radiesse, a gel containing microscopic calcium particles to fill wrinkles.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports the number of face-lift surgeries in the United States decrease by 3 percent from 2002 to about 114,000. But the number of Botox injections soared by 166 percent to nearly 3 million. Collagen injections were up by 18 percent, totaling more than 500,000.
Although filler face-lifts rarely last more than two years, at $2,500 to $3,500 they are substantially cheaper and less invasive than surgical face-lifts, which can cost as much as $20,000.
"It's nice to have different products for different situations because each injectable works differently on each person," Dr. Jeffrey Dover, a Boston dermatologist, told the Times. "It's like being a painter. You'd like a variety of colors at your disposal."
