LAM FACIAL PLASTICS

Hi,

I'm looking into fillers for my under eye and hollow cheeks. After doing some searching on your forums, I see that you use microcannulas for your filler injections, as they limit the amount of pain and bruising.

This is something I'd be interested in as I worry about bruising, so I started asking doctors in my region as to whether or not they use microcannulas. I've been met with responses such as...

(1) I will use them as much as possible, but they're not as precise due to their flexibility, so I may need to use needles.

(2) They are gimmicky. In experienced hands, a fine needle is superior.

I found a doctor who appears to use them, but even then its tough to determine who's trustworthy and who isn't in this industry. I mean, are we supposed to pay hundreds of dollars in consultation fees alone just to make a gut feeling decision in the end anyways? Your thoughts?

sorry. anyone that says microcannulas are gimmicky is clueless. sorry to be so strong. i have used needles for years and the risk of a bruise is a dice roll. the risk of a disaster bruise is a dice roll. i can keep my cannula sitting where i want it and literally ride it back and forth multiple times until the area is perfect within a fraction of a mm. i also use a 30,000 dollar vein viewer to scout for vessels so even my entry sites where i must use a needle to penetrate the skin is free from bruising. how many doctors do this in the United States. ZERO. try asking. also, skills with microcannulas is an acquired art. it is very hard to do the best and do it painlessly. when i watched the training video for a cannula i used to use (now i use a much better japanese version), the man was killing the woman. i really have very limited discomfort with my acupressure vibration technique. how many doctors use this technique. probably zero. now, in terms of discomfort, i actually get less pain with needles because i vibrate the skin upon entry. cannulas actually cause some very occasionally mild discomfort but given their superiority in almost every aspect i prefer them. however, i do use needles sometimes around the mouth just because it is easier and i can get exhausted using the cannulas. they are a ton of work to do well. but again, i scout for vessels before entry. i also have a laser that i use in 4 to 5 days after injection if i do bruise someone. how many doctors are using that? probably 5% know about. finally, i have learned a technique from a colleague that i am being featured on the news (will post on this web site in a week or two when it airs) of using a specialized mixture of restylane with saline that allows me to fill temples and brows like i have never done before. how many doctors do that? i am guessing probably 1 to 3% just ask and see. how many do everything i just mentioned. ZERO. now you have to say all of this does not matter as much as artistic sensibility. you have to find a doctor that knows how to balance the face by hitting multiple small areas of the face like the tear trough, temple, outer and inner brow, anterior cheek, lateral cheek, central buccal, lateral buccal, canine, pre jowl, and chin. when you do a little bit in multiple small areas you create a much more balanced and natural result. when i got back from san francisco for a meeting all i saw were large lipped and large cheeked office managers. volume is good but done with balance and moderation. this is why 1/3 of the people that come to me for fillers fly in from across the united states, even mexico and from europe (but rarely from europe. i have only had a handful).
best,
sml