Loved or, on the contrary, ridiculed Botox injections were the best alternative for those whose who wanted to restore the youth of their skin without going under the knife in the name of beauty. The idea of willingly injecting toxins in your body has repelled many who would have considered a surgery free alternative.
Thankfully, a very similar procedure that does not involve the injection of Botulinum toxin has already been approved by the FDA. Called LAVIV, the new anti-aging method relies on the use of fibroblasts, the cells that produce collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid in order to provide a good skin firming result.
The new procedure involves three stages. First, fibroblast cells from behind the patient’s ear are extracted by a physician. Why this particular skin area? Apparently, this area is less affected by the elements that cause aging. After the cells are extracted, they are sent to the Fibrocell Science lab where it is determined whether the extracted cells are viable or not.
Then, viable cells are cultured for a period of 90 days. During this time, scientists are able to produce tens of millions of similar new skin cells. After this stage is completed, the actual anti-aging treatment can begin. The cells are reshipped to the doctor and the treatment that consists of three stages can now begin. The patient must wait five weeks for each fibroblast injection.
A study on 421 people some of which were injected with the LAVIV treatment and some who were not reveal interesting insights about the effects of the new Botox alternative. It appears that six months after the third treatment, 45 to 57 of those who received the treatment reported the fact that they could see an improvement. Out of the control group, only 33% had a similar perspective.
It should also be mentioned that the procedure does come with certain side effects that usually include redness, swelling, bruising, bleeding and/or pain. To be able to compare the success of the new procedure in contrast with Botox, a little cost-benefit analysis can be extremely valuable.
Botox injections last about 3 months to 6 months and can cost about $300 and $400 per syringe. In contrast, with LAVIV you can expect to pay $1000 to $2000 to get your very own fibroblast culture and then $300 to $500 for every treatment session.
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