Part two of our plastic surgery series concludes with the focus on currently trending non-invasive surgeries — procedures requiring minimal to zero body intrusion, which are a big deal in the world of cosmetic procedures at the moment.

There’s much to know and Dr Althea Banbury, dermatologist at Skin Solutions, is back with Under the Dryer to detail the latest techniques her company offers at 53 Lady Musgrave Road.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment- PRP therapy is used to regrow hair for natural looking results. So, if you’re experiencing hair loss and may not want to hair implants, think about this option.With a thin needle, your own PRP is injected into the scalp. Then the growth factors in your blood cells naturally stimulate hair growth.

The Vampire Facial (Microneedling + PRP) is used to achieve anti-ageing and skin-perfection results. Some may recall a picture of Kim Kardashian with blood smeared all over her face after doing this facial, you know what we’re talking about.

“It’s a facial using microneedling with the patient’s protein-rich plasma. You draw the blood, spin it down and collect the plasma protein for application to the skin. Microneedling uses tiny needles to puncture the skin with the plasma simultaneously rubbed on it to penetrate the pores. What this does is stimulate new collagen and elastin growth,” Banbury explained.

“It’s safe, and all about making your skin look really youthful. At the end of the day you get a really healthy glow, and you can actually diminish wrinkles with it.”

Banbury’s treatment recommendation? Once every four to six months for the first year and there after, once every year.

Botox injection is another popular procedure being sought after, and according to Banbury, it’s “the new lipstick” too. It takes us back to the early years of the millennium when plastic surgery was quite a thing and led to the “frozen look” as Banbury calls it, but of course, has not resurfaced this way: it’s (the procedure) the same but applied in appropriate dosages.

“It’s a toxin injected, relaxes the muscles and smoothes lines. And with age, the laxity of our skin increases because the collagen is lost or the elastin lessened which causes lines that tend to sit around much longer,” Banbury noted.

Younger females also represent the demographic most requesting Botox injections, as “preventive approaches”, and it also tends to last between three to six months.

Fillers, which are only used below the eyes (with the prior — Botox — mostly used above) are another non-invasive option that gives lift and we speak particularly of the cheeks.

“That’s where they’re used, on women where the cheeks tend to sink. They are a hyaluronic acid that dissolves overtime, and so you have to repeat the injections after eight months to a year from the last injection,” she said.

It should also be noted that after the time expires for both the Botox and filler injections, the toxin and acid completely leave the body, not only guaranteeing beauty but safety.

Laser hair removal If you’re tired of shaving, tweezing, or waxing to remove unwanted hair, laser hair removal may be an option worth considering.

It beams highly concentrated light into hair follicles. The pigment in the follicles absorb the light, which then in turn destroys the hair.

This also brings us to next part of laser treatment: the treatment of Pseudofolliculitis barbae. Sounds exotic, but it actually is the medical term for the bumps and spots you’ll see on the faces of men whose skin has experienced significant irritation from continuous shaving and prodding. Laser hair removal therapy, according to Banbury, cleans the area completely.

“I’ve been doing laser hair removal since 2003, so I know masks or scrubs won’t help. The ideal treatment is laser hair removal. Usually after one or two treatments all the bumps are gone,” she shared.

Banbury explains why it actually happens: “With black hair, it curls, so sometimes when you shave and pull at the hair, it shoots back down into the skin, and starts growing again, but because it’s curling it gets trapped under the skin, and when that happens bumps form.”

It’s also important to emphasise that exfoliation won’t help, and the more “friction” is introduced to the area it will only render it worse and darker, which is what she explains uniquely happens to melinated skin. “The key is to settle the inflammation so that hair stuck under the skin can find its way out.”

The same procedure can be done to resolve the problem at the nape of the neck.

Radio frequency treatment is another groundbreaking trend taking shape in the world of cosmetic surgery. It’s a heating treatment that allows the skin to repair itself, and is good for the removal of wrinkles, stretch marks and vaginal rejuvenation.

For female genitalia, the tissue is heated with a probe, generating collagen that strengthens the area. The benefits are also what make the treatment recommendable. “The muscular wall at the bottom of the pelvis which controls urine will be stronger, so there’ll be no more accidental urine with laughter, coughing or sneezing fits; dryness can also be prevented; and the general appearance will be better: it’s like a facelift for the vagina; and there’s no down time to this surgery.”

With this method, one treatment per month for three months, then once yearly, ensures the desired results.

Injections — Perfect for those with quandaries of excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis), unsightly green/purple veins, and acne scars.

In the case of hyperhidrosis, an injection would simply “deactivate the nerve stimulating the sweat glands”. What it treats is excessive sweat, and “the injection would be repeated once every eight months, with some not needing it anymore.”

Sclerotherapy injections, “the gold standard” for varicose veins, remove them with instancy, and Radio frequency Vein Removal Treatment also gets the job done by destroying the vein with the insert of a probe that “heats the vein and causes its collapse”.

For acne scarring, “you can inject it with PRP or if you want a faster result you can do the microneedling. It punctures the skin which causes an injury resulting into collagen formation”.

And treatment goes on once per month for three to four months.

Hyperbarric Oxygen Therapy (with the Hyperbarric Chamber) is the last on the list and is absolutely cutting-edge. It’s a therapy that repairs the entire body through oxygenation from a cylindrical machine similar to an MRI scanner but more commodious.

“It has been used for anti-ageing. It’s not a tomb; it’s roomy enough so you won’t feel trapped. It involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurised space. You increase oxygen concentration under pressure, usually three times the normal air pressure, so your lungs can gather more oxygen than normal. Here, it’s being used to treat chronic leg ulcers.”

This increased level of oxygen is carried through the bloodstream, “fights bacteria, and stimulates and released substances called growth factors which promote healing,” which in short heals everything, including the skin.

A lot is taking shape in the field of cosmetic surgery, and Jamaica is no longer just a small island lacking solutions for beauty problems. There’s a solution for literally everything, and in the capable and expert hands of Dr Banbury and her power team at Skin Solutions, you’ll be treated with the best of professionalism and care.