Non-invasive aesthetic treatments are at an all-time high and treatments for crow’s feet and wrinkles offer many advantages to patients. In this latest interview with Aesthetic Insider™, Dr. Shweta Agarwal, a triple board certified aesthetic medical doctor who practices at Mia La Maven Medical Spa located in the heart of Santa Monica, CA, has a reputation for her scientifically based rapid facial wrinkle reduction technique that can quickly transform a patient by helping make them look much more youthful. As an aesthetic medical doctor with a strong following of patients ranging from Hollywood Celebrities, aspiring entrepreneurs and people who want to be the best version of themselves, Dr. Agarwal knows that anti-aging and aesthetic beauty treatments are not performed as a one-size-fits-all solution, and her expertise with reducing facial wrinkles is based on a combination of products designed to relax areas of the face that cause wrinkles. To learn more about the aesthetic beauty and anti-aging procedures offered by Dr. Shweta Agarwal and her team at Mia La Maven Medical Spa, visit www.mialamavenmedspa.com or call 310 314-0404.
Is looking more youthful an exclusive request of Hollywood celebrities?
Being located in Santa Monica, CA has been a great benefit to us as it makes us a very approachable place for Hollywood celebrities. Because this area is so connected with such an interesting and influential combination of different industry people, this also influences the requests made by my patients for a broad variety of aesthetic treatments. I always counsel my patients that my first rule of aesthetic medicine is to be true to yourself, in other words they should select only the treatments that they want and not feel pressured to conform with treatments that are being chosen by other people. We are very close to many industry types and do cater to quite a few public figures, but wanting to look your best at any age is not just the request of a privileged few. Mia La Maven Med Spa services delivers performance beauty to a full spectrum of patients that have a desire to maintain their youthful looks and, with today’s world of minimally invasive aesthetic procedures, it is possible for all of us to look young and beautiful without the fear of going under the knife, or without taking extra time off from work.
What’s new in neurotoxins?
When people hear the word neurotoxin the name sounds scary, in actual fact what we are doing is introducing to the nerve a purified protein that is derived from the botulinum toxin; the basic premise of a neurotoxin is to temporarily block the message of the nerve to the muscle that causes the skin to crinkle up when we smile, squint, etc., causing a furrow or a crease in the skin. As the muscle relaxes, so does the tissue of the skin. Botox® has become a household name which has been used safely for the last 20 years and has extensive scientific research and also excellent proven patient results , but there are now several other brands of neurotoxins available such as Xeomin®, Dysport® and Jeuveau™, all of which have different approaches and indications to prevent lines in the skin forming around the eyes, mouth and forehead, as well as in the T zone between the eyes. The growth and expansion in neurotoxins is really remarkable and with more new neurotoxin products that will soon be generally available such as DAXI on the horizon we can look forward to a never-ending fountain of youth.
What is Baby Botox?
All specialties of medicine will if clinically appropriate, strategically treat patients preventatively before a more serious condition manifests itself. The scientific products and technologies now available to aesthetic medicine allows us to pre-emptively treat younger patients for wrinkles and frown lines, this is commonly referred to as Baby Botox.
Baby Botox is a growing preventative aging trend among younger patients between the ages of 20 – 39. Neurotoxins were developed and have been used for over two decades to treat and reverse existing wrinkles, crow’s feet and other indications, but now we are realizing that we can prevent these lines from ever occurring with preventative treatments. It’s really exciting. To give a little history, the use of neurotoxins from the year 2000 to 2019 has increased 878% in the United States. In 2019, we saw a 20% increase in patients between the age of 20 to 39, which is revolutionary. In essence, Baby Botox patients are younger patients who are treated with very small amounts of Botox in the areas of the face where we actually get the most wrinkles, which is frown lines, the crow’s feet area, and even forehead lines. By starting before the wrinkles form, we are preventing future aging and many patients want to start early.
What is the typical age of a neurotoxin patient?
According to the FDA neurotoxins can be administered to adults over the age of 18. For many years the average patient age has been around 40, but now we are seeing patients as young as 18. While we are seeing younger women at Mia La Maven Med Spa, there has been an increase in male patients too.
Has social media had an effect on patients coming to Mia La Maven Med Spa?
Absolutely. Everything from Instagram, Tik Tok and Zoom, as well as FaceTime, Snap Chat, you name it has had a huge impact on our patients. Many of us are spending much more time on camera for both personal and professional use and the surge in cosmetic treatments is as a direct result of this. Looking good on camera has never been more important than it is now and many of the non-invasive injectable treatments such as fillers and neurotoxins are at an all-time high of popularity.
Do you provide patients with a treatment plan?
Every patient is unique and different because aesthetic medicine is not a generic one size fits all process. When a patient first comes to Mia La Maven Med Spa we begin the consultation with a detailed medical history and assessment to make sure they’re healthy. Then we discuss what is their main concern or desire and talk about the types of treatments that best suit their needs. Each person is different and we enjoy creating a customized plan which includes injection by me, or a member of our expert team. Some people think injecting fillers and neurotoxins is easy but it is not. It is something to be taken very seriously and should only be performed by expert injectors who are trained and have a complete and detailed understanding of facial anatomy which includes depth of placement, longevity of the products and, most of all, how best to shape and contour the face in a way that is not only safe, but is in line with the patient’s expectations.
Are neurotoxins permanent?
The best part is that the neurotoxins we have discussed are not permanent and that is the beauty of them. Neurotoxins provide an almost immediate result and wear off over s period of time which varies from person to person. Neurotoxins have a broad spectrum of capabilities, it allows the patient the flexibility to change and control how they want to look. There has been a lot of clinical scientific research behind neurotoxins for well over two decades and they are deemed safe and predictable.
How many treatments does a person need?
The treatment is quick. Most patients are in and out of the office in 15 minutes. There is little to no downtime and the effect begins after a few days, with the full effect in a week or two. The neurotoxin lasts approximately three to four months, depending upon the patient as well as how much has been used and where. As all of our treatments are customized, some patients may require more and some less. Over the course of a year a patient would generally return for a maintenance shot two to three times.
Looking at photos, can you tell if a Hollywood or Bollywood celebrity has had an aesthetic treatment?
I try not to judge from pictures but you can tell from some celebrities who look better at 53 than they did at 33 that they have had something done. I’m such a Bollywood fan and think the artists are just gorgeous, and some of them are open to discussing their aesthetic treatments. Priyanka Chopra, a Bollywood celebrity, talked about having multiple rhinoplasties in her recently released book “Unfinished”. She had a medical concern, but also talked about nose correction. Cindy Crawford, Cardi B and Katie Perry have all been open about their use of Botox® and the Kardashians broadcast all over social media about the many different medical aesthetic treatments procedures they are getting almost daily and people just love hearing them, and following them.
How much time does a person need to prepare for a wedding or a big social or business event?
Weddings are always so fun because most times we don’t just treat the bride but the whole wedding party. Some brides actually like to start six to nine months in advance so they can get used to the treatments and make sure they are going to look the way they want to. It goes hand-in-hand- with all the other wedding preparations and dress and hair selections. A wedding is one of the most important moments of a person’s life and it is captured in timeless photos and it is important to all brides that the whole wedding party looks great too!
In the case of a wedding, business event or any other event, we like to begin at least 4 to 6 weeks in advance of the event to make sure the patient is really happy with their results and feeling confident. However, if a patient only has a week or so to look their best for a big event we can absolutely work wonders within that time frame.
How does a person who has never had an aesthetic treatment decide it’s time for a consultation with you at Mia La Maven Med Spa?
For all patients regardless of age, they all want the same thing which is to be the best version of themselves! For younger patient it could mean Baby Botox and for other patients of any age it could mean that they want to look more youthful and are quite straight forward about seeking expert help. First time patients may be a bit more hesitant because they are nervous and may not know what is possible and realistic, which is why I feel it is always very important to spend time at a consultation finding out what their goals are and discussing options. The majority of first time patients generally want a natural look, or a treatment that freshens up their appearance and considering fillers and neurotoxins is a great place to start. All of us experience physical change as we age and as more people are becoming comfortable with cosmetic enhancement, the decision to make an appointment with either myself or the wonderful team at Mia La Maven is easy to do!
To listen to the full interview with Dr. Shweta Agarwal at
Aesthetic Insider™ Radio, CLICK HERE!
To consult with Dr. Agarwal call 310.314.0404, or email dr.agarwal@mialamavenmedspa.com.
www.mialamavenmedspa.com.