New Year, New You(th)!
- Refresh MedSpa
- Dec 22, 2023
- 6 min read
Thank you, readers and client, for your time and for trusting us on your aesthetic journey. We hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season and are ready for the new year! To kick off the new year, we wanted to introduce two new
products we are bringing to the practice:
Semaglutide Peptide & Renveau Liquid PDO+HA
Semaglutide Peptide
Unlocking Weight Loss Potential: The Semaglutide Revolution at Refresh MedSpa
In the spirit of embracing the new year, we are thrilled to introduce Semaglutide to our range of services. This groundbreaking medication has been all the rage in wellness and aesthetic medicine, and is set to redefine your weight loss journey. In this blog post, we will delve into the details of Semaglutide, its mechanism of action, what you can realistically expect from incorporating it into your wellness routine, side effects, and why we opted to wait a little longer to introduce it into our practice.
1. What is Semaglutide, and how does it work?
Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, a type of medication designed to regulate blood sugar levels and promote weight loss. It works by mimicking the effects of a natural hormone, GLP-1, which stimulates insulin secretion and reduces the amount of glucose produced by the liver. Additionally, Semaglutide helps to slow down the emptying of the stomach, leading to increased feelings of fullness and reduced appetite.
2. Importance of FDA 503A and 503B Certification:
At Refresh MedSpa, we prioritize your safety and well-being. Our Semaglutide is sourced from an FDA 503A and 503B certified facility. This certification ensures that the medication is prepared in compliance with strict quality standards, guaranteeing its purity, potency, and safety for your use. By having this certification, you can trust that you are receiving a product of the highest quality.
3. Realistic Expectations from Semaglutide in Weight Loss:
While individual results may vary, studies have shown that Semaglutide can lead to significant weight loss when combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise. On average, individuals using Semaglutide have experienced a reduction of 15% in body weight. Your dedicated team at Refresh MedSpa will work with you to set achievable goals and support you throughout your weight loss journey.
4. Common Side Effects of Semaglutide:
As with any medication, Semaglutide may have side effects. These can include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Notably, some individuals using Ozempic, a brand of Semaglutide, have reported specific side effects known as "Ozempic face" and "Ozempic butt." It's crucial to communicate any concerns with our medical professionals who can provide personalized guidance.
Ozempic Face: Some users may experience a reduction in facial fat, resulting in a more sculpted or sunken appearance. It's crucial to discuss any cosmetic concerns with our team to ensure a comprehensive understanding of your experience with Semaglutide.
Ozempic Butt: This refers to a localized loss of fat tissue in the buttocks, which can lead to a flatter appearance. It's essential to be aware of this potential side effect, as it may affect individuals differently.
5. Long-term Use of Semaglutide:
The safety and efficacy of Semaglutide for long-term use are still being studied. Currently, it is approved for continuous use, but it's crucial to undergo regular check-ups with our medical professionals to monitor your progress and address any potential concerns that may arise.
6. Why did Refresh wait so long to jump on this trend?
Truth be told, it was simply because we were uncertain of how this trend would effect clients/patients who were using the medication. While we believed in the weight loss capabilities of Semaglutide, we wanted more data and more studies on the drug before bringing it into the practice. As more studies were published, it was found that Semaglutide can also improve cardiometabolic risk factors and decrease blood pressure. From that point, it was all about finding the right pharmacy with whom we wanted to work.
Because of the boom of Semaglutide for weight loss, other medical practices and compounding pharmacies were jumping on the "hot new trend." However, we wanted to make sure that when/if we did bring it to our practice, to do so in the safest manor. By working with an FDA 503A and 503B compounding pharmacy, we knew that they were held to the strictest guidelines set forth by the FDA. Anyone looking to start Semaglutide (aka Ozempic, Wegovy), or any other weight loss supplement should make sure that whomever is distributing the medication is obtaining it from an FDA 503A and 504B compounding pharmacy.
CNN had an article posted on 12/18/23 (for those interested in reading about it) discussing the 1500% increase in calls to the poison center due to accidental overdoses on injectable weight-loss drugs. Regardless whether this was the fault of the client or medical provider, it was one of the things we feared about adding the drug to our practice.
Hence, we wanted to have protocols in place to ensure that our clients were educated on the medication, educated on their treatment, and ultimately making more long term changes to their health (i.e. exercising and eating healthier) so that they do not have to use Semaglutide indefinitely.
Renveau Liquid PDO+HA
Unleash the power or liquid PDO
If we are being honest with ourselves, most of us would prefer to look younger than we do. There are so many factors at play when it comes to aging, from genetics to sun damage, to other extrinsic factors we never considered when we were younger. One of the biggest signs of aging is wrinkles and loose, drooping skin. While services such as neuromodulators and fillers can help with these concerns, some clients need a different procedure to help them achieve their goal(s).
PDO is an ingredient that is certified by the FDA, naturally dissolves, and is absorbed by the body in 6-12 months, during which time it aids in the production of collagen. PDO (polydioxanone) threading, while used for decades in surgeries, has been a relatively new procedure in aesthetic medicine.
It utilizes 4 different types of threads (barbed, corkscrew, smooth, and multi-strand) in various parts of the face to provide a lift, structure, and/or volume. It has been commonly coined the "non-surgical face lift," as it creates an instant lift and tightening of the skin, without the long downtime of a surgical procedure.
"This sounds like such a great procedure! Why is this not offered at Refresh?"
While a very valid question, there were a few factors that played into why we opted not to bring PDO threading into our practice:
Longer downtime than our other procedures: mild bruising and swelling can typically last up to 1-2 week)
Higher risk for complications compared to our other procedures:
dimpling where the threads are pulled through
blood pooling behind the threaded area
migration of the thread, causing skin to appear lumpy
more intense, persisting pain due to thread placement
infection at the sites
Results are temporary: while most practices will discuss durations of 6-18 months, dependent on the individual, we have spoken to many plastic surgeons that have removed PDO threading from their practice, as the results do not last as long as desired.
Costly: the average cost in the United States is between $1500-2000.
The procedure does not correct the skin's surface: it does not address surface-level concerns such as blemishes, scars, sunspots, or fine lines and wrinkles.
So why do we bring up PDO threading?
In lieu of PDO threading, we are working with a new product Renveau Liquid PDO+HA, which combines the same PDO polymer found in PDO threading with non-cross-linked Hyaluronic Acid (HA). 1 treatment contains the equivalent of 250-300 PDO threads!
We combine this product with our microneedling service (traditional or RF) to provide the collagen producing benefits of PDO, the ultra hydration benefits of HA, and the skin resurfacing and collage/elastin producing benefits of microneedling.
What separates this product from PDO threading are the following:
Remarkable Affordability: Each session of liquid PDO is a $75 add on to our microneedling service ($300/session for traditional microneedling and $700/session for RF microneedling - currently $550/session with complimentary liquid PDO for the month of January).
Overall greater impact: Due to the similarities in liquid PDO and PDO threading, by adding this product to our microneedling service, clients gain the added benefit of skin resurfacing, treatment of scars, fine lines, and wrinkles (with traditional microneedling) and treatment of scars and skin tightening (with RF microneedling). This product can also be combined with our custom serums to also address other skin surface-level concerns (pigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles, etc).
Exceptional Results: PDO meet Hyaluronic Acid in this serum, delivering outstanding results in facial rejuvenation, contouring, and collagen stimulation.
Less downtime: traditional microneedling typically has 2-3 days of downtime, consisting of mild redness to the skin, while RF microneedling typically has less than 24 hours of downtime (can be similar to traditional microneedling if higher energy and/or deeper penetration of needles is used during the procedure).
Less complications.
Thank you for taking the time to read about the two new products coming to Refresh in 2024. We sincerely hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, and wish you all a happy and healthy new year.
As always, if you have any further questions, or simply want even more information about the products and services in our office, please do not hesitate to contact our office via phone or email. We are here to help and would love the opportunity to help you in your aesthetic journey!
- Refresh MedSpa
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