A review of selected chemical additives in cosmetic products.

The addition of chemical additives to consumer cosmetic products is a common practice to increase cosmetic effectiveness, maintain cosmetic efficacy, and produce a longer-lasting, more viable product. Recently, manufacturers have come under attack for the addition of chemicals including dioxane, formaldehyde, lead/lead acetate, parabens, and phthalate, as these additives may prove harmful to consumer health. Although reports show that these products may indeed adversely affect human health, these studies are conducted using levels of the aforementioned chemicals at much higher levels of exposure than those found in cosmetic products. When cosmeceuticals are used as per manufacturer's instructions, it is estimated that the levels of harmful additives found in these products are considerably lower than reported toxic concentrations.

Subcutaneous Radiofrequency Microneedling for the Treatment of Thigh Skin Laxity Caused by Weight Loss: A Case Study.

Radiofrequency (RF) microneedling has been used to reduce skin laxity, due to aging, on the face and neck. Our objective for this case study was to evaluate the use of RF in combination with microneedling to nonsurgically improve skin laxity, a result of significant weight loss, on the thighs of a 39-year-old woman. Two sessions of subcutaneous RF microneedling were performed five months apart on the patient's bilateral medial thighs. Laxity was graded before the first session and two months following the second session using the Hexsel and Dal'Forno Severity Scale of Cellulite. Upon visual evaluation, the appearance of cellulite and skin laxity was improved, with a five-point improvement on the Hexsel and Dal'Forno scale at two months after the second treatment. Laxity and depth of depressions showed the most improvement. Our patient reported satisfaction with the results. RF microneedling might offer an effective alternative to surgical correction of skin laxity. Further research is needed to explore the expanding applications of RF microneedling in aesthetic medicine.

Temporal fossa defects: techniques for injecting hyaluronic acid filler and complications after hyaluronic acid filler injection.

Facial changes with aging include thinning of the epidermis, loss of skin elasticity, atrophy of muscle, and subcutaneous fat and bony changes, all which result in a loss of volume. As temporal bones become more concave, and the temporalis atrophies and the temporal fat pad decreases, volume loss leads to an undesirable, gaunt appearance. By altering the temporal fossa and upper face with hyaluronic acid filler, those whose specialty is injecting filler can achieve a balanced and more youthful facial structure. Many techniques have been described to inject filler into the fossa including a "fanned" pattern of injections, highly diluted filler injection, and the method we describe using a three-injection approach. Complications of filler in the temporal fossa include bruising, tenderness, swelling, Tyndall effect, overcorrection, and chewing discomfort. Although rare, more serious complications include infection, foreign body granuloma, intravascular necrosis, and blindness due to embolization into the ophthalmic artery. Using reversible hyaluronic acid fillers, hyaluronidase can be used to relieve any discomfort felt by the patient. Injectors must be aware of the complications that may occur and provide treatment readily to avoid morbidities associated with filler injection into this sensitive area.