Plastic Surgeon Finds Solution To Vertical Lines Over Lip
Chicago Doctor Uses Dermal Spin Treatment
POSTED: 8:02 p.m. CDT April 25, 2002
CHICAGO -- Collagen or fat injections can temporarily reduce facial lines around the eyes and forehead, but it won't help the vertical lines above the lips.
Karen Casey, 48, doesn't like the wrinkles above her upper lip.
"They make me look old. I don't feel young," she said.
Plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Byun said vertical lines are a normal part of the aging process. The usual way to get rid of them is to inject the under-layer or dermal layer of the skin with collagen or stimulate collagen in the area with a laser.
Now Byun is offering another option, a technique he invented called dermal spin. It uses this special rotating solid needle tip.
"I am stimulating the dermal layer itself in a mechanical means," he said. "And therefore, spontaneously, you are actually regenerating your own collagen. And that new collagen will make the lines disappear."
After numbing the upper lip with a local anesthetic, a small incision is made in the corner of the lip. Then the dermal spin needle is inserted. With the push of a pedal it begins rotating.
Then a similar procedure is performed on the other side of the lip.
But not everyone is convinced of the effectiveness of the dermal spin technique. We showed the procedure to plastic surgeon Dr. Peter Geldner.
"If it makes collagen, it's in the form of scar tissue and that's unpredictable," he said. "You don't know what it's going to do. It's a neat idea, but I wouldn't let it be done on my lips."
In the opinion of Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's plastic surgeon Randall McNally, "It would have to stand the test of time to prove its worthiness."
Byun said, "I still need to do more studies on this, but it's quite exciting based on the clinical findings."
In the past year, he's tried the procedure on 30 patients.
Pictures show the look Byun has achieved. After only one visit, Casey said she already noticed a change.
After a second treatment three months later, she said, "I don't have all the lines above my lip, so I'm very happy."
For the best results, Byun recommends three or four dermal spin treatments over a four-month period.
The cost is about $1,500 per session.
Karen Casey, 48, doesn't like the wrinkles above her upper lip.
"They make me look old. I don't feel young," she said.
Plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Byun said vertical lines are a normal part of the aging process. The usual way to get rid of them is to inject the under-layer or dermal layer of the skin with collagen or stimulate collagen in the area with a laser.
Now Byun is offering another option, a technique he invented called dermal spin. It uses this special rotating solid needle tip.
"I am stimulating the dermal layer itself in a mechanical means," he said. "And therefore, spontaneously, you are actually regenerating your own collagen. And that new collagen will make the lines disappear."
After numbing the upper lip with a local anesthetic, a small incision is made in the corner of the lip. Then the dermal spin needle is inserted. With the push of a pedal it begins rotating.
Then a similar procedure is performed on the other side of the lip.
But not everyone is convinced of the effectiveness of the dermal spin technique. We showed the procedure to plastic surgeon Dr. Peter Geldner.
"If it makes collagen, it's in the form of scar tissue and that's unpredictable," he said. "You don't know what it's going to do. It's a neat idea, but I wouldn't let it be done on my lips."
In the opinion of Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's plastic surgeon Randall McNally, "It would have to stand the test of time to prove its worthiness."
Byun said, "I still need to do more studies on this, but it's quite exciting based on the clinical findings."
In the past year, he's tried the procedure on 30 patients.
Pictures show the look Byun has achieved. After only one visit, Casey said she already noticed a change.
After a second treatment three months later, she said, "I don't have all the lines above my lip, so I'm very happy."
For the best results, Byun recommends three or four dermal spin treatments over a four-month period.
The cost is about $1,500 per session.Copyright 2002 by NBC5.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
