TO BANISH WRINKLES A patient being treated with Sculptra in the office of Dr. Z. Paul Lorenc, a plastic surgeon in Manhattan who uses it to fill in sunken cheeks, among other purposes.

SCULPTRA, a long-lasting filler that has been used since 2004 to plump the cheeks of H.I.V.-positive patients with facial wasting, is finally having its cosmetic debut. In July, the Food and Drug Administration approved Sculptra Aesthetic — as the cosmetic version is named — for use to improve the appearance of nose-to-lip wrinkles (think Jack Nicholson’s Joker), horizontal chin wrinkles and so-called marionette lines that frame lips.

But that is not to say Sculptra is a new-to-the-ball debutante. Since 2004, Sculptra has been used off-label not only to tame stubborn skin folds but also to add volume to cheeks and temples withered by time. Now that Sculptra has been approved for some cosmetic uses, plastic surgeons and dermatologists are expecting a surge of interest.

Previously, little prevented a dermatologist or plastic surgeon from recommending Sculptra to a patient gaunt from exercise or distressed by hollow cheeks. In fact, last year, plastic surgeons and other doctors treated nearly 80,000 patients with Sculptra, up from 46,732 in 2005, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Sculptra has already won over some doctors and patients. One advantage is its longevity; it can last up to two years once an optimal result is achieved, while alternative fillers including Restylane, Juvéderm and Evolence generally last a year or less. Another advantage is Sculptra’s ability to address broader depressions like sunken cheeks.

Laura Coco has been heading to Dr. Z. Paul Lorenc’s Park Avenue plastic surgery office for a number of years. But these days instead of surgery, she’s opting for less invasive, less expensive fillers due to the shaky economy.

“I decided to hold off and see how things go. Who knows what’s going to happen tomorrow. So I decided to go with fillers, because I know that will freshen me up for at least a year, and then I can decide, get the surgery, like a year or so, as long as things are going well,” said Coco.

Dr. Lorenc said during the economic downturn, his office has definitely been seeing more patients practice a similar amount of caution.

“What we have seen is patients, for instance in the past would come in for a surgical procedure, have transitioned, some of them, not all of them, but some of them to non-surgical approaches, fillers, lower toxins. And some of the patients that have come in for fillers, lower toxins, have transitioned into even simpler procedures,” said Lorenc.

Dr. Alan Gold, president of the American Society for Aesthetic Surgery said it’s a trend that’s happening across the board.

“We have seen in a poll taken for the American Society for Aesthetic Surgery, in our members, we have seen approximately 50 percent, a little over 50 percent in our members have reported a downturn in their practices as a result of the downturn in the economy,” said Gold.

In the midst of a recession, Dr. Lorenc’s practice has implemented a fancy term for discount, they call it “compassionate pricing”.

We care about our finances, and we care about our patients finances. And if we can help someone make the decision, maybe they will not be able to have surgery today, but let’s give them something to make them feel better. By giving them a compassionate pricing program it helps them to say, maybe I can afford it,” said Lorraine Russo, Executive Director, Lorenc Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

According to Dr. Gold, the demand in the field of plastic surgery will always be there.

“When we see the economy turn around, whenever that may be, I think that you are going to see an abrupt uptick higher than what we usually see, because that is pent up demand. People will say, okay, I can’t have a surgery this year, or in this last six months. But six months to a year from now, they are still going to be interested and are still going to pursue that concept of having surgery,” said Gold.

Reposted from NY1

By Janet Lee/p>

I recently decided to get quadruple blepharoplasty, which means I’ll get the fat sucked out from under both eyes and have some skin and fat removed from the crease of both eyelids. Those fat pockets have been giving me angst for years—I feel like they make me look tired and older—and I want them gone! My upper eyelids weren’t really a problem, but I have noticed some sagging there and I figure this will keep them looking good for another 10 years or so. I chose to have the procedure done by aesthetic plastic surgeon Paul Lorenc, M.D., who’s been practicing in New York City for more than 20 years and who’s very well known and respected. During my initial consultation, I felt so comfortable with him and his staff. I didn’t have one iota of doubt about his—or their—ability to take care of me.

The main “hump” in deciding to get the procedure was having surgery, which I’ve never done, and undergoing anesthesia. Also, I admit I did have some concern about becoming one of “those” women, who’ve had work done and altered their appearance. I hate seeing all those scary facelifts in Hollywood—and on the Upper East Side in New York City—but my fat bags really bothered me. I finally realized, why put up with it when I can do something about it? I kept a diary of my experience—from a few days before to a few weeks after—and snapped some photos of my progress.

Dr. Z. Paul Lorenc, a plastic surgeon from Manhattan, has opened an office in Santa Rosa. Lorenc is the author of the bestseller “A Little Work . . . Behind the Doors of a Park Avenue Plastic Surgeon.” He is a clinical professor of plastic surgery at New York University, a master researcher for Johnson & Johnson and is credited as the pioneer for the endoscopic brow lift.

The office is located at 500 Doyle Park Drive, Suite 300.

Republished from PressDemocrat.com

Dr. Z. Paul Lorenc was recently quoted in a New York Times article about new products and procedures in plastic surgery!

Read the whole thing here.

Lorenc.com now offers a Botox Visualizer so you can see how Botox can improve your image.

Click Here to use the Botox Visualizer

Restylane is a non-surgical facial rejuvination therapy.

You can find out more about Restylane on Dr. Lorenc’s website.

Click here for a coupon for Restylane treatment — Up to $150 off!