Dr. Kridel, Cosmetic Surgeon
Houston Plastic Surgery

Home > Relaxed Expressions:  A Non-Surgical Wrinkle Softening Alternative

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	Dr. Kridel named as a Super Doctor in Texas Monthly Magazine. Dr. Kridel voted top doc for women by H Texas Magazine

Relaxed Expressions:  THE FIRST NONSURGICAL WRINKLE-SOFTENING ALTERNATIVE TO BOTOX® COSMETIC IS NOW FDA APPROVED!  Relaxed Expressions Precision Radio Frequency Application can dramatically rejuvenate your upper facial appearance without surgery.   You've been reading all about it in the newspaper or on the Internet or hearing about it on TV; now we'll give you the medical information you need to help you make the decision if Relaxed Expressions is right for you.

Relaxed Expressions is a minimally invasive, in-office approach to treat facial wrinkles performed by a surgeon. 
It uses radio frequency to selectively relax frown nerves, disabling them, and relaxing the associated wrinkles.
The most common areas of usage are the deep frown lines between the eyes and some forehead lines.  Once the resting tone of these muscles is weakened, the pull of the muscles relaxes and the skin flattens out.  This is an exciting and different approach from traditional methods like BOTOX® and injectable fillers for treating the aging face.  Collagen and autologous fat injections work by filling in a wrinkle.  BOTOX® works by softening wrinkles in the upper third of the face by weakening the muscles of your forehead and between your eyebrows, but its effects are temporary and require repeat maintenance injections every 3-4 months to retain a wrinkle- free brow and forehead.  In contrast, Relaxed Expressions has improved brow aesthetics with results lasting for six months and beyond.

Patient Squinting before treatment	Patient Squinting after treatment

The Technique
The facial skin is cleansed and disinfected. Markings are made to guide Dr. Kridel to the precise area to be targeted.  An anesthetic will be injected to minimize discomfort. A tiny opening is made in the skin and the Relaxed Expressions needle probe is then inserted.  We normally do this at two sites on each side of the face: one in the temple area, the other near the nose.  The nerves are located through a painless process of electrical stimulation. Using this technique Dr. Kridel can precisely locate the nerves that cause frowning in preparation for treatment.
A precise and controlled dose of radio frequency energy is then applied, effectively relaxing a tiny section of the nerves by disrupting signals being sent to the muscles between your eyes and on your brow. This will last for approximately ten seconds. These nerve impulses are what cause the muscle to contract. Once this communication is disrupted, muscle contraction may be effectively reduced thereby removing some wrinkles and the results are long lasting. This nonsurgical technique takes less than one hour, and you don't have to worry about any downtime. The area treated may be bruised or red and slightly swollen for a day, but you can use makeup to camouflage the area.

Relaxed Expressions is a more natural look and feel than toxins and doesn’t have the high risk of ptosis or unnatural brow appearance that can be seen with BOTOX®.  To date, there are no serious side effects associated with the use of Relaxed Expressions.  We have seen no allergies, shock or other side effects associated with our use of Relaxed Expressions.  Bipolar Radio Frequency of this type has been used in lifesaving cardiology treatments for over 10 years. Advanced Cosmetic Intervention has adapted this safe and proven technology to reduce or eliminate the lines caused by frowning or squinting.

However minor side effects can occur.  Because there are many small blood vessels in the skin around your eyes, you may get a small bruise from the injection site, which can be covered with makeup.  On rare occasions, the needle may puncture a blood vessel and you may have a black and blue area that lasts longer.

Relaxed Expressions is utilized to enhance your appearance and does not take the place of standard facial plastic surgical procedures such as face lifts, brow lifts, eyelid lifts,  or laser resurfacing.  It has the ability to improve areas that are not addressed by these operations and is an effective adjunct to these operations.  If the effects of the Relaxed Expressions treatment start to wear off, you will notice a return of your wrinkles.  Frequently, when they return they are not as deep.  At that time, you may elect to have another Relaxed Expressions treatment.  If a wrinkle is really deep, we may need to use both Relaxed Expressions and Restylane or another injectable filler to fill in the depression and relax the muscle.

Some wrinkles of the face are not amenable to correction with Relaxed Expressions radio frequency treatment, such as the deep creases that are in the structure of the skin and are not caused by muscles pulling on the skin.  These types of wrinkles tend to be in the areas that are caused by trauma, scarring, or sun exposure and damage and are frequently found in older patients.  Relaxed Expressions works best in patients aged 30 to 60 and is less effective in sun damaged skin.  During your consultation, the areas that are amenable to improvement with Relaxed Expressions will be pointed out to you.

The purpose of Relaxed Expressions is to help you look your best.  It's important to note that this treatment doesn't replace the face lift, laser skin resurfacing, or eyelid lift, but it is a good option for someone who is just beginning to be bothered by signs of aging. For information on how this can benefit you, call 713-526-5665 to schedule a consultation to determine if you are a candidate for this exciting new procedure.