New Wrinkle Treatment

BOTOX can be very effective for reducing wrinkles caused by facial expressions. However, the treatment is temporary, lasting only three to six months. Thus, the procedure must be repeated to maintain the effects. Now there's another option on the horizon, called GFX. GFX uses bipolar radiofrequency ablation to target the nerves associated with facial expression wrinkling, rather than the muscles (as with BOTOX). The process is called Percutaneous Selective Radiofrequency Neuroablation (PSRN).

Cameron Rokhsar, M.D., a Cosmetic Dermatologist with New York Aesthetic Consultants, says, patients are given an oral sedative and local anesthetic to minimize discomfort. Then, a needle probe is inserted through a tiny puncture in the skin. The physician locates the target nerve by releasing a low level of electric current from the probe. The current stimulates the nerves and causes the muscle to contract. Once the correct nerve is identified, a controlled dose of radiofrequency (RF) energy is aimed at the target. The RF energy intentionally damages a portion of the nerve, disrupting its ability to send a signal to the muscle. Without that signal, the muscle can't contract, preventing the formation of that specific facial expression wrinkle.

Rokhsar says GFX is being used on the eyebrow area. But he anticipates the treatment will one day be used for other muscle-related wrinkles. GFX is still not a permanent procedure because the nerve eventually regenerates. However, the treatment lasts about a year - much longer than BOTOX. Currently, GFX is approved as a subcutaneous lesion generation system. A clinical trial is underway to determine how long the effects of the treatment will last.

For information about the GFX technology: Advanced Cosmetic Intervention, Inc, http://www.acisurgery.com