Scalpel News.

Byline: Joan Kron

24% of the nonsurgical cosmetic treatments performed in 2007 were Botox injections. --The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Less-Painful Injections

Though injections of hyaluronic acid gels such as Restylane and Juvederm can smooth wrinkles for six months or more, the shots can be quite painful if not preceded by topical or injected anesthetics--especially when done on the lips, a popular off-label use. In March, the FDA approved Prevelle Silk, currently the only hyaluronic-acid gel in the United States that contains an anesthetic, lidocaine. Prevelle Silk lasts only three to four months but costs less than other fillers. As with traditional shots, side effects include temporary redness, tenderness, swelling, or lumps. But Prevelle Silk produces "little bruising or swelling, and the patient can go out early after treatment," says Gary Monheit, associate clinical professor in dermatology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Coming: Wipe-on Wrinkle Eraser

A doctor-applied gel promises to relax frown lines for up to four months--without needles. Like Botox, the product contains botulinum toxin, but it's encapsulated in a protein that allows it to penetrate the skin topically and signal nerves and ...