The sunniest season is upon us and it’s time to upgrade your upkeep with treatments guaranteed to get you summer-ready. We all know that with warmer weather comes special social obligations. Put your best self forward with five services that will leave you feeling confident, whether you’re headed to the beach or a BBQ.

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Lip Filler

Summer selfies are coming in hot and the most popular treatment to perfect your pictures–and your pout–is a lip augmentation. Lip fillers are dermal fillers that are FDA-approved to inject in the lips and are often a synthetic form of hyaluronic acid, an ultra-hydrating, naturally occurring substance in the human body. The treatment itself takes less than 20 minutes with nearly immediate results, making it a popular choice for a quick aesthetic refresh. Please keep in mind that it may take a week or two for swelling to subside and filler to settle to see and enjoy your final results. 

Even if fullness may not be your objective, dermal fillers offer benefits to several lip shapes, sizes, and varieties. Clients often look to medical providers to improve the balance of their lips–adding just a little filler to achieve symmetry. Fillers also have the ability to counteract the signs of aging by creating a more youthful, hydrated appearance and lifting drooping corners. Discuss your goals with a Portrait provider for customized care and a perfect pout.

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Neurotoxins

Many factors contribute to fine lines and wrinkles, but the summer sun is a known culprit. Whether you’re proactively treating signs of aging or addressing areas of insecurity, neurotoxins are here to help. Neurotoxins are one of the most popular cosmetic injectables on the market, typically used to improve the appearance of expression lines by temporarily blocking nerve receptors in muscles. This leads to a temporary paralysis at the injection site, relaxing the muscles responsible for those fine lines. The most common type of neurotoxin is botulinum toxin type A, which most clients will recognize as Botox®, Juvéderm®, Xeomin®, or Dysport®. 

Though neurotoxins are often regarded as treatments that exclusively minimize signs of aging, they offer an incredible secondary benefit: the treatment of severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis. Botox®, amongst other neurotoxin treatments, can be injected in underarms to reduce excessive sweating by temporarily blocking the nerves that stimulate sweat glands. If antiperspirant isn’t enough to keep you feeling dry and confident this summer, ask a Portrait provider how a neurotoxin treatment can help. 

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Sculptra® Butt Lift

If you’re looking to shape and volumize your backside this bikini season, there’s a non-invasive solution for you. Sculptra® Butt Lift is a non-surgical alternative to the Brazilian Butt Lift, colloquially known as a BBL. This injectable dermal filler contains beads of Poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), a biodegradable synthetic polymer, which gradually increases the thickness of skin in the treatment area. With time, these beads dissolve and your body will actively replace them with natural collagen. 

When receiving a Sculptra® Butt Lift treatment, your provider will inject several vials of Sculptra® into your buttocks to promote natural collagen production, increase volume, and create a rounder appearance. Though subtle results can be seen immediately–with zero downtime–the collagen production process may take a few weeks to months before to produce final results. Unlike more invasive treatments, Sculptra® Butt Lift enhances your body shape with your own collagen, resulting in a very natural and desirable look. 

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QWO® Cellulite Treatment

Warmer weather often calls for less clothing, which can spark insecurity in many clients. Cellulite is a totally normal, natural, yet common concern that affects patients of all shapes and sizes–nearly 90% of women have cellulite regardless of weight or age. Cellulite is formed when the fibrous connective cords that tether to underlying muscle tighten around fat deposits, causing visual divots or dimpling. Treatments for cellulite typically involve lasers or moderately invasive procedures to sever the connective cords, called septae. QWO® is the first injectable treatment of its kind to chemically loosen septae over time to reduce and/or eliminate the appearance of cellulite. 

QWO® is the first and only FDA-approved cosmetic injectable that targets cellulite. QWO® is made up of the active ingredient collagenase clostridium histolyticum-aaes, a mixture of proteins derived from bacteria. QWO® works by stimulating new collagen growth, releasing septae, and redistributing fat cells. Your provider will inject QWO® into the targeted dimpled area with a small-gauge needle over the course of several sessions, in a ten-week period. Though it may be challenging to consult a professional about an insecurity like cellulite, know that your Portrait provider will ensure that you feel safe and supported in achieving your aesthetic goals.

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Varicose and Spider Vein Treatment

Let this be the summer of shorts, skirts, and all of the leg-exposing clothing you love, because there is a simple solution for varicose and spider veins. Varicose veins are benign, enlarged veins on legs that tend to be a genetic trait. Similarly, spider veins are dilated veins that are located near the surface of our skin. Unfortunately, these veins become increasingly visible in the warmer months as our bodies actively cools itself through increased blood flow. This, in turn, enlarges our veins making them more visible. Luckily, there are several types of cosmetic procedures to treat the appearance of varicose and spider veins, including the most commonly performed treatment: sclerotherapy.  

Providers have been using sclerotherapy for decades to treat varicose and spider veins. Sclerotherapy is a minimally invasive, injectable treatment that reduces the appearance of varicose and spider veins by safely injecting a chemical solution within them. This causes the vein to collapse and be reabsorbed into local tissue, which eventually fades completely. This cosmetic treatment takes less than an hour to perform and yields permanent results. After a sclerotherapy treatment, veins are expected to fade within a few weeks depending on the size and scale of the treated veins. A Portrait provider may suggest multiple sessions to ensure the best possible results. 

Aesthetic insecurities can become heightened during summer months when it becomes harder to hide concerns under layers of winter clothing. Cosmetic treatments can help reduce these insecurities with effective and liberating results–freeing yourself from respective problem areas that may have restricted you from fully enjoying the season. Take back control and contact your local Portrait provider to discuss and map out your path to a confident and care-free summer. 

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