Glossary
The words you will hear at a consultation
Short definitions of the words used in aesthetic medicine, from biostimulator to vascular occlusion, written for patients by Tanya Pinhasov, BSN, RN.
B
- Biostimulator
- An injectable whose main effect is to stimulate your own collagen production over months, rather than to add volume on the day. Poly-L-lactic acid and calcium hydroxylapatite are the two common types.
- Blanching
- Skin turning white or pale in a patch.
- Botulinum toxin type A
- The purified protein in neuromodulator injections. In tiny, controlled doses it stops a treated muscle from contracting fully, so the line that muscle creates softens for a few months.
C
- Calcium hydroxylapatite
- A mineral compound, similar to one found in bone, suspended in a gel and injected to add support and stimulate collagen. Sold as Radiesse.
- Cannula
- A thin, blunt-tipped tube used instead of a sharp needle to place filler.
- Capillary refill time
- How long skin takes to regain its color after being pressed and released.
- Contraindication
- A medical reason a treatment should not be given to you, either at all (absolute) or without weighing the risk (relative).
- Cross-linking
- The chemical bonding that turns liquid hyaluronic acid into a gel that holds its shape for months.
D
- Delegating prescriber
- The licensed practitioner with medical training in aesthetics who evaluates patients, writes the orders a nurse injector works from, and supervises the work. An APRN may fill this role in Arizona.
- Dermal filler
- An injectable gel that adds volume or support under the skin. Most are hyaluronic acid; others are biostimulators that build collagen over time. Fillers are medical devices regulated by the FDA.
F
- Filler migration
- Movement of filler away from where it was placed, most noticed above the lip line. It is linked to volume, placement depth and repeated treatment, and is corrected by dissolving the product.
- Frontalis
- The broad muscle of the forehead that raises the eyebrows. Treating it with a neuromodulator softens horizontal forehead lines; treating it too heavily can drop the brows.
G
- Glabella
- The area between the eyebrows, above the nose. The muscles here pull the brows together and down, creating the vertical frown lines that neuromodulators treat.
- Good Faith Exam
- The industry's name for the medical evaluation a licensed practitioner performs before an aesthetic treatment. Arizona's Board of Nursing expects it before a nurse's first Botox or filler treatment.
H
- Hyaluronic acid
- A sugar molecule the body makes naturally, found in skin and joints, that binds water.
- Hyaluronidase
- An enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid. Injected to dissolve hyaluronic acid filler, either to correct a result or urgently to treat a vascular occlusion.
L
- Livedo reticularis
- A purplish, net-like or mottled pattern on the skin caused by sluggish blood flow. After filler it is a sign that an artery may be blocked and needs urgent assessment.
M
- Masseter
- The large chewing muscle at the angle of the jaw. Neuromodulator treatment of the masseter is used for jaw clenching and, over time, to slim a square-looking lower face; this use is off-label.
- Medical director
- The physician or other prescriber who takes clinical responsibility for a practice: writing protocols, reviewing charts, and being available during treatment hours.
N
- Neuromodulator
- The category word for injectable botulinum toxin products (Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, Daxxify) that relax the muscles behind expression lines by blocking the nerve signal to the muscle.
- Nurse practitioner (NP)
- An advanced practice registered nurse with graduate education and, in Arizona, independent prescriptive authority.
O
- Off-label use
- Using an approved medication for a purpose, area or dose not listed on its FDA-approved label. Legal and common when a prescriber judges it appropriate, and it should be explained to you.
- Orbicularis oculi
- The ring of muscle around each eye. Its outer fibers create crow's feet when you smile or squint; small neuromodulator doses here soften those lines.
P
- Patient-specific order
- A written treatment order for one named patient, issued by a prescriber after evaluating that patient.
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
- A concentrate of your own platelets, prepared by spinning a small blood sample, that is applied to or injected into skin to support healing. It is sometimes combined with microneedling.
- Poly-L-lactic acid
- A biodegradable synthetic material, long used in dissolvable sutures, that is injected as a suspension to stimulate collagen over a series of sessions. Sold as Sculptra.
R
- Registered nurse (RN)
- A nurse licensed by the state board after a nursing degree and the national licensing exam. BSN means the degree was a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
S
- Scope of practice
- What a licensed professional is legally permitted to do.
- Supraperiosteal
- Directly on top of the bone, beneath the muscle and fat.
T
- Tyndall effect
- A bluish tint seen through the skin when hyaluronic acid filler is placed too superficially, most often under the eyes. It is not dangerous and can be corrected by dissolving the filler.
U
- Unit (neuromodulator)
- The measure of biological activity used to dose a neuromodulator. Units are specific to each brand, so a Dysport dose is not the same number as a Botox dose for the same muscle.
V
- Vascular occlusion
- A blocked blood vessel caused by filler injected into or compressing an artery. Rare and serious, but treatable when recognized quickly, which is why skin color is checked during treatment.
Start with a conversation, not a syringe.
Every new patient has a consultation and a Good Faith Exam with the prescriber before a first treatment. Book the consultation, or send a question first.