Lauren Edeker, P.A.-C., an industry leading master aesthetics injector, has joined Shine Medical Aesthetics as Chief Clinical Officer for Aesthetics effective immediately
SHINE, a unique medical aesthetics practice that combines individual attention and personalized treatment plans, opened its first Atlanta location at The Avalon, 2720 Old Milton Pkwy, Suite 150 in Alpharetta, GA in late 2024 and offers a broad range of aesthetic and longevity services including:
- injectables (including Botox and dermal fillers)
- photo facials, skin resurfacing, and skin tightening
- weight loss treatments (using only 100% purely compounded Semaglutide & Tirzepatide, from PCAB accredited pharmacies to ensure effectiveness and safety)
- hydra facials
- laser hair removal
- hormone replacement therapy (requiring no injections and without the risks of synthetic hormones)
- IV hydration therapy
"I am so excited to begin this next phase of my career leading the aesthetics team at Shine Medical Aesthetics. Shine’s commitment to providing each patient with a customized personalized assessment and providing a full-service experience for my patients aligns perfectly with my vision for caring for my aesthetics patients."
Lauren brings a wealth of expertise as an Allergan Medical Institute Trainer, a role she has held for the past 3 years. She specializes in training injectors of all levels on Botox® Cosmetic, the Juvéderm® Collection of Fillers, and Kybella®. Her passion for education and precision in aesthetic medicine make her an incredible addition to our clinical team.
"We are so excited to have Lauren join our team and to be able offer our clients and the Alpharetta area such a talented and experienced aesthetics injector to help each patient achieve the results they want", said Dennis Kelly, Co-Founder and CEO. Lauren is committed to making sure each patient leaves Shine feeling excited and confident with the new and improved version of themselves. Lauren is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and the Georgia Association of Physician Assistants.
SHINE is widely recognized for its state-of-the-art technology and industry leading standards. According to American Board of Facial Plastic and Restoration Surgery certified Dr. Ken Anderson, "There really is no place in Atlanta that offers the quality and personalization that SHINE provides. It’s an upscale experience that takes aesthetic treatments to a totally new level."
SHINE
2710 Old Milton Pkwy,
Suite 150
Alpharetta, GA 30009
Phone (470) 470-9986
Call or text
Website: ShineMedStudios.com
contact@shinemedstudios.com
To see Lauren’s before and after photos, go to
Instagram: @lippies.by.lauren
Your Neurotoxin Treatment Guide: From Botox to Xeomin
Neurotoxin injectables are the most popular nonsurgical facial treatment because they provide impressive results with minimal recovery time. (Photo: Ladanifer/Shutterstock)
By Sarah Hicks
Medical review by Anna Carlisle, MSN, APRN, FNP-C
In the beginning, there was Botox.
In 2002, Botox was granted FDA approval for combating wrinkles, and since then the popularity of neurotoxin treatments has grown dramatically. In 2023, medical providers in the U.S. administered 9.45 million neurotoxin injections, including Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, Jeuveau and Daxxify.
Our comprehensive neurotoxin treatment guide is a great way to explore these options. It provides the information you need to make an informed decision with your medical provider and to understand which treatment could be a good fit for you.
How Neurotoxin Treatments Work
Understanding how neurotoxin treatments work requires a short science lesson.
What Is Botulinum Toxin Type A?
Botulinum toxin type A is an injectable neurotoxin — a substance that acts on the nervous system. Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, Jeuveau and Daxxify are the brand names of these injectables.
These neurotoxin treatments block nerve signals to a muscle or gland, temporarily paralyzing it and causing it to relax. When the muscles targeted in a facial treatment relax, the overall facial expression becomes softer.
Targeting ‘Dynamic’ Wrinkles
Neurotoxins, also called neuromodulators, are primarily used to smooth dynamic wrinkles, which are wrinkles that form as a result of consistent daily facial movements such as squinting, smiling and frowning.
These dynamic wrinkles are a natural part of aging, but that doesn’t mean you have to like them.
What Areas Can Neurotoxin Injectables Treat?
Forehead lines and other wrinkles respond extremely well to neurotoxin treatments because the toxins relax the muscles. (Photo: ISKANDAR CITA/Shutterstock)
There are several specific areas where repetitive muscle contractions show up on the face, including:
- glabellar lines, the vertical wrinkles or “elevens” that appear between the brows
- crow’s feet at the edges of the eyes
- forehead creases
- wrinkles at the corners of the mouth
- a “cobblestoned” or “orange-peel” chin, so called because its texture resembles the peel of an orange
Injecting small quantities of neurotoxin into these areas relaxes the muscles, smoothing out the texture of the skin, reducing wrinkles and creating an overall refreshed appearance.
The majority of neurotoxin treatments are used to reduce wrinkles, but Botox also has FDA approval for treatment of other medical conditions, such as chronic migraine, bladder dysfunction, muscle disorders and excessive sweating.
What the Different Neurotoxin Brands Have in Common
Active ingredient: Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, Jeuveau and Daxxify all contain the same active ingredient, botulinum toxin type A.
Purpose: All are designed to address the same types of wrinkles and cosmetic concerns, and they all work by blocking nerve signals to facial muscles, leading to relaxation.
FDA approval: All five products are FDA-approved and have a history of safe and effective use.
What Are the Key Differences?
Formulation variations: Though these neurotoxin treatments contain the same toxin, they are created differently, which affects dosage speed of results and other factors.
- Botox, Dysport and Jeuveau are formulated with accompanying proteins, which are nontoxic proteins that protect the active neurotoxin and may enhance its effects. Dysport has the most accompanying proteins, while Botox and Jeuveau contain similar but lesser amounts.
- Xeomin has minimal to no accompanying proteins. Daxxify contains a peptide instead of a protein and contains no human or animal byproducts. Because of these differences, these neurotoxin treatments are sometimes referred to as “cleaner” neurotoxins.
Dosage and potency: All brands are not measured the same unit measure because some are more potent than others. For example, Dysport is less potent per unit than Botox. Most studies of the two products follow a ratio of 2.5:1, meaning 25 units of Dysport have roughly the same action as 10 units of Botox, as Drugs.com explains. Jeuveau, Xeomin and Daxxify are equivalent in units to Botox.
Spread or reach: Some injectors prefer using certain products for specific areas because they tend to spread differently once injected. For example, providers at Maningas Cosmetic Surgery in Missouri prefer to use Dysport to treat larger areas like forehead lines and Botox for smaller, precise areas like crow’s feet.
Onset of results: The time it takes to see results varies.
- Dysport shows results in three to four days.
- Xeomin takes between four and seven days.
- Jeaveau takes about a week.
- Botox and Daxxify can take up to two weeks.
Duration of results: Most neurotoxin treatments last around three to six months, but results will vary between patients.
- Daxxify is formulated to last from six to nine months.
- Dysport lasts four months or longer.
- Jeaveau and Botox last three to four months.
- Xeomin lasts two to three months.
Potential for resistance: With long-term use, some patients may develop resistance to the accompanying proteins found in Botox, Dysport and Jeaveau. Xeomin and Daxxify may be better options for these patients because the formulas don’t include those proteins.
What You Need To Know Before Treatment
A neurotoxin treatment doesn’t take long, but your preparation for it should be thorough. (Photo: Ruslan Malysh/Shutterstock)
Before you undergo any medical procedure, do your homework and make sure you are aligned with your provider.
Choose the Right Provider
Though neurotoxin injections are nonsurgical treatments, they are still medical procedures. Look for trained professionals with a proven background in cosmetic medicine and substantial experience administering botulinum toxin injections.
If you are new to a practice, ask to see before-and-after photos, read reviews and learn more about the medical provider’s qualifications.
Lean Into the Consultation and Learn
The initial consultation is an opportunity to discuss your goals, ask questions and share your medical history — including sharing any medications you take, especially blood thinners, but even things like aspirin. Making the most of your consultation will pay off in the long run.
It’s also a good time to start learning about the treatment process. Neurotoxin treatments are done in the medical spa or office and don’t take long to administer, but they may involve the use of a topical anesthetic.
Common side effects are mild, typically including redness, swelling and bruising.
What You Can Expect from Your Results
Results are not immediate, but you’ll start to see improvements in just a few days. (See the information above about typical onset of results times for each treatment option.)
Many providers take a conservative approach in the initial treatment, which means follow-up treatments may be needed to achieve results that solve your problem and look natural.
The goal is “to soften the muscle, but not to knock out its movement entirely,” as Dr Wassim Taktouk, an advanced aesthetic doctor who specializes in Botox-type injections, explains to Dazed Digital.
Look Forward to a More Refreshed Appearance
Cosmetic neurotoxin treatments are a popular and effective way to reduce dynamic wrinkles and other aesthetic concerns. They provide a safe, nonsurgical way to refresh your appearance and feel younger.
But remember: It’s important to consult with a qualified and experienced provider. No two people are the same, and a consultation with an expert is the best way to make sure you’re getting the toxin that’s best for your needs and goals.
Take the first step toward a more natural-looking, rejuvenated you and schedule a consultation with a SHINE expert today.
Sarah Hicks is an editor and writer with expertise in health, wellness and science.
Pairing Hormone Replacement Therapy and Weight Loss Drugs
Gaining weight despite following a healthy lifestyle? The root of the problem may be your declining hormone levels. (Photo: SpeedKingz/Shutterstock)
By Sarah Hicks
Medical review by Anna Carlisle, MSN, APRN, FNP-C
Unexplained weight gain is one of the most unwelcome side effects of perimenopause and menopause. If you’re a women in your 40s and 50s who has gained weight despite exercising and eating well, this can be a confusing, deflating and downright annoying experience.
The good news is that a healthy, personalized weight loss solution is possible. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and semaglutide or tirzepatide, weight loss medications, are helping women manage their weight and related symptoms. And new research shows that combining these tools may be more effective than using either treatment alone.
How Do Hormones Affect Weight?
To understand why these treatments are effective, it helps to know how declining hormones during perimenopause and menopause affect body weight.
Hormonal changes lead to decreased metabolism, weight gain and changes in body composition, which explains why up to 70% of women experience weight gain during this transition.
The extra pounds often show up around the waist and are stubbornly immune to exercise and diet — even approaches that have worked in the past.
The biggest drivers of “menopause belly” and other body changes are declining estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, which together cause an increase in abdominal fat and fat mass overall plus a decrease in muscle mass.
In general, your metabolism slows as you age, and decreasing hormones slow it down even more. Decreased muscle mass means you burn fewer calories, which can lead to more fat accumulation. Add a lack of exercise and less quality sleep, and it’s clear why maintaining a healthy weight can be difficult.
“When my patients say, ‘I went to sleep and I woke up and I felt like I was 20 pounds heavier,’ I believe them because it can be a fairly rapid change if they’re not doing something about it,” said University of Chicago Medicine gynecologist Dr. Monica Christmas, director of the health system’s menopause program and the Center for Women’s Integrated Health.
And the changes aren’t purely aesthetic. Weight gain can increase a woman’s risk of type 2 diabetes, unhealthy lipid levels in the blood and cardiovascular disease.
The Role of HRT in Weight Loss
Many women turn to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat other perimenopause and menopausal symptoms and reduce their risk of serious disease, but HRT also plays a role in how the body loses weight.
Replacing the estrogen that your body has stopped making can help mitigate some of the body composition changes associated with perimenopause and menopause. It can slow the increase in visceral abdominal fat, which is the fat that accumulates around the organs in the abdominal cavity, and it may also increase lean muscle mass.
It also provides benefits to overall health that can lead to an increase in activity, including:
- Improved sleep
- Reduction of hot flashes
- Improved glucose levels, which reduces risk of diabetes.
- Improved lipid profile
By improving sleep and other quality-of-life measures, HRT may make it easier for women to stay on track with their health goals.
“Hormones allow us to treat the underlying issue of perimenopause or menopause rather than treating the symptom — weight gain. We can address the cause as well as facilitate weight loss,” says Anna Carlisle, SHINE’s board-certified nurse practitioner who specializes in medical weight loss and hormone replacement therapy.
Carlisle has been using bioidentical hormones for more than six years and has treated more than 1,500 patients. She and the SHINE team focus on a personalized approach that includes customized bioidentical hormone pellets, which are plant-based, processed hormones that mimic the hormones made by the endocrine glands.
The Role of Semaglutide in Weight Loss
At the same time, semaglutide and tirzepatide have emerged as extremely effective weight loss treatments. Semaglutide and tirzepatide, which were first introduced as type 2 diabetes treatments, are glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists that help the pancreas release the right amount of insulin when blood sugar levels are high.
They work through two mechanisms:
- It slows gastric emptying, meaning you feeling full longer.
- It improves blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity. Insulin helps move sugar from the blood into other body tissues where it’s used for energy.
Semaglutide and HRT: Better Together?
Each of these treatments is effective alone, but a study published in the journal Menopause suggests combining semaglutide and HRT may offer even greater weight loss benefits.
In the study, overweight or obese postmenopausal women who used both HRT and semaglutide for a year experienced 30% more successful weight loss than women who took semaglutide alone. In addition, a greater percentage of women on hormone therapy achieved at least 5% total body weight loss or at least 10% total body weight loss.
“The data clearly suggest that there is something about postmenopausal women taking hormone therapy that allows for better weight loss response to semaglutide,” study author Dr. Maria D. Hurtado Andrade of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, told Medscape Medical News.
The study authors say more research is needed, but they theorize that HRT may enhance the body’s response to semaglutide by improving overall quality of life.
Create Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan
Each woman is different and needs to create an individualized healthy weight loss plan. One variable that won’t change is the importance of a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet and regular weight-bearing exercise.
But no one has to take on this challenge alone. It’s important to consult with a hormone specialist to determine your treatment options. A specialist will know if you are a good candidate for either or both of these treatments, help monitor your progress, test your hormones regularly and adjust treatment plans as needed.
Consult with the team at SHINE to create your personalized treatment plan.
Sarah Hicks is an editor and writer with expertise in health, wellness and science.
