By Cheryl Clarkson

Facial Fillers: Changing the Game!

Twenty years ago you’d have to “go under the knife” for a facelift to get rid of wrinkly, sagging skin. Dermal facial fillers have changed the game.

Fillers restore volume and fullness to the skin to correct facial wrinkles and folds – effecting a more natural, younger-looking appearance 

Restylane & Juvederm, the two popular most facial fillers, appropriate for most uses, can take years off your facial appearance.

Lunch Filler:
Filler procedures can generally all be done during
lunch, with no invasive surgery, little recovery time and at reasonable cost.

What’s the catch? Dermal fillers are temporary (6-12 months). However, this can also be viewed as a benefit. There is no going back after cosmetic or plastic surgery!

How They Work:
Just as its name implies: an injectable dermal filler is a substance which can be injected under your skin via a syringe.

The filler effectively raises the outlying skin so that wrinkles and creases on your face get “filled in” and disappear.

Another use for injectable fillers is to alter the shape of specific face features, e.g.,

• cheeks
• chin
• brow
• eyelids
• lips (see previous post on “Lip Augumentation“)

These subtle yet effective improvements can give you a more balanced and better proportioned face.

Filler Types and Brands
There are several types and brands of facial fillers. What’s right for you depends on the area being treated and your particular anatomy.

HYALURONIC ACID- BASED FILLERS
Smooth-consistency gels made of hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance in your skin.

• Restylane, safely by used dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons since 1996 worldwide, contains a unique technology that helps to maintain the effect until the injected material is almost gone.
• JUVÉDERM® Ultra uses a unique manufacturing process for long-lasting results. It also creates a smooth consistency for a natural look and feel.

See HYALURONIC FACIAL FILLERS PATIENT VIDEO

CALCIUM-BASED FILLERS
The most widely used brand Radiesse is best suited for deep dermal injections and may require administration of some local anesthetic prior to treatment.

COLLAGEN REPLACEMENT
Sculptra Aesthetic, recently approved by the FDA and relatively expensive, is a long acting facial filler that builds collagen and works to gradually and subtly correct shallow to deep facial wrinkles and folds.

One can even have a Liquid Facelit, a technique that uses various dermal fillers and injectables (like Botox and Dysport – without the need for surgery.

(Look for upcoming posts on liquid faceLift and more on the specific types and brands of fillers.)