Home » Services » Rejuvenation of the Face » What is the Dermal Filler?
Injectable dermal filler can give you a more youthful look for a fraction of what a traditional facelift costs. Most will fill hollows, lines and wrinkles in less than 30 minutes. With results that can last from 4 months to more than a year.
Injectable dermal filler, unlike Botox injection that relax the muscle under a wrinkle, fills the line, crease, or area with one of several different substance. As a result, trouble spots nearly disappear.
Dermal filler can also be used as “volumizers”, plumping and lifting cheeks, chins, jaw lines, and temples; filling out thin lips, and plumping sagging hands.
The treatment is fast and easy. But all dermal fillers have a downside, including the risk of allergic reaction and the formation of tiny bumps under the skin.
In some cases, those bumps maybe permanent and some times, a bluish skin discoloration known as the tyndall effect happens.
The color change can last for several months, but there are treatments available, in very rare cases, skin cells may die if the dermal fillers are not used properly.
There have also been a few reported cases of blindness, scarring from skin loss and nerve paralysis. Typically, the wrinkle fillers that last longer are the ones more likely to cause side effects.
Not every wrinkle-filler s right for every type of wrinkle. The least risks and best results come from using the right one correctly.
• They’re cost-effective.
• The procedure is brief.
• There is no serious pain involved.
• Recovery time is minimal.
• It results in a naturally rejuvenated appearance.
• The aftercare is minimal.
• Fewer risks are involved.
• Non-invasive and quick treatment.
• Easily accomplish various goals with many filler choices.
• There are added costs over a time period.
• It does require regular touch-ups.
• Results last for varying times (typically from several months to up to a year).
• Requires repeat treatment to maintain the effect.
• Costs of treatment and touch-ups can add up.
Here is a breakdown of available dermal filler. It includes their basic ingredients, how they work, their pros and cons, and the areas for treatment. Your doctor can help you choose the right one for you.
As you get older, your life style choices and the elements cause your facial skin to become wrinkle, lax and saggy. A main cause is hyaluronic acid loss. This is a substance your body produces naturally. As you age, your body slows down on the production of hyaluronic Acid.
The most popular category of wrinkle fillers is hyaluronic acid. Each type works in a slightly different way with varying results.
Side effects are rare but can include redness, swelling, and bruising at the injection site. The filler may also show up under the skin as tiny bumps.
This is a problem that often improves overtime.
How long the result last varies from several months to over a year or two. Some research shows that repeated injections may help stimulate the body’s own natural production of collagen. That will help reduce the number of lines and wrinkles. There is also some evidence that less filler is needed over time to achieve the same look.
• Belotero
• Juvederm
• Prevelle silk
• Restylane
This smaller category of wrinkle fillers includes lab-made substances that are not related to anything found naturally in the skin.
All the fillers in this group have similar side effects, such as redness, swelling, or bruising at the site of the injection. Other side effects include nodules or bumps under the skin that can be seen and felt and that, in rare instances, may require surgery to remove.
The benefits include a longer-lasting effect – and at least one filler offer semi-permanent filling of lines and creases. Remember, products with longer – lasting effects are more likely to cause side effects. And when not used correctly, synthetic wrinkle fillers may cause disfigurement.
• Bellafill
• Radiesse
• Sculptra
• Silicone
Scientist made the first wrinkle fillers from a purified form of collagen extracted mostly cows. Although it worked well and offered a natural looking fill, the results didn’t last long.
Most collagen injections began to break down as early as 1 months after treatment. Because these wrinkle fillers made from an animal source, they also had a higher rate of allergic reaction and required allergy testing beforehand.
Many believe the results are more natural looking. Side effects of collagen injections include some risk of allergic reaction (mostly for those still using cow sources), as well as bruising and redness at the site of the injection.
• Cosmodom
• Evolence
• Fibrel
• Zyderm
• Zyplast
Fat is the most commonly used substance in this category. Your own fat is surgically removed from your thighs, buttocks, or stomach, treated, then injected. You will need to have two procedures (one to remove the fat and one to inject it).
Both procedures can be done in one visit. Additional fat purification steps done in the lab can be costly and time consuming. Result can be semi-permanent, although you may need a series of injections done over time.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections (Vampire lift) are another type of autologous wrinkle filler/ volumizers. Blood is drawn from the arm, treated, and then injected into the face. The effects can last 12 to 18 months.
Risks are similar to other wrinkle fillers. Including bruising redness, and swelling at the site of the injection. Because the fillers come from your body, these injections do not require FDA approval.
• Marionette lines
• Jowls
• Volume loss
• An aging neck
• A lax jawline
• Chin wrinkles
• Nasolabial folds (smile lines)
• Cheek depression