Dermal fillers offer a non-surgical option to rejuvenate the natural beauty of the face. Filler injections are easy, quick, and provide noticeable and natural-looking results for both men and women.
With the passing of time, our face tends to lose youthful volume and this, together with loss of skin elasticity and environmental damage, results in sagging, droopiness and hollowness. The severity of a aging varies from person to person and the degree of volume loss is also variable. One of the first signs of aging is a degree of volume deficiency in certain areas (especially the cheeks) leading to a “gaunt” or hollow look. Fillers can help patients overcome this appearance.
Injectable dermal fillers can plump thin lips, enhance shallow contours, soften facial creases, remove wrinkles and improve the appearance of concave scars. They are great at smoothing, tightening, plumping and volumizing with virtually no downtime after treatment. Plus you get instant gratification with most of the more popular products – results are visible immediately!
Collagen Loss and Age
The aging process results in loss of both collagen and elastin, two key building blocks of our skin’s architecture. This together with environmental and sun damage results in wrinkles, lines, deflation or sag and hollows to develop. Fillers can treat age-revealing volume loss in wrinkles, lines, and areas of hollowness.
Liquid Facelift
Dermal fillers are often called “liquid facelifts” because they offer many of the benefits of a small surgical facelift, but without the downtime. Although they can’t help with extreme sagging skin, these fillers can add more volume and provide immediate results.
The Importance Of Collagen And Elastin
The basic building blocks of our skin’s structure are elastin and collagen. Elastin is an elastic fiber found just underneath skin and collagen is at a deeper level and together they provide our skin resilience, texture and the feeling of health. Hyaluronic acid is an integral support molecule for collagen and elastin. As we age we produce this vital hyaluronic acid at a slower rate, and collagen and elastin levels similarly suffer. Environmental exposure also contributes to the loss of these important skin structures, such as sun, smoking and pollution. As a result of this process, we develop wrinkles, lines and hollows.
Hyaluronic Acid Dermal Fillers
Injecting hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers generates volume in the face, giving it a healthy, youthful appearance. When injected, the HA molecules draw in water and cause the tissue underneath to swell with moisture. Today’s leading HA fillers are formulated with biodegradable, non-animal HA and, unlike collagen, pose no risk of allergic reaction or being rejected by the body. The other great aspect about HA fillers is that if you don’t like the effect, your provider can inject an enzyme called hyaluronidase, again something found naturally in the body, that will dissolve the fillers completely or partially away. This can help you ‘fine tune’ your results to achieve the precise look you desire.
HA based fillers include the popular Restylane and Juvederm collections. The various formulas in these collections differ in their molecular size, water absorption and longevity as well as the depth of injections.
It is these characteristics, together with patients’ unique personal features that help your aesthetic physician decide which filler to use in different areas. For example, the tear-trough or under-eye area, with it’s thin and translucent skin warrants the use of a product with a smaller molecular size and less water absorption, as opposed to the midface and cheeks where a more robust molecular size filler would be more appropriate.
Which Areas Can Fillers Address?
When deciding where to inject dermal fillers, there are a few elements that need to be first carefully considered. First, the skin is examined for texture and elasticity, tone and laxity. Next the areas of volume loss such as cheek and under-eye area are reviewed. Areas of sag such as jowls are also examined. Also scars, surgical incisions and genetic bony structure should also considered.
Once the face is well-studied, the particular areas of concern can be discussed at length and an action plan created. Most frequent areas of concern include under-eye “dark circles”, tear trough volume loss, midface sag, jowls, nasolabial folds, receding lips, laugh lines, and scars.
Benefits of Dermal Filler Injections
Well trained aesthetic physicians can use the different available fillers to help patients achieve a refreshed, youthful and invigorated appearance without looking “overdone”.
Did you know? Research suggests that our perception of physical beauty is hardwired into our brains, and is based on the symmetry of facial features. Beauty depends on balance, proportion, emphasis and unity. For example, have a look at any really attractive celebrity and review each of their facial features separately… most likely, when reviewed in isolation, their facial features are imperfect or not particularly great looking. But when looked at all-together, those imperfect features create the almost perfectly attractive face, due to the harmony and balance of all the elements. So in other words, lips that would look perfect on one face might not sit well on another. It’s all about balance.
After Dermal Filler Injections
Because dermal filler treatments are non-surgical, there is no lengthy recovery period after treatment. However, there may be some swelling and slight bruising around the injection areas. These issues should subside naturally over the following days. Most normal activities can be resumed right away, but strenuous physical activity should be avoided for a few days. And alcohol consumption should be paused for a few days.
The Cost Of Dermal Filler Injections
Treatment cost can vary based on the types of dermal filler used, the number of areas being treated, and the amount of product needed to provide the desired results. Your aesthetic physician can address any questions you may have about the price of dermal fillers and your pre-treatment consultation. Licensed medical practitioners can buy dermal fillers online at Health Supplies Plus.