To stop the visible signs of aging in the face and neck areas, many people choose the use of injectable dermal fillers
During the aging process, we all lose fat in our faces naturally, and as a result, facial skin becomes stretched out and less firm, causing a loss of facial volume, sagging skin, and the occurrence of wrinkles and fine lines.
Dermal fillers are injected into the face to replenish the skin’s volume and fill in troublesome wrinkles as well as stimulating collagen growth. As soon as you start to notice any of these distracting signs of aging, using injectable dermal fillers will allow you to restore your face’s youthful appearance. Here are some of the most often-asked questions about dermal fillers followed by concise answers that will help you to assess whether or not this treatment is best for you:
What are Dermal Fillers for?
Injectable dermal fillers are applied to reverse various facial concerns that are directly related to the aging process, including:
- Plumping up the areas underneath your eyes
- Softening the appearance of facial scars
- Restoring fullness to the cheek areas
- Adding volume to thinner lips and the fine lines surrounding lips
- Smoothing out the notorious “laugh lines”
How Does the Treatment Work?
The substances known as dermal fillers are injected into the skin at the exact areas where depressions such as wrinkles, folds, and scars occur, adding fullness to the site, preserving a youthful and unblemished look. These results can last any amount of time between a couple of months to two years, depending upon the actual filler used in the process. The majority of injectable dermal fillers are not of the permanent variety, but some patients have experienced results lasting up to five or more years.
Is This Treatment Similar to Botox?
Dermal fillers are often confused with Botox, but they are not at all the same thing. Injectable dermal fillers add volume to the immediate area in which they are injected, while Botox treats lines and wrinkles by paralyzing the muscles, therefore decreasing the movements that cause facial creasing. While Botox is also an effective means of decreasing depressions in the face temporarily, it is not meant to restore fullness and volume to the face. However, since both procedures work in unique ways, they may be used in conjunction with each other to restore youthfulness to the overall appearance of the facial area.
What is the Treatment Made From?
There are two varieties of injectable dermal fillers. These are natural and synthetic. The naturally-derived fillers provide results that are immediate. Natural fillers, like hyaluronic acid, last from approximately three to eighteen months, then break down and are safely absorbed by the body. This means that to maintain results over a long period of time, you must get repeated injections. However, using natural fillers lessens the risk of sustaining an allergic reaction.
There is also a rare risk factor of natural fillers bunching up and migrating to other facial areas. While unwanted, these results are actually temporary and can be corrected due to the fact they are designed to break down over a minimal period of time.
The alternative fillers, which are made from synthetic fibers, do break down in the same way as their natural counterparts. This means that the results are much longer lasting, and can even be considered semi-permanent. Just remember that your face is still susceptible to changes due to subsequent aging, or external factors. Also, while the side effects are similar to those caused by natural fillers, correction is much more difficult being that the materials do not dissipate with time.
Are There Any Other Risks?
If you don’t factor in the unlikely occurrence of migrating, lumping, and possible allergic reactions, dermal fillers are completely safe and carry little in the way of adverse risks. Just be sure that you see a trained Cosmetic Practitioner to achieve optimal results. Only a Cosmetic Practitioner expert would have the necessary knowledge and experience to ascertain how particular substances can affect your skin.
When you are searching for an expert, look for professionals with experience in injecting multiple types of fillers, and in treating different areas of the face. This is preferable since most patients have more than one concern when they seek treatment. Ask Dr. Sarshad for more details.
What is the Difference Between the Different Brands of Fillers?
It should be said that all dermal fillers are designed to work in the same ways, but different brands are formulated differently. This means that brands with certain active ingredients are made to work in particular facial areas. For example, Juvederm and Juvederm Voluma may both be formulated with hyaluronic acid, but the former smooths lower facial lines, while the latter adds cheek volume.
Remember, no dermal filler is better than any other, but your doctor may prefer a specific medium based upon experience and a favorite technique. Just keep in mind that the best filler for you is also dependent on your desired outcome.
Is This Treatment Right for You?
At Cosmetique Aesthetics, we offer our patients a no-cost, risk-free initial consultation to discuss your needs and answer your questions. Our highly-trained Aesthetic Consultants and Dr. Ramin Sarshad want to help you find the best and most appropriate services and treatments to get you back to feeling like your old self. So, call us for an appointment today at 310-837-5555 to learn more about what of our dermal fillers may be right for you!
