Facial Fillers/Injections
What are facial fillers?
Facial fillers are products such as collagen, hyaluronic acid and calcium hydroxyl apatite that rejuvenate facial skin by reducing or eliminating wrinkles, raising scar depressions, enhancing lips and replacing soft-tissue volume loss through facial injections.
Indication:
With age, our skin becomes more susceptible to wrinkles and sagging. Exposure to sun and years of muscle movement (squinting, chewing, smiling) contribute to tissue breakdown of the skin.
Procedure:
- Facial fillers are temporary to long-lasting solutions administered through a few tiny facial injections on specific areas of the face.
- Various types of facial fillers are available; each is designed with one or several purposes, such as wrinkle reduction and lip augmentation.
- Hyaluronic acid fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm are then injected extraorally right underneath these folds to replace the volume lost which creates a younger look in the face.
- Dermal fillers can be used for high lip line cases, asymmetrical lips around the mouth, lip augmentation, and completing cosmetic dentistry cases by creating a beautiful, young-looking frame around the teeth
- Types of fillers:
Juvederm
- It is designed to temporarily correct moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds.
- Juvederm is made by Allergan, the same makers of Botox.
Restylane
- A non-animal, biodegradable gel composed of hyaluronic acid.
- Restylane is a soft tissue dermal filler that adds volume to the skin through tiny injections; smoothing facial folds and wrinkles in areas around the mouth and eyes.
In addition there are some lesser known dermal fillers:
Collagen (Zyplast/ Zyderm):
- A soft-tissue dermal filler made from purified cow skin used to fill wrinkles, lines, and scars on the face.
- Collagen is a naturally-occurring protein that supports various parts of the body, including skin, tendons, and ligaments; it will eventually absorb into the body.
Sculptra:
- An injectable made of synthetic polylactic acid contained in microspheres.
- Sculptra is the first FDA-approved injectable for the restoration of lost facial volume (correction of lipoatrophy) in people with HIV infection
Captique:
- Utilized for filling moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds around the nose and mouth.
- It is a soft tissue filler that adds volume to certain areas of the face; derived from non-animal-based hyaluronic acid.
Hylaform:
- Fills moderate to severe wrinkles around the nose and mouth.
- Hylaform is a dermal filler that has been chemically modified from hyaluronic acid; designed to temporarily smooth the surface the skin.
Radiesse:
- A synthetic dermal filler made of calcium hydroxyapatite is utilized for the correction of moderate to severe wrinkles and folds.
- This injectable is a longer-lasting filler because the body forms collagen around the microspheres; adding bulk to the injected areas.
Length of a Dermal Filler Injections and Side Effects :
- The average length The average length is about 10 to 20 minutes per session, depending on the individual and the amount of areas being treated.
- Some of the most common side effects include: allergic reaction, bruising at injection site, numbness, and temporary redness, swelling, pain/tenderness, or discoloration.
Post injection:
- Dermal filler injections require very minimal downtime, allowing patients to return to work and their normal activities directly following treatment.
- Yet for the first 24 hours, individuals may be instructed to refrain from strenuous activities and excessive sun or heat exposure.
Some of the risks of facial injections are lumps (granulomas/nodules) which are a potential risks associated with Radiesse, Sculptra, Juvederm, and ArteColl.