dermal fillers

You might have gazed at actresses and models on Instagram or Facebook and wondered to yourself – are they real and can I have such a perfect face too?

The reality is that some people are born with attractive facial features. Others get a little help from their dermatologists.

In fact, one of the most popular go-to options for upgrading your beauty is through dermal fillers treatment. The dermatologists inject these synthetic materials to your skin that will remove wrinkles, fine lines and enhance your complexion.

Dermal fillers might not turn you into a Paris Hilton overnight, but you will surely turn heads the next time you walk across the block. But to achieve your desired good looks, you need to do your homework and visit a reputed doctor.

Here are some facts you need to know before going for dermal fillers.

What are Dermal Fillers?

As you age, your beauty may slowly fade away and the cheeks may not be as plump as they used to be.

Dr. Robertson, a famous American dermatologist, explains the reason. He says, “With age your bones are bound to get thinner.

Overtime, you might observe that your skin is sagging down. You will also find that the skin is folding at the lower portion of your lower cheeks. The natural radiance you used to have might also get diminished.”

To fix these conditions many people chose dermal fillers.

Dermal fillers are also called soft tissue fillers. They are gels that the doctor will inject beneath your skin to remove wrinkles and add volume. You can apply them to different parts of your face such as cheeks, mouth, jawline and around the eyes. Lip fillers can be applied directly to the lips.

Usually, dermal fillers are made of hyaluronic acid, which has a natural ability to hold moisture. This gives your skin a plump and more hydrated appearance.

How do Dermal Fillers Work?

Fillers restore volume to the skin by smoothing out the deep-set lines. Their primary ingredient is hyaluronic acid that naturally occurs in the body.

The substance binds water and works as a lubricant as well as a shock absorber to the movable parts of your body.

Furthermore, the substance maintains the water balance of your skin. It also helps in the transportation of nutrients throughout your skin.

After application, dermal fillers rejuvenate the area of your skin and boosting it with hyaluronic acid. This helps in lessening the wrinkles and gives a softer and fresher look to the skin.

Dermal fillers can perform the following wonders to your skin

  • Softening or filling in the wrinkles on the lower part of your face
  • Plumping up your lips
  • Reducing the look of recessed scars
  • Decrease the shadows under the eyelids
  • Radiating or enhancing the shallow areas of your face

If your skin loses elasticity and collagen, static wrinkles may appear. They usually appear around your cheeks and mouth. Fillers can also treat them with ease.

Types of Dermal Fillers

dermal fillers

The most common types of fillers are:

Hyaluronic acid

This substance is already present in your skin. It is the main ingredient for fillers such as Juvederm, Elevess, Perlane, and Restylane. It treats the following issues:

  • Crow’s feet
  • Acne scars
  • Worry lines on your forehead
  • You can fix Nasolabial furrows. These are lines running from your nose corners to the mouth corners
  • Vertical lines on the mouth due to smoking
  • Wounds and burn scars
  • Calcium hydroxylapatite

Commonly known as Radiesse, this substance is present in your bones. It does not have any allergic reactions. Its functions include:

  • Making your cheeks look more fuller and plump
  • It can treat areas of the skin that are affected due to HIV medications. It is capable of enhancing the volume in these areas
  • Frown lines, facial creases and nasolabial folds

The filler is popular for achieving natural results without any known side effects.

Polylactic acid

It is the main ingredient in Sculptra. This is a synthetic substance that is injected to the skin to boost the production of collagen. Due to this, the desired results take time and may take a few months.

It works well in the lower part of your face and does the following:

  • Plump up your thinning lips
  • Cure nasolabial folds
  • Remove fine lines

You may require three sittings for the desired results. The process may take six weeks for observing the full effect.

Polymethyl-methacrylate microspheres

Its brand name is Bellafill and is a semi-permanent filler. It is used to handle the following issues:

  • Deep and medium wrinkles
  • Skin folds and furrows
  • Enhance thin lips
  • Remove scars

You can choose this procedure instead of hyaluronic acid or collagen therapy. This will be great if you wish for a more permanent solution to your wrinkles.

How long do Dermal Fillers last?

Factors that determine how long your filler can last:

  • Area of treatment
  • Brand of filler used
  • The thickness of the substance
  • The type of your skin

Doctors consider that the more deeply the substance is injected and the thicker it is, the longer it will last. However, this is not a hard and fast rule.

If you are a first-timer, hyaluronic acid is the best option. It usually lasts from 6 to 18 months. This also depends upon how fast your body metabolizes the filler substance.

Here are some popular brands and their lasting periods:

  • Sculptra – 1-2 years
  • Juvederm Voluma – 1-2 years
  • Juvederm Ultra & UltraPlus – 9-12 months
  • Juvederm Volbella – 6-12 months

Benefits of Dermal Fillers

The advantages of dermal fillers are:

Fast results

You can see your dream looks turn into reality right after the treatment. On top of this, you need not worry about recovery time like you might do for plastic surgery. The process gets over in just 10 minutes depending on the number of areas that are being treated.

Lasting effects

These fillers continue to produce amazing results after the treatment. This is because most fillers have collagen and hyaluronic acid.

And these are already present in your skin. So, when you add these fillers, these substances are boosted. As a result, it hydrates and plumps up your skin.

The effects are subtle

Perhaps the greatest benefits of dermal fillers are that the results are very subtle. This means that after the treatment, you will not look like an entirely different person.

You will get the features you are looking for, but people could hardly notice.

Goes well with Botox

Typically, Botox is used to relax the dynamic wrinkles on your face that appear when you frown or squint. Dermal fillers are used for fixing static wrinkles when your face is at rest. So combining them can treat all types of wrinkles.

This combination can address multiple areas of your face. Botox is usually applied on the forehead and around the eyes. On the other hand, dermal fillers are used in the lower and mid areas of the face.

The methods, when used together, can extend the treatment results.

Boosting your self-confidence

Looking good is directly connected with feeling good.

When your skin looks young and pretty, you start feeling better about yourself. This is a huge boost to your confidence and self-esteem as you slowly become a better version of yourself.

Cost of Dermal Fillers

The amount of money you have to pay for dermal fillers depends upon many factors. It can be the type of filler you choose, the area of treatment and the provider. According to the statistics of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons 2016, the prices per syringe of the most popular brands are:

  • Bellafill: $859
  • Sculptra: $773
  • Radiesse: $687
  • Belotero or Restylane: $644

But the price may vary depending on the amount of filler you are using.

Side effects

Dermal fillers are considered very safe. But in some cases, people may observe these side effects:

  • Redness, swelling, and bruising of the skin
  • Itching, rashes, and eruptions
  • Wounds, infections or scarring
  • There maybe lumps and asymmetry due to correction of your wrinkles
  • You may feel the substance of the filler under your skin
  • Due to low blood flow, the skin cells in the area you treat may die
  • If the filler gets inside an artery and blocks blood flow to the eyes, there may be vision problems or blindness
  • Skin inflammation

Here are some precautionary measures that you can adopt when opting for fillers:

  • Always visit an experienced and well trained medical professional for the procedure
  • Avoid buying fillers online and always purchase it from a proper medical provider
  • Ask the professional about their experience in administering the substance. The more experience they have, the better they will be the treatment
  • Be sure that the filler is FDA approved
  • Be sure to get the treatment under a proper medical setting. It must not be in someone’s home or shop inside a mall
  • Read all the ingredients of the filler material to prevent any allergies to your skin due to any of the components
  • Talk about the medication or supplements you are currently on with the doctor. This is because some ingredients have negative effects on your body

However, there are certain situations when you must avoid these treatments. According to Dr. Ava Shamban, famous dermatologist in Los Angeles, you must not get a filler procedure before dental treatment. This is because the process requires you to stretch your face that can misplace the fillers.

If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have a facial infection, it is best to hold off a filler procedure.

Conclusion

Dermal fillers have now become one of the most popular ways for self-improvement. As per the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, approximately 2.7 million procedures were conducted in 2017. The numbers are likely to increase as the years go by.

But, you have to remember that the results of these treatments can be long-lasting but are not permanent. After six months of the process, the hyaluronic acid starts breaking down inside your body.

This may be good news if you are looking to experiment with different types of fillers. You have to remember that your skin will age, even if you get fillers. So, to look better and younger, you need to have a healthy lifestyle.

Start eating better, cut out junk food, exercise regularly and make sure to get a proper shut-eye. These will work like a charm along with dermal fillers to make you look youthful.

Author Bio:

Dr. Nirupama Parwanda is an internationally trained and award-winning dermatologist at Zolie Skin Clinic with an experience of 8 years.