Are You Afraid of Fillers? Dr. Brought Answers Your Most Common Questions
As the face naturally changes with age, many people look to convenient nonsurgical treatments to restore their fresh, youthful glow — or preserve that appearance while they still have it. Injectable dermal fillers offer a satisfactory solution. They are quick, safe, and reliable, and they use ingredients that are very similar or identical to substances the body naturally produces. Dermal fillers are highly compatible with delicate tissues in the face and other areas.
What Are Dermal Fillers?
Dermal fillers are substances injected under the surface of the skin. Doctors and their teams typically use these fillers to add volume to areas of the face or body that have lost fullness with age.
Many dermal fillers contain hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in the body — it is a component of connective tissues like cartilage. As a filler, it acts as a replacement for collagen, which is the protein that gives your skin its firm, youthful appearance. An injection of hyaluronic acid smooths the contours of the face and leaves the skin looking younger. It also tends to draw in water, which plumps up the skin and reduces fine lines and wrinkles.
As the body ages, it naturally produces smaller quantities of collagen and hyaluronic acid. Injectable fillers can be an ideal solution to restore plumpness, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and leave the skin looking silky and rejuvenated.
Why Do People Use Dermal Fillers?
Clients often use facial fillers to make positive changes to their appearance while avoiding invasive, permanent surgery. For some people, lasting cheek implants or fat grafts may be the right choice. Others would prefer to avoid the minor risks associated with surgery, or they may want to try fillers because they fade away over time, and they may not feel ready to commit to a long-term change.
Dermal fillers are also some of the best wrinkle treatments on the market. Synthetic creams and lotions you apply to the surface of your skin can sometimes diminish the appearance of surface wrinkles, but they cannot contour or add volume to your face. Injectable wrinkle reducers add youthful plumpness and firmness to fill out your skin naturally and diminish wrinkles from within.
What Areas of the Face and Body Are Common Targets for Dermal Fillers?
Below are a few areas where people often use fillers for an appealing aesthetic effect:
1. Lips
Lip fillers are ideal for defining and restoring fullness in your lips. Over the years, the lips begin to lose collagen, become thin, and develop new lines. Although these developments are perfectly natural, many people find themselves longing for the plumper lips of their youth. Lip fillers can restore that look and make the mouth appear full and vibrant again.
2. Cheeks
As we age, our cheeks start to lose their youthful roundness. The buccal fat — the fat pads in the cheeks — begins to shrink. The cheeks may start to droop and give the face an older and more somber appearance.
Injectable fillers restore that look of youthful vitality. They plump up the cheeks and give them a fuller, more defined appeal.
3. Forehead
Over time, our foreheads sometimes develop lines and wrinkles. People who crease their foreheads to convey astonishment, disapproval or sadness may find that these expressive creases one day become permanent. Applying injectable fillers to the forehead reduces the severity of these lines and gives the face a rejuvenated look.
4. Temples
As the years pass, we often develop the characteristic lines known as crow’s feet. These lines extend from the corners of the eyes to the temples and can create an impression of age or tiredness. Using fillers at the temples helps smooth these areas, soften the crow’s feet lines, and restore a youthful look.
5. Jawline
With time, the lower part of the face often loses its youthful, symmetrical oval look. The jowls start to sag, or the face loses its collagen and begins to look more angular and tired. Fillers can restore the face’s natural shape by filling in sunken areas around the jawline and tightening the outline of the face.
6. Nasolabial Folds
The nasolabial folds extend from the two corners of the nose to the two corners of the mouth. As people age, these lines become more and more prominent. Fillers firm up the skin below to minimize these lines and give the face a softer, younger look.
7. Under-Eye Area
Over time, as cheek volume diminishes, bags and wrinkles under the eyes become more prominent, sometimes giving a hollowed look to this area of the face. Fillers add volume under the eyes to create a lighter and more uplifted appearance.
8. Perioral Rhytids
Perioral rhytids, also known as smoker’s lines, are the lines that sometimes extend from the corners of the mouth down to the jawline. They can give the face a severe appearance and make a person look older. Fillers plump up the underlying skin to smooth out these lines and restore a softer, more youthful countenance.
9. Hands
The face isn’t the only part of the body that could use a little care and restoration as the years go by. The hands, for instance, also lose some of their smoothness and firmness with age. The backs of the hands may start to look bonier, or the tendons may appear more prominent. Dermal fillers add volume under the skin to restore the hands’ soft, elegant appearance.
How Long Do Dermal Fillers Last?
Because they are biodegradable, dermal fillers are not permanent. Over time, the body dissolves and absorbs them, so their effects usually last for between six months and two years, but sometimes beyond. To keep seeing their beneficial effects, you’ll need to go back to your doctor’s office regularly for injections.
For many patients, the temporary nature of dermal fillers is part of their appeal. It means you can try them without worrying about making a permanent surgical change. Many patients enjoy coming in for dermal fillers every so often and seeing the subtle yet radiant difference these products can make to their appearance.
What Are Some Common Brands of Dermal Fillers?
In this section, we’ll discuss a few common dermal filler brands and how cosmetic providers often use them. Patients sometimes wonder if BOTOX® is a dermal filler. It is not — BOTOX is a neuromodulator made from the botulinum toxin. It paralyzes or weakens targeted muscles to prevent facial movements from creating unwanted wrinkles.
JUVÉDERM®
JUVÉDERM is an extremely popular hyaluronic acid filler with a smooth, gel-like consistency. It restores firmness, reduces wrinkles, and enhances the youthful contours and appearance of the face. It comes in a few different forms:
- Ultra and Ultra Plus: JUVÉDERM Ultra and Ultra Plus are ideal for giving volume and definition to your face and reducing fine lines.
- Volbella: Volbella smooths out fine lines around the mouth and adds volume to the lips.
- Vollure: Vollure is ideal for deeper lines and wrinkles in the face.
- Voluma: Voluma helps plump and contour many areas of the face, including the chin, cheeks, and nose.
The results from JUVÉDERM typically last for 12 months to 24 months, depending on the patient and the type of JUVÉDERM used.
Restylane®
Restylane is another gel-like filler that contains hyaluronic acid. It comes in a few different forms, including Restylane, Restylane Refyne, Restylane Defyne, Restylane Lyft, and Restylane Silk.
Patients often use Restylane to augment their cheeks or lips or add volume to other areas, like the backs of the hands. It is safe, effective, and convenient to administer in an office setting. Restylane usually lasts for six months to 18 months, depending on the product. The exact length will vary depending on the person, as well as the area of the face that receives the injection.
Perlane®
Perlane, like Restylane, is made from hyaluronic acid. However, in Perlane, the molecules are bigger, so it is more suitable for filling in and diminishing larger folds and wrinkles. Perlane typically lasts for about six months.
Radiesse®
Radiesse is another dermal filler used to add volume to the face and other areas of the body. Like Restylane, it has the consistency of a gel.
Unlike Restylane and JUVÉDERM, Radiesse is made from calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) gel instead of hyaluronic acid. Like hyaluronic acid, CaHA is biocompatible with the body’s tissues — it is very similar to minerals the body naturally produces. Radiesse lasts for a year or more in many patients, and it can sometimes last for up to two years.
Radiesse is ideal for treating wrinkles in the face and around the mouth. It is unsuitable for use in the lips because it has sometimes caused growths to form in the lip tissue.
Sculptra®
Unlike the fillers listed above, Sculptra contains poly-L-lactic acid, which promotes and enhances the body’s natural collagen production. It works to restore fullness and a youthful appearance by regenerating a substance the body once produced in abundance. The results from Sculptra can last for two years.
When Is the Best Time to Get Dermal Fillers?
Many people wait until they see fine lines and wrinkles in the mirror before seeking cosmetic treatment. However, the best time to start getting injectable fillers is before these lines become deep, prominent and have had a chance to develop. Prevention is always much easier than treatment after the fact when wrinkles are profound and the skin loses its integrity.
The body generally starts to reduce its collagen production in a person’s mid-twenties. So for people in their mid to late twenties or early thirties, it’s already a good time to begin getting maintenance injections. Getting started with fillers early enables you to maintain the natural shape of your face and reduce the amount of filler you may require in the future.
What Can You Do to Get the Best Results From Your Dermal Fillers?
When you’re considering dermal fillers, you’ll want to take some extra steps to make sure you get the most for your time and money. What should you do for the best results, and what are some things to avoid when getting dermal fillers?:
- Don’t take aspirin or blood thinners: If you can, avoid the use of aspirin and blood thinners in the days before and after your appointment. These medications can increase the risk of bleeding and bruising around the injection site.
- Minimize alcohol use: Try to limit your alcohol intake in the few days before and after the injection as well. Alcohol can exacerbate bleeding and bruising.
- Keep a schedule: Develop and stick to a regular treatment schedule so your face can maintain a consistently youthful and energized look.
- Follow your doctor’s instructions: Your doctor will make recommendations about activities to avoid immediately after the injection, such as aggressive activity the day of injection. Follow these instructions carefully to make sure your fillers settle and stabilize as they should.
Dermal Fillers FAQ
Now that you know some basic facts about dermal fillers, let’s dive into a few more of the frequently asked questions we receive at our office:
1. Are Dermal Fillers Safe?
Dermal fillers are incredibly safe because they are biocompatible with the body. In our office, we use only tested, reliable fillers approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, you should refrain from using injectable dermal fillers if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or under 18 years of age. No studies have conclusively demonstrated that fillers are safe for a developing fetus or infant, and their effect on children and adolescents is unknown as well.
2. Are Dermal Fillers Painful?
Even though they involve injection with a needle, dermal fillers are not typically painful. Your surgeon or care team may administer a topical anesthetic to the area where you plan to apply fillers. Some areas, such us the upper lip, are more sensitive than others, and therefore you may be asked to arrive early for your appointment to apply topical anesthetic. The anesthetic numbs the site, so you won’t feel the sting of the injection nearly as much. Many of our fillers also have anesthetics such as lidocaine already mixed in.
Post-injection pain is usually minimal, though it’s a good idea to apply ice to the area afterward to minimize discomfort, bruising, and swelling. You should also tell your team if you need to take a break at any point.
3. Are Dermal Fillers Expensive?
The costs of dermal filler treatments vary. Dermal fillers can be several hundred dollars per vial, and you may choose to inject more than one vial at a time, especially at the beginning of your treatment. If you decide to continue with fillers for years, the costs will add up over time. The option to pay a few hundred dollars at a time — rather than spending thousands of dollars on surgical fees — makes dermal fillers an appealing option for many patients.
4. Do Dermal Fillers Work Instantly?
Dermal fillers generally start working right away, but it may take several days or weeks to see their permanent effects as water absorption often improves results over time. After receiving filler injections, you’ll likely experience a little swelling at the injection site that prevents you from seeing the final results right away.
5. Do Dermal Fillers Make You Look Fake?
Dermal fillers should look subtle and natural, not fake. They give your face and body a little more volume to create a naturally refreshed, youthful appearance. Acquaintances may wonder if you’ve lost weight or think you’re looking happier or more energetic, but they probably won’t be able to pinpoint what’s changed.
Achieve the Look You Want With Dermal Fillers From the Southern Plastic & Reconstructive Surgical Institute (SPRSI)
To enhance or restore your youthful appearance with safe, convenient dermal fillers like JUVÉDERM or other injectables, get in touch with SPRSI. Our board-certified surgeon, Dr. Brought, and our experienced, friendly team can give you the look you’re dreaming of and help you make a long-term plan to maintain your results.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment or learn more.
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