How Dermal Filler Works
When Should You Get Dermal Filler?
Many of the celebrities we see today appear to age gracefully without any sign that they have had any help. They have full cheeks, smooth skin, minimal wrinkles, and plump lips.
Now what you might not know is many of these celebrities have help continuing their ageless appearance from dermal fillers. If you can’t tell which celebrities have had filler and which have the gift of naturally aging without losing fullness, then that means it was applied in the right way.
Dermal fillers are meant to be applied subtlety to give a natural appearance. The goal is to apply the filler treatments to give the effect that something is different, but the person can’t quite put their finger on it.
What is Dermal Filler?
As we age, our faces naturally lose subcutaneous fat and collagen, making the face lose its fullness and plumpness. Without it the facial muscles work closer to the skin’s surface causing smile lines and crow’s feet to become more apparent. This can leave your face looking shallow and lackluster.
The lack of collagen and fat also causes facial skin to stretch and adds to this loss of facial volume. In addition to this natural age process, other factors can play a part such as sun exposure, genetics, and lifestyle. The good news is that you don’t need plastic surgery to help correct this!
Dermal fillers are gel-like substances that use hyaluronic acid and similar substances.
These are injected beneath the skin to restore lost volume, smooth lines, soften creases, and enhance facial contours.
Bella Luce Med Spa uses the Juvederm and Restylane collections. Both Restylane and Juvederm are nonsurgical (noninvasive) procedures that contain hyaluronic acid filler (ha fillers) to plump up the skin. They also contain lidocaine to alleviate pain during the procedure.
These injectable hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers are becoming increasingly popular due to their ability to add volume and decrease wrinkles with a single visit to the doctor. Results typically last from three months to twelve, depending on the location of the injection.
Restylane Versus Juvederm
It’s not just a different name. Different fillers have different particle sizes and will deliver different results. For instance, larger particles sizes are used for cheekbones and smaller particle sizes are better suited for fine lines and lips.
Restylane is FDA approved and commonly used for lines under the eyes and for wrinkles on the hands. It’s also great for smoothing lines around the lips and mouth, plumping the lips, and adding volume and lift to cheeks.
Restylane is a good choice for larger areas or areas that need more volume since it tends to stay in place after injection. This allows our medical providers to shape it for better contours and for volume in a particular region of the face.
Restylane Silk is designed specifically to provide natural-looking results in the lips and the lines around the mouth. This is accomplished by using smaller, smoother hyaluronic acid particles than those in other Restylane products.
Restylane Lyft is used to correct volume loss and treat wrinkles in the face and hands. I is specifically designed to add fullness to the cheeks, midface area, and the back of the hands.
Restylane Refyne and Restylane Defyne are specifically designed for the lines that run from the sides of your nose towards the corners of your mouth (nasolabial folds) and the lines that run from the corners of your mouth towards your chin (marionette lines). This is accomplished while maintaining the natural movement for when you’re smiling, frowning, and puckering.
Juvederm is referred to as a “smooth” dermal filler. Unlike Restylane, it doesn’t stay in one place or leave bumps. Instead, it spreads and travels after the injection. This makes Juvederm ideal for smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles, but less appropriate for filling in sunken or hollow areas.
JUVÉDERM VOLUMA® XC injectable gel is for deep injection in the cheek area to correct age-related volume loss.
JUVÉDERM VOLLURE™ XC injectable gel is for injection into the facial tissue for the correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds (such as nasolabial folds).
JUVÉDERM® XC injectable gel is for injection into the facial tissue for the correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds (such as nasolabial folds).
JUVÉDERM® Ultra XC is for injection into the lips and perioral area for lip augmentation.
JUVÉDERM VOLBELLA® XC injectable gel is for injection into the lips for lip augmentation and for correction of perioral lines.
Where Is Filler Applied
Filler can be applied in many different places and the area that it is applied will determine the filler that is used. It can be used to:
Plump thin lips
Enhance shallow contours such as the cheeks
Soften facial creases and wrinkles
Improve the appearance of recessed scars
Reconstruct contour deformities in the face
Decrease or remove the shadow of the lower lids
Wrinkles around the mouth, laugh lines
Other areas that need extra volume for a smoother look
Dermal Fillers vs. Botox
Many people confuse the uses of Botox, Dysport, and Dermal Filler since they are all injectable treatments. However they are completely different in their functions.
Botox and Dysport use neurotoxins. This means they temporarily “freeze” muscles to reduce wrinkles and stop creases. This treatment can cause the skin to produce more collagen and elastin, which makes the skin more elastic. Additionally Botox and Dyspot are generally used from the eyes up. Think of your crows feet, elevens, and forehead wrinkles.
On the other hand, Fillers use hyaluronic acid to “fill in the wrinkles” to add volume, plumpness, and fullness. They are generally used from the eyes down, such as marionette lines, to contour the cheeks, and plump lips.
Prevention is Key
Similar to Botox and Dysport, those who started earlier with small amounts will most likey aging differently than people who didn’t. It’s much better to play the game of prevention than the game of correction. In addition, there are things you can do in your own time to prevent the signs of aging and keep your results lasting longer such as wearing sunscreen and using retinols.
When to Schedule
If you are over 21 you can schedule your appointment with one of our board certified physicians.
However, if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or you’re battling a sinus infection, it’s best to hold off, as any infection in the facial area could spread to the injection site. Don’t get filler right before a teeth cleaning or other dental treatment. These procedures require pressure and stretching of the face that could potentially misplace fillers. Waiting at least a few days, or preferably a week, is ideal. It’s important to note that getting filler doesn’t stop your skin from aging completely, so you could need more filler to get the same results over time.
It matters who does your filler! Injection is an art, so you want to find an artist whose work you like and who is a board certified physician. When you visit Bella Luce we have a portfolio of clients you can look through to help you decide on a look that works for you. It’s your face and we want to make sure you’re satisfied with the results.
If you’re unhappy with the way filler looks, don’t panic—in most cases, you can have it adjusted. We can inject additional filler for balance, or dissolve it altogether.
If you are interested in filler or have questions please schedule a free consultation with Bella Luce Med Spa in Oklahoma City by calling (405) 486-7450. We would absolutely love to visit with you.