Should I get Injectables for My Face? How do they Work?
Injectables for facial rejuvenation has become mainstream. When you aren’t ready for a facelift, Dr. Durkin can speak to you about our nonsurgical options for facial rejuvenation. We offer a comprehensive menu of injectables for your face, neck, and hands to help you achieve a natural and more youthful appearance. Injectable therapy is a type of minimally invasive cosmetic procedures that are very popular with our patients!
It’s easy to become overwhelmed when choosing the right face filler, especially if its your first time, as your filler options may seem endless. To begin, its important to understand why dermal filler is so useful for addressing age-related changes.
The aging process results in diminishing of your facial fat pads, shrinking of your skull secondary to bone loss, and loss of skin elasticity the combination of which leaves you with static (age-related) fine lines and volume loss. Facial fillers, just as the name describes, are used to fill in a space where there is a volume loss secondary to aging. This mechanism of action is entirely different than BOTOX®or XEOMIN®, which are neuromuscular blockades that work by relaxing facial muscles. Instead, facial fillers work by filling-in the “valleys” or crevices that are characteristic of a wrinkles. By doing so, it has the effect of softening age-related fine lines.
At Ocean Drive Plastic Surgery®, we take a very organic approach to filler-based facial rejuvenation. When you come in for consultation, you will be given a mirror so that you can point out your areas of concern. Together, we work on a dermal-filler treatment plan thats right for you.
What Are the Different Types of Fillers?
There are two types of facial fillers that we commonly use: hyaluronic acid fillers like Juvederm®, Restylane®, and Belotero®, and calcium microsphere fillers like Radiesse®. Hyaluronic acid fillers tend to be less viscous (less thick) then microsphere fillers. They are aesthetically appealing in softer areas of the face like the lips, fine lines around the mouth, and nasolabial folds. Belotero®, a newer hyaluronic acid filler, works beautifully in delicate areas of the face like the tear trough or lower lid area because it can be used closer to the surface of the skin than traditional hyaluronic acid fillers.
Calcium microsphere fillers are more heavy duty than hyaluronic acid fillers. They do a great job in areas of the face where there is a lot of volume loss. They are commonly used in the cheek bone area where your natural malar fat pad lives. Another advantage to calcium microsphere fillers, like Radiesse®, is that they may last almost twice as long as their hyaluronic counterparts.
Dermal fillers play a significant role in facial enhancement. Clinical effectiveness, facial aesthetics, and patient satisfaction are critical outcome measures. Successful outcomes can be measured by the chemical and physical attributes of the dermal filler selected. There are many different types of dermal fillers available. The major dermal fillers available described below. Side effects are usually mild to moderate, lasting 7 days or less, and include temporary injection-site reactions such as redness, pain, firmness, swelling, and bumps. Read below to learn more about some of our more popular dermal fillers or you can watch Dr. Durkin demonstrate injections in these Radiesse videos.
Dermal Filler Products are Not Interchangeable
However, many people share the perception that injectables are interchangeable, and that they “all do the same thing”. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Currently, there are a multitude of FDA approved injectables available on the market , and they each have specific characteristics and specific uses. We will review injectables including facial fillers and neurotoxins in detail. For additional information you may want to read where we focus specifically on the differences between popular dermal fillers.
