Dermal Fillers: Juvederm, Restylane, Radiesse, Bellafill, Sculptra, etc.

So why are dermal fillers so popular and why do we need/want them?

The reason we use dermal fillers is because as we age, we naturally loose some of our youthful features including fat pockets which either shrink or shift and hence we loose that soft cushioning under our skin which reflects light in a positive manner off our face to give us a healthy glow.  Of course the collagen and elastin fibers also reduce with age, causing us to loose that lush, soft hydrated glow. There is also structural bone loss that occurs and contributes to undereye and cheek hollowing.  Fillers can help correct these problems.

The common areas for volume loss include the temples, lateral cheeks, central cheek, undereyes, chin and the lips.  Many patients come to the office with concerns of the nasolabial folds or laugh lines looking deepened and while we may at times inject fillers directly into those lines, a more natural appearing approach is to lift the skin upwards by restoring volume in the midface, lateral cheeks and temples.  Adding volume along the jawline also gives amazing and beautiful results as does adding volume to the chin area to soften the jowls.  

When a patient presents with more significant volume loss, it's a great idea to build up collagen using Sculptra and Bellafill, both of which give a more long lasting improvement and stimulate your own skin to make new collagen.  Bellafill is also FDA approved for acne scars and performs very well.  Both Sculptra and Bellafill lay down a matrix upon which we can build with other fillers if needed.  It does often take a combination of fillers to achieve the best results.  The fillers don't have to be injected all at once either.  We can space the treatments out a bit and approach the volume loss stepwise.

The most popular injectables for patients of all ages are the hyaluronic acid fillers such as Voluma, Juvederm and Restylane of which there are several varieties.  Some are more hydrophilic, meaning they attract more water and others are a bit thicker and stickier for areas such as the cheeks.  We also like to use Radiesse which is a calcium based white product that also helps to stimulate your own collagen growth.  The hyaluronic acid fillers provide excellent volume but do not stimulate your own collagen.  Even though fillers do gradually diminish over time, they don't completely go away all the way and subsequent treatments build nicely upon the prior treatments.  

Perhaps the most important aspect of getting filler injections is making sure you have an awesome injector with a good eye because the product placement and end result should look natural without looking overfilled or puffy.  the lips, eyes, cheeks, temples are all areas I love to inject in.

Also, the hands are nicely rejuvenated using Radiesse filler to plump between harsh appearing tendons and puffy veins.  

There are some other great uses for fillers, such as Sculptra for cellulite and for lifting the buttock area and for improving lines in the decolletage.  

I hope some of this has been helpful to you.  Of course we welcome you to come in for a consultation and we'll devise a customized plan just for you.

Please also visit our website at www.cincinnatiskinandlaser.com for more information.  We are passionate about your skin and restoring your youth!