Skin Fillers and Collagen Stimulants
The advent of injectable dermal fillers has revolutionized the field of facial rejuvenation. Products such as Juvederm®, Restylane®, and Radiesse® are all formulated to create a volumetric enhancement to the skin that will last between nine months and two years, depending on what is injected and its location on the face. These newer materials are composed of compounds already found in the human body, reducing the risk of allergic reactions.
Sculptra® is used to naturally stimulate the patient’s own collagen and may provide two or more years of volumetric enhancement.
In most cases, 30-minute filler treatment appointments can be completed with topical anesthetic and minimal to no downtime.
Injectable fillers can be used to subtly enhance:
• Cheeks
• Jawline
• Lips and lipstick lines
• Nasolabial folds (smile lines)
• Tear trough area (hollowness underneath the eyes)
• Temple
Excellent and versatile fillers composed of hyaluronic acid (a chemical found naturally in the human body), both Juvederm and Restylane can be used in multiple areas of the face to enhance certain areas, reduce the appearance of deeper lines, and improve hollowness under the eyes (tear troughs). Both Juvederm and Restylane filler materials come prepared with local anesthesia to reduce discomfort, and a topical anesthesia is used prior to the injection.
A long-lasting and volumizing filler, Radiesse is composed of calcium hydroxyapetite, a material found naturally in the human body. This filler can be used in multiple areas of the face to restore volume and enhance the face in a structural way, but it also stimulates collagen production to give longer-lasting results. Radiesse itself lasts up to a year, but again, longer-lasting results can be achieved due to collagen stimulation.
Sculptra, or poly-L-lactic acid, is not a typical “filler.” This material is composed of the same materials used in certain types of suture during surgery. Sculptra stimulates the body’s production of collagen, so that once the compound has dissolved, you are left with more collagen, plumper skin, and a more youthful appearance. Results are FDA-approved to last for two years, though many patients have longer-lasting results. Most patients will require three treatment cycles separated by six weeks each to allow time for collagen stimulation.
