FACE

Dermal Fillers

Women and men today have more options than ever for delaying the aging process. While a healthy lifestyle is the best way to keep yourself feeling youthful and energetic, diet and exercise alone can only do so much to prevent the signs of aging. The Nose and Sinus Institute of Boca Raton offers several non-surgical options for facial rejuvenation.

One of these non-surgical options is dermal fillers. Dermal fillers can be used on a number of areas of the face and neck to produce a refreshed and more youthful appearance. They can restore volume to the cheeks, temples, and lips, improve the contour of the chin and jawline, and smooth wrinkles and folds.

Frequently Asked Questions

As we age, many factors affect the appearance of our face, such as sun exposure, gravity, and facial muscle movement. Because of these forces, collagen beneath the skin is broken down over time, resulting in gaps that the skin falls into, forming wrinkles. In addition, there is a loss of volume in certain areas of the face; over time, gravity pulls down the deflated areas creating sagging. With precise injection techniques, these deeper wrinkles and folds and other contour changes can be improved with facial fillers.

Injectable fillers can be used on a number of areas to produce a refreshed and more youthful appearance. Specifically, facial fillers can be used for the following purposes:

  • Reduce smile lines
  • Reduce marionette lines
  • Reduce vertical “smoker’s lines”
  • Improve cheek definition
  • Shape the nose
  • Increase lip volume
  • Reduce bags under the eyes
  • Improve hollows in the temples
  • Reduce horizontal chin lines
  • Address facial asymmetry

Dermal fillers are products that are composed of collagen, hyaluronic acid, or calcium hydroxyl-apatite that can rejuvenate your appearance by reducing or eliminating wrinkles, restoring soft-tissue volume loss, improving contours, raising scar depressions, and enhancing lips.

Dermal fillers are administered through a few tiny facial injections on specific areas of the face. Various types of facial fillers are available, each designed with one or several purposes, such as wrinkle reduction and lip augmentation. A comprehensive consultation with Dr. Melyssa Hancock will help determine which dermal filler treatments are right for you.

A lot of people think injectable botulinum toxins, like BOTOX®, Dysport®, and Jeuveau™ are fillers, but they work in an entirely different way. Rather, these Botox products are neuromodulators that relax muscles to smooth lines and wrinkles (and prevent more from forming) while dermal fillers add volume and fill deeper lines and folds. Botox and dermal fillers are often used in combination for optimal rejuvenation results.

Injectable dermal fillers differ in chemical makeup and longevity and have varying degrees of softness. In summary, Juvederm® and Restylane® fillers are made from hyaluronic acid. Radiesse® contains the mineral, calcium hydroxyapatite. Sculptra® uses poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), a biodegradable man-made polymer.

    • Hyaluronic acid: Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance found in your body. High concentrations are found in soft connective tissues and in the fluid surrounding your eyes. It’s also in some cartilage and joint fluids, as well as skin tissue. It is extracted and reformulated and now has become one of the most popular kinds of injectable fillers. If the term sounds familiar, it’s because the same substance is often injected into the aching joints of people with arthritis to ease pain and provide extra cushioning. This product can even be dissolved if necessary.
    • Calcium hydroxylapatite: Calcium hydroxylapatite is found naturally in human bones and is a mineral-like compound. It is biosynthetically produced, which means that no animals or animal products are used. This lowers your risk of an allergic reaction and no skin testing is required. This type of injectable filler is known to produce a very natural result and doesn’t tend to migrate. While the side effects are rare, fillers such as Radiesse® that are made up of this compound cannot be dissolved.
    • Poly-L-Lactic Acid (PLLA): Poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) is a synthetic dermal filler that is injected into your face, causing your body’s own production of collagen. This type of dermal filler is known as a stimulator. This non-toxic, biodegradable substance has been used for more than 40 years as suture material. This substance is unlike other dermal fillers because it doesn’t produce immediate results. Instead, it stimulates your own body’s collagen production, so results appear gradually over a period of a few months.

There are many different types of facial fillers, and each one has a different in its purpose and application area. With her expertise in facial fillers, Dr. Hancock helps each patient accurately determine which facial fillers are best for him or her.  She will help a patient choose one or more of the following fillers in order to achieve the most natural-looking results:

  • Juvederm®: One of the leading names in dermal fillers, the Juvederm® family of products are made from synthetic hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance.
  • Restylane®: Restylane® consists of a line of an injectable fillers made by Galderma that is comprised of hyaluronic acid in a clear gel form. It has been shown to help individuals rejuvenate the facial appearance and minimize common signs of aging in the face. It is used for moderate to deep wrinkles, folds, and volume loss, including nose-to-mouth lines, frown lines, and under eye hollows.
  • Radiesse®: Radiesse® works by stimulating the area to produce more natural collagen. Radiesse® made of calcium-based microspheres that add volume and structure. Unlike other hyaluronic acid-based products, this product cannot be dissolved. This product is appropriate as a treatment for moderate to severe facial lines and wrinkles and is primarily used to augment cheekbones and jawlines.
  • Sculptra®: This filler functions differently than the others by encouraging natural collagen production in the area in which it is injected. The results appear over time, rather than immediately, and typically require more than one treatment performed about one month apart. The total treatment with Sculptra® typically occurs over three appointments, and the results for treating lost facial volume, lines, and wrinkles last far longer, up to several years.

Different dermal fillers require varying amounts of time before they settle. Additionally, how a person’s body responds to a facial filler impacts how long it takes for a treatment to take effect.

The results of facial filler treatment vary based on the type of filler used. Oftentimes, a facial filler treatment delivers results that last 6 to 18 months. Dr. Hancock will provide you with any facial filler details prior to treatment to ensure that realistic treatment expectations are established.

There is no shortage of dermal filler treatments available to patients. Fortunately, Dr. Hancock and Dr. Nachlas are happy to teach patients about each of the different Juvederm® products, as well as other dermal fillers. A comprehensive cosmetic consultation with Dr. Hancock or Dr. Nachlas is the best way to what treatment options may be right for you. After examining your face and neck and having a thorough understanding of your concerns and anti-aging goals, Dr. Hancock and Dr. Nachlas will discuss both non-invasive and surgical approaches, when appropriate. Dr. Hancock and Dr. Nachlas have an innovative perspective of customizing surgical and non-surgical treatments for the face and neck to comprehensively address signs of aging.

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