What are dermal fillers?
Did you know that every year, more than 3 million people choose to get dermal fillers? Dermal fillers are facial injections that can do more than reduce wrinkles. Instead of targeting the nerves, they inject hyaluronic acid into your problem areas to restore volume and fullness to your face. Hyaluronic acid is a natural compound found in your body's connective tissues and is a key contributor for moisture retention in your skin. Dermal fillers are used to:
- Plump thin lips
- Enhance shallow contours
- Soften facial creases
- Improve the appearance of recessed scars
- Remove wrinkles.
Patients often choose to get dermal fillers to enhance their facial features and gain a more youthful appearance. Dermal fillers can help to add volume to sagging skin, make facial features appear more symmetrical, plump up cheeks and lips or smooth wrinkles and creases in your face.
Why does your skin change over time?
Collagen and elastin keep wrinkles at bay and contribute to your skin’s strength and elasticity. But years of exposure to the sun (skin damage) and natural effects of aging make it more difficult for your body to produce these components and can cause skin to wrinkle and sag.
What are the different types of dermal fillers?
The Iowa Clinic Medical Spa uses a variety of dermal fillers to target specific areas of your face including under the eyes, on the cheeks and around the mouth. These fillers include:
Juvéderm®
The Juvéderm collection of fillers includes the following product lines intended to address key areas. All products are FDA approved and each are made from a modified form of hyaluronic acid which helps your skin to retain moisture and softness, while adding volume.
Juvéderm filler is gel that is injected under the skin to instantly restore your skin’s volume and smooth away facial wrinkles and folds like your “smile lines” or “parentheses” around your mouth.
The collection contains the following products to target various areas of the face.
Cheek
JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA® XC injectable gel is for deep injection in the cheek area to correct age-related volume loss and for augmentation of the chin region to improve the chin profile.
Chin
JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA® XC injectable gel is for deep injection in the cheek area to correct age-related volume loss and for augmentation of the chin region to improve the chin profile.
Jawline
JUVÉDERM® VOLUX® XC injectable gel is for improving lost definition in the jawline. Add volume to improve the shape and structure of the lower face and achieve a smooth, more defined look in the jawline with results that last up to 1 year with optimal treatment. JUVÉDERM® VOLUX® XC is popular for both men and women.
Lines
JUVÉDERM® VOLLURE® XC softens moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds by adding volume around the nose and mouth in adults.
JUVÉDERM® ULTRA PLUS XC smooths moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds around your around your nose and mouth.
Lips
JUVÉDERM® VOLBELLA® XC adds subtle volume to lips and softens the appearance of perioral lines.
JUVÉDERM® ULTRA XC - adds fullness and plumps lips as well as smooths and corrects moderate to severe wrinkles and folds in adults.
Different formulations are approved to smooth wrinkles and folds, plump lips and add volume to cheeks.
Restylane®
The Restylane® line consists of various hyaluronic acid injectables that can be used to smooth away facial wrinkles and folds, provides subtle lip enhancement, smooth the lines around the mouth, add lift and volume to the cheeks and help reverse the signs of volume loss in the back of the hands.
The Iowa Clinic is proud to off the following Restylane products:
- Restylane Contour: This product is used for cheek augmentation and for the correction of midface contour deficiencies.
- Restylane Defyne: This product is also used for mid-to-deep injection into the facial tissue to correct moderate to severe deep facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds. However, it can also be used to augment the chin region to improve the chin profile in patients with mild to moderate chin retrusion.
- Restylane Kysse: This product is also used for lip augmentation, but it is specifically designed to provide a more natural-looking result. It is also effective for correcting upper perioral wrinkles.
- Restylane Refyne: This product is used for mid-to-deep injection into the facial tissue to correct moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds.
- Restylane Lyft with Lidocaine: This product is used for deep implantation into the facial tissue to correct moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds. It can also be used to augment the cheeks and correct age-related midface contour deficiencies.
What should I expect when getting dermal fillers?
This common cosmetic procedure, which lasts about 30-60 minutes, produces results almost right away and can last months or years. Dermal fillers are given in your medical provider’s office or medical spa.
During the procedure, filler is injected into multiple areas of the skin via a small needle. You’ll feel a small sting, but the injections are not painful overall. After receiving dermal filler injections, your medical professional will cleanse your skin and offer you an ice pack to reduce swelling. You may have mild bruising or swelling following the injections. These side effects go away after a few days.
When do dermal filler results show?
Results are almost immediate and recovery time is minimal. Reduce potential side effects by minimizing exercise and alcohol consumption in the 24 hours following the procedure.
Note that results may last one year or longer depending on the formula used and area treated. Speak with your healthcare provider/nurse injector to set expectations and understand the differences of each product.
Discuss what product might work best for you with your healthcare provider. You can also discuss any risks and benefits. Following the injections, call your provider should you have any bleeding, pain, swelling or signs of an infection or allergic reaction.
You should not receive injections if you have a history of severe allergic reactions or are allergic to lidocaine or proteins used to make hyaluronic acid used in injectable gel fillers.
*A FREE consultation is required for all aesthetic procedures. Dermal filler injectables require a $50 fee, that is applied to your total cost after service.
Schedule your consultation online or call 515.875.9755.