Dermal Fillers include substances like collagen, hyaluronic acid, poly-L-lactic acid, polymers and calcium hydroxyapatite. Sometimes a patient’s fat or donor fat is used but most dermal fillers are synthetic. New substances are being discovered and used on a regular basis. These substances are used for cosmetic facial enhancement and include brand names like Juvederm, Artefill, Radiesse, Restylane and Hylaform.
This procedure is used to eliminate crow’s feet, wrinkles, to enhance features, to reduce acne scars or scars from injuries or to reduce gauntness due to illness or aging. Cheeks, lips, around the eyes, the bridge of the nose and the jaw line are common areas for the injection of fillers. Patients can get similar and permanent results from facelifts but fillers are much less invasive and their effects are easily reversible.
Different dermal fillers have different strengths and weaknesses and some will last longer than others. Sometimes dermatologists choose to use a combination of different fillers and each dermatologist can come up with a specific combination for each patient.
Hyaluronic acid binds with water to give skin more volume and, like human collagen, doesn’t need to be skin tested. This makes these substances of preference by some dermatologists. If a dermatologist decides to use a patient’s own fat, it is usually removed from the stomach, buttocks or thighs through micro-dermabrasion. The substance calcium hydroxyapatite gives longer lasting benefits because it degrades more slowly than other substances.
The side effects of dermal fillers include bleeding or bruising. Some people have had allergic reactions. Each filler carries its own risks as they are all significantly different. There is also some pain with the injection and there may be pain for two or three days after the injection.
The success of this procedure depends on which filler is used, and what procedure it’s used for. The effects usually last for up to eight months. If you don’t care for the way you look after the treatment, you only need to wait and the effects will disappear over time. This allows you to make the decision as to whether you want to have another treatment or not, or if you’d like to go a step further and have cosmetic surgery, or not.
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