DERMAL FILLERS
DERMAL FILLER GENERAL INFORMATION
Dermal fillers are becoming increasingly popular as a means to help reverse the changes associated with aging. Because the goal is to return the dermis to its original youthful state, dermal fillers can give a more natural appearance than surgical facelifts. Dermal fillers are being used to reduce or eliminate wrinkles, raise scar depressions, enhance lips, and replace soft-tissue volume loss.
As our skin ages, the dermis gradually loses its major constituents: collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid. Collagen acts as the major support protein for our skin, elastin allows our skin to stay firm and resist wrinkles, and hyaluronic acid helps to trap water and add volume and shape to our skin.
We lose 1% of dermal collagen per year especially over age 50. Therefore, dermal fillers became curative and preventative in the aging process with continued maintenance. Dermal fillers are not a substitute to a facelift to correct sagging skin.
Dermal fillers can improve the appearance of the following facial areas:
Smooth smile lines – nasolabial folds (the “Parentheses”)
Downturned oral commissures
Marionette Lines
Certain perioral lines
Thinner Lips
Pre-jowl sulcus
Types of dermal fillers:
A variety of dermal fillers are available in the United States today. Some of the most popular include collagen based fillers (i.e. Evolence), hyaluronic acid based fillers (i.e. Restylane and Juvederm), poly lactic acid based fillers (i.e. Sculptra) and calcium hydroxylapatite fillers such as Radiesse.
Dr. Katya offers hyaluronic acid based fillers to our patients. Hyaluronic acid exists naturally in all living organisms. Our skin houses the vast majority (56%) of hyaluronic acid in the body. The molecule is a highly hydrophilic carbohydrate with the capacity to bind water up to a thousand times its volume. Primary function of the dermal filler we use is to provide volume and pliability to skin and plays crucial role in cell growth. Most injectable fillers are administered in just a few minutes, and any discomfort can be managed with injectable anesthetics. As a dentist Dr. Katya knows the best technigue to achieve anesthesia and administer dermal fillers with virtually no pain at all. She uses a thin needle to inject the dermal filler into the wrinkles, folds, or scars where treatment is desired. Some minor initial discomfort is normal, but should be brief, as most patients are comfortable returning to work or other daily activities immediately.
The results can last from three months to a year, depending on the filler being used. Location can also affect the duration of results, for example, fillers tend to provide results that last significantly less time in the lips (3 to 6 months), compared to nasolabial folds.
Dermal fillers are minimally invasive and generally very safe. The few complications that may occur usually happen because the provider places the material in an area that it was not meant for or uses poor injection techniques, both of which can be avoided by choosing an experienced, qualified specialist. Side effects are uncommon but can include limited allergic reactions (hypersensitivity), reactivation of an existing herpes infection, localized bruising, redness or swelling at the injection site, and in very rare instances, vascular occlusion and ulceration. If hypersensitivity is a concern, choosing a hyluronic acid based filler may be wise, since these can be broken down enzymatically in the event of a bad result or hypersensitivity reaction using an injection of Hyluronidase.