When, Where, and Why to Use Dermal Fillers
Where & Why Should You Use Dermal Fillers?
We put our best efforts forward to keep your skin looking beautiful and for you to maintain a youthful radiance. The competition is aging, genetics, health, and lifestyle. As we age, our skin decreases the production of collagen and elastin. We assertively use medical-grade skincare products, but often our patients don’t realize they lose volume in their face in addition to more superficial general skin aging. We ask all patients to consider a conservative treatment with dermal fillers. They replace natural fat volume loss, collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid. Dermal fillers even help with the bony contour of our face. We can correct and create with dermal fillers. According to Dr. Jody Comstock of Skin Spectrum in Tucson, “Dermal fillers are a minimally invasive treatment that we offer for dermatology patients at Skin Spectrum. There are a variety of uses for dermal fillers to achieve a desired cosmetic result. Different fillers are used for different areas on the face chosen according to intended results.” In this blog, we’ll walk through what you need to know about dermal fillers, how they’re used, and why we often recommend them as an alternative to surgical solutions. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you want to learn more, or you’re ready to schedule a consultation to discuss your personal rejuvenation plan.
What are Dermal Fillers?
Dermal fillers are an injected product that refills our natural aging volume loss, softens creases and wrinkles, helps create shape and contour of the face, including nose, lips, around the mouth wrinkles, jawline, or sunken in areas that have caused a deflated, tired or jowling appearance. According to Dr. Comstock, “Dermal fillers are some of the most popular treatment options available because they offer immediate results, and they’re made from components that are naturally occurring in your own body. The fillers are made of hyaluronic acid, a component already found in the dermis of your skin, and a natural substance that is safe to use.” There are many brand name dermal fillers in use today, and we offer treatment with many of the most popular dermal fillers, including:
- JUVÉDERM® Ultra
- JUVÉDERM® Ultra Plus
- JUVÉDERM Volbella® XC
- JUVEDERM Vollure
- JUVEDERM VOLUMA
- Restylane®
- Restylane® Silk
- Restylane® Lyft
- Restylane KYSSE
- Restylane Refyne
- Restylane Defyne
- Sculptra®
- RHA 2, RHA 3, and RHA 4
Each of these brands of dermal filler is best used to address specific areas of the face or certain types of volume loss. Our knowledgeable dermatologists can recommend the right option and use these products in a way that optimizes your results, so you’ll achieve the result you’re looking for.
How do Dermal Fillers Work?
Patients who visit us for dermal filler treatment are constantly amazed by how transformative these procedures can be. According to Dr. Comstock, “Today we can accomplish with dermal fillers what was only previously addressed with cosmetic surgery. Dermal fillers provide a no-downtime alternative to cosmetic surgery.” These fillers are injected at various levels in the skin where they can replace and restore volume to the face. In fact, the dermal filler process is often called a “liquid facelift” because it allows us to restore the youthful fullness and smoothness to the face without surgical procedures.
What Areas Can Dermal Fillers be Used to Treat?
According to Dr. Comstock, “The areas that can be treated include the chin, cheeks, temples, lips, around the mouth, jawline, neck, under-eye, nose, eyebrows and forehead.” Essentially everywhere. We offer dermal filler treatment to address the loss of volume, asymmetry, facial shaping in any one of these areas or we treat several areas in one visit. Most dermal fillers brands are specifically formulated with individual “personalities”, so it’s important to choose the right dermal filler to meet the individual needs of the area treated and your desired results.
What Happens During Treatment?
The dermal filler process involves injecting the product into the desired area. Most of the fillers come with an anesthetic already in the product for increased comfort. We also offer topical anesthesia, use very fine gauge needles, and also have “laughing gas” or Pronox that offer additional comfort. After injection, we gently smooth and shape the filler. Fillers do not move around, but we are able to contour the product a small amount. We’ll evaluate the lift, fullness, and overall appearance after each injection. We may need to inject additional filler to achieve the desired results, but less is almost always better. Depending on the number of areas we treat, the process may be completed in as little as 15 minutes or as much as an hour.
In addition to dermal fillers, we may recommend a combination treatment. This involves combining dermal fillers with injectable neuromodulators like Botox® Cosmetic, Dysport, or Jeuveau to prevent the development of new wrinkles and minimize the appearance of existing fine lines. During your treatment consultation, we can discuss your full range of available treatment options to ensure you achieve the best possible results.
Can You Treat More than One Area at a Time?
Each patient is different, and we’ll create a custom treatment plan to address your individual needs. According to Dr. Comstock, “We assess the skin, shape, bone structure and subcutaneous fat resulting in a plan for overall rejuvenation with balance and harmony.” Our patients may choose to address a portion of the rejuvenation plan or all of it. It is best to optimize this strategy as one may see secondary improvement in what may be perceived as an unrelated area. For example, injecting the cheek will often lift the jawline.
Are There Side Effects?
Because the process is minimally invasive, most patients have little to no downtime after receiving dermal fillers. Common side effects after treatment include very mild swelling, redness, and bruising. To help keep the side effects minimal, we encourage patients to avoid taking blood thinners and non-prescription products that may lead to thinning of the blood, including aspirin, non-steroid anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medications, fish oil, and vitamin E. During your consultation, we’ll review all of your current prescriptions and over the counter medications, and we may also recommend taking supplements that will minimize side effects after treatment.
How Long Will My Results Last?
Each person will experience different results, and we’ll customize your treatment plan to meet your individual needs. During your initial consultation, we’ll make a plan and can help predict how long a filler will last with your age, genetics, unique facial structure, and secondary facial muscle movement. We continue to assess your filler as we follow you clinically. Each time we see you we make a plan for what is your next “priority” whether it be topical skin care, filler, neuromodulator, laser, or a peel. Most people maintain their results with dermal filler retreatments once or twice each year.
Why Should I Choose Skin Spectrum for Dermal Fillers?
According to Dr. Comstock, “Proper technique is important to ensure the safety and efficacy of your filler injections. This is where science meets art in the field of dermatology, so finding a qualified and well-trained injector is key.” Our practice is recognized nationally and internationally for teaching and training other injectors and advises all of the companies that manufacture fillers and neuromodulators. We are master injectors. While many physicians and non-physicians offer dermal fillers, we will provide treatment with the advanced anatomic knowledge necessary to help you achieve and maintain a beautiful, natural, and healthy youthful appearance. Specifically, dermatologists understand the skin and how it will respond to specific treatments and also any underlying medical conditions. When you work with our team, you know we’ll provide the right dermal filler treatment for your individual needs. You should love your look and no one should know you have had a procedure…. you just look like your best self.
How Can I Schedule My Appointment to Learn More?
If you’re ready to learn more about dermal fillers, we’d be happy to see you in our Tucson office. Simply provide our team with some basic information on our online scheduling form or call directly at 520-797-8885, and we’ll be in touch soon to verify your consultation appointment.