Injectable Dermal Filler Treatments
For visible, long lasting results with little to no downtime or need for an aesthetic, dermal fillers are the natural alternative to cosmetic surgery.
One of the main changes that occur to our face with aging is volume loss. Our skin becomes thinner and the effects of gravity can become apparent. Restoring the soft tissues of the face by non-surgical, minimally invasive injectable fillers is one of the corner-stones of facial rejuvenation techniques.
Fillers are effective in smoothing out deep furrows and wrinkles, especially around the nose and lips. They can also be used to restore volume to the cheek bones and prominences, as well as lips or any facial contour deficiencies. Dermal fillers are invaluable tools for both rejuvenating and enhancing your facial features without surgery.
What are Dermal Fillers?
Dermal fillers can be temporary or permanent. Depending on the type and brand, a filler may be composed of synthetic or natural gels formed by a variety of polymers, or collagen extracts from humans or animals.
Hyaluronic acid naturally occurs in the skin to help provide skin structure and elasticity. Hyaluronic acid stabilizes intercellular structures and produces the viscoelastic network for collagen and elastin fibers to bind together. As seen with sun-damage and aging, these connections fail, thus resulting in disorganized clumps of collagen and elastin. When injected as a filler, hyaluronic acid creates volume not only as a result of the molecule itself, by also by attracting and holding water. These benefits make hyaluronic acid an excellent dermal filling agent and it has emerged as the leader of dermal filling agents for soft tissue augmentation, owing to its superior cosmetic results.
What can I expect after my treatment?
- Expected after-effects of dermal filler injections include:
- Mild bruising around injection sites: this usually settles after 2-3 days, and can be concealed with a thin smear of foundation makeup.
- Swelling of the injected areas: swelling is usually mild, and is usually not noticeable after 48-72 hours.
- Numbness to injected areas or parts of the face: Usually the filler product has some local anesthetic within its gel, which may result in numbness of the injected area. Sensation usually returns in 2-3 hours.
- Skin redness: this is usually due to injections, vigorous massage and slight reaction of the skin which can take a few hours to 2-3 days to settle.
What are the possible complications?
- Allergic reactions
- Lumpiness and irregularity in contour
- Undesirable change in contour
- Foreign body granuloma
- Infection
- Persistent or prolonged bruising
- Tissue damage in the case of inadvertent arterial injection (rare)
