Are you trying to understand what are dermal fillers? Like many you have probably heard about dermal fillers, but you don’t fully understand what they are or what they can do. These injectable products have gained a lot of popularity over the past few years and with good reason. Since 2000, dermal filler usage has increased 274%, according to the American Academy of Plastic Surgeons. In this article we will help you understand what dermal fillers are and how they may benefit you.
What Are Dermal Fillers?
Dermal fillers are an injectable products that can reduce or eliminate fine lines and wrinkles. Since these products are injectable it means you receive them in a nonsurgical and minimally invasive way. The average dermal filler’s results will typically be visible for anywhere between 6 to 18 months. These fully FDA approved products are a great way to have immediate and long-lasting results for lines and wrinkles on your face.
Many dermal fillers can have these results using hyaluronic acid. This substance is naturally occurring in our bodies and can plump the skin to enhance your appearance. By plumping the skin, filler can also address volume loss. Volume loss is usually a side effect of aging when the skin doesn’t produce as much collagen. The most common injection areas are the lips, brow area, smile lines, forehead, and chin. Some fillers may also be used on the neck and hands.
Different Types of Dermal Fillers
While many dermal fillers are made with hyaluronic acid that is not necessarily always the case. Let’s look at many different kinds of fillers that exist to help you better understand what dermal fillers are.
Hyaluronic Acid
This naturally occurring substance is commonly produced by the human body. The largest amounts of hyaluronic acid are in the body’s skin, connective tissues, and eyes. It works to add plumpness to the skin and help keep the skin hydrated. Juvederm and Restylane are both hyaluronic acid injectables.
Calcium Hydroxyapatite
Calcium hydroxyapatite is a mineral-like substance found in our bones. One filler that is made of calcium hydroxyapatite is Radiesse. Radiesse is among the heaviest of all dermal fillers. Radiesse is composed of calcium microspheres that are suspended in a water-based gel. When injected under the skin, these microspheres act as a supporting structure that “fills” the wrinkles it is injected beneath. Beyond this filling capacity, Radiesse also stimulates the body to begin producing new collagen. Collagen and elastin are proteins that the body produces to support skin structure, giving skin its plump, firm feel.
Polyalkylimide
Polyalkylimide is a transparent gel. It is a semi-permanent dermal filler and is often used to treat deeper wrinkles such as nasolabial folds or depressed scars. It can also be used to plump thin lips, enhance cheekbones and the jawline, and to replace facial volume lost due to age.
Polylactic Acid
Polylactic acid fillers are synthetic and although, like hyaluronic acid fillers, they too come in the form of injectable gel, but they also contain special microspheres. The human body recognizes these tiny spheres as foreign bodies and that tricks the skin into producing more collagen – an important part of the skin which has impressive anti-aging qualities. Therefore, the effect of polylactic acid filler treatment is more stimulating than filling.
Polymethyl-methacrylate Microspheres
Even though they are called skin fillers, in most of the cases, only one-fifth of their structure is made up of polymethyl-methacrylate microspheres. The remaining nearly 80% are collagen. That is why they have a robust skin rejuvenating effect that is so durable that these advanced cosmetic products are semi-permanent when it comes to their longevity.
Is Botox A Dermal Filler?
If you are looking to understand what are dermal fillers, you may be wondering if Botox is a dermal filler. While Botox and dermal fillers are both injectable products that’s where the similarities end. Botox works by temporarily relaxing muscles to eliminate fine lines and wrinkles that are caused by muscle movements. Think about the lines you get from smiling, frowning, or looking surprised. These are called dynamic wrinkles because they occur due to certain muscle movements. Botox works to reduce or eliminate these lines. In contrast, dermal fillers, also sometimes called soft tissue injections, add materials. By injecting these substances, dermal fillers add fullness and plumpness to the face.
What To Expect From Dermal Fillers?
Since dermal fillers are a nonsurgical option they don’t require any special preparation and have minimal recovery time. The most important thing to do before having dermal fillers injected is to make sure you tell your doctor about any medication that you may be currently taking. While most medications pose no risk to having dermal fillers done, it is particularly important to let your doctor know if you are on any blood thinners. It is possible that your doctor may ask you to not take any aspirin or other anti-inflammatory medications before your injection.
Before the injection occurs you will typically receive a numbing cream or gel to numb the site of the injection to make the dermal filler procedure as comfortable as possible. Once the injection is done it is possible for you to have an overfilled feeling. Don’t worry, this is completely normal and will dissipate over the course of a few days.
When scheduling your dermal filler injection be sure to consider any upcoming plans you may have. It is perfectly normal to have some bruising, swelling, and redness after your injection. This may take a few days to disappear. So, keep this in mind before you schedule your dermal filler injection.
Takeaways
We now know that dermal fillers are simple injections that can either plump certain areas of the face or fill in fine lines and wrinkles. These products are safe and FDA approved to treat a number of different problems. In particular, they help with wrinkles, volume loss, and fine lines. It is important to remember that you should only have dermal fillers injected by qualified professionals like the team at Green Relief Health. Schedule your appointment today and have the team at Green Relief Health in Baltimore help you have beauty enhancing and age defying results.
