We all know that due to aging, the skin becomes quite vulnerable to droops, lines, and wrinkles. Not only this, but also exposure to sun and muscle functions such as smiling and chewing over the years also add to the skin’s tissue failure. However, we all are lucky enough because many ground-breaking cosmetic procedures have been introduced to aid in easing the process of aging and maintaining the grace of youth.
One such cosmetic option is facial filler. Also known as ‘dermal fillers’, facial fillers are injectables that offer a temporary solution as against a long-lasting treatment for treating facial marks and blemishes. They come in form of small injections specially designed for young face. Today, in the United States of America, many different kinds of facial fillers are on offer and that each one serves one or more purposes including wrinkle alleviation and lip augmentation. If you want to know which one would be best for what or for your skin problem, you need to discuss about it with a certified dermatologist or a physician. If you do so, you can easily identify the suitable facial fillers that would guarantee optimal and reviving outcomes with least after effects. Listed below are some of the general facial fillers used in the US as per the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
• ArteColl/ArteFill: Hey, this is the initial dermal filler that offers a permanent solution by packing wrinkles and stopping any further wrinkling activities in the skin. In the US, this filler is strictly meant for rectifying the nasolabial folds.
• Juvederm: This is a safe facial filler as it holds a natural ingredient called hyaluronic acid in gel form. It adds to the same acid present in the skin to increase the volume and hydration levels of the skin. It has been designed to rectify moderate to strong wrinkles as well as folds on the face temporarily.
• Botox: As against the above fillers, this one never fills the creases, wrinkles, and lines on the face; but rather, alleviates the appearance of useless aging signs in the upper facial area. It does so by clogging the muscle movement temporarily. Surprisingly, it is derived from Botulinum Type A toxin, but it is safe.
• Restylane: This is a biodegradable filler containing no animal part, but holds hyaluronic acid. It refers to a smooth tissue filler, which aids in contributing to the skin volume via miniature injections. This means that it smoothes the wrinkles and folds especially in the eyes and mouth regions.
• Fat: This facial filler is nothing but the fat of the patient’s body. The surgeon extracts fat from a body
part like thighs and abdomen and re-injects the same below the skin of the face.
• Collagen (Zyplast/Zyderm): This soft tissue facial filler is derived from the skin of the cow that is purified first before injecting. It is used to fill scars, lines, and wrinkles that appear on the face. Collagen is actually an innate body protein that is required for smooth skin and ligaments.
• Sculptra: This is also an injectable solution that is composed of polylactic acid. This is the first facial filler to receive an approval from the FDA to restore the facial volume in HIV people.
• Captique: This is mostly used to fill moderate to harsh wrinkles and folds that tend to appear in the areas of the nose and mouth. It is again a tissue filler that aims at increasing the volume of the specific facial areas and is made from the pure vegetarian hyaluronic acid.
• Hylaform: This is a facial filler that packs moderate to stern wrinkles that appear in the areas of the nose and mouth. It is chemically altered from the hyaluronic acid and acts as a temporary solution for smooth skin surface.
• Radiesse: Previously called as radiance, this refers to a synthetic filler that is composed of calcium hydroxyapatite. With this, it has the power to rectify moderate to harsh folds as well as wrinkles. It is a longer-lasting solution.
>> Duration
10 to 20 minutes for each session, but is based upon the patient and the number of the treatable areas
- Anesthesia
- Local
- After effects
A skin test can aid in preventing the risks of the facial fillers. These complications are common and they are allergy, numbness, bruising, short-lived redness, pain, swelling, and discoloration.
>> Healing time
Facial fillers need minimal downtime due to which the patients can go back to their work just in some time after the treatment. However, for a day, people are asked to avoid arduous activities and too much sun exposure.
>> Risks
Lumps or nodules in case of Radiesse, Juvederm, Sculptra, and ArteColl
>> Outcome
The positive effects of the injectables tend to be temporary, mostly remaining for some months or a year. But, Sculptra and ArteColl offer longer-lived effects. Extra sessions might be prescribed for the best results.
