Fun Facts On Dermal Fillers

Good Morning Beautiful Friends!

You may recall that we recently did some blog posts about neuromodulators – a guest post from Dr. Alipasha Rassouli and an informational post on facial zones for neuromodulators).

Today we would like to continue with the injectables content, because of the current unbeatable promotion on ALL of them (Botox, Dysport, Juvederm & Restylane). 

Dr. Rassouli is here to provide us with some information about dermal fillers today. Specifically, Juvederm and Restylane. This is his second guest post and we are very excited to have him.

What Are Dermal Fillers?

Dermal Fillers are used to replace lost volume to the face, thus reducing the appearance of wrinkles and giving you a more rested and youthful look.

Typically, dermal fillers are made of Hyaluronic Acid (HA).

HA is a substance that exists naturally in the body. You are born with it, but as you age and expose your skin to free radicals and UV rays, it degrades.

HA helps your skin cells to attract and retain water, holding up to 1000 times its own weight. This is how it creates the smoothed out look on your face.

Who Can Benefit From Dermal Fillers?

Pretty much everyone can benefit from getting a filler if this is what they want to do. I have had patients of every age and ethnicity, each requesting a filler for individual and specific reasons. Juvederm and Restylane are being used to help people achieve a certain look, whether it be accentuating cheekbones, lips or jaw; plumping up lips; reducing the appearance of wrinkles; or filling out the lost volume on temples. The list can go on!

How Will Using Juvederm Or Restylane Change In Different Age Groups?

Dermal Fillers are different from Neuromodulators (Botox and Dysport) in that they won’t prevent wrinkles from occurring.

Younger patients are currently using fillers to ‘beautify’. This means they are choosing to have them placed specifically in regions they want to enhance (lips, cheekbones).

Older patients are requesting fillers for ‘rejuvenation’ reasons. This can mean using full syringes in sunken temples (a common area that experiences bone loss with aging), placing filler strategically at the tip of the jaw to reduce the appearance of jowls, or using a SkinBooster to smooth out a larger area of crepey or wrinkled skin.

Will I Look Like A ‘Real Housewife’?

The short answer is: only if you want to. Personally, I only like to inject fillers to provide a more enhanced but still natural look.

There are definitely people who like to use Juvederm or Restylane as a ‘status symbol’ and they choose to be ‘over injected’ so that people know they can afford it. 

Dermal Fillers vary in where you inject them into the skin. If someone isn’t ready to ‘take the leap’ of a conventional filler, I highly recommend a SkinBooster because it deposits microbeads of Hyaluronic Acid under the skin in a more superficial layer. SkinBoosters are great because they are long-lasting and they smooth out the skin without doing any major filling. 

How Long Does It Take To See Results?

It usually takes about two weeks for the full effect to take place. Everyone is different, however, and some people may notice it sooner. 

How Long Do Dermal Fillers Last?

Great question! The effects of fillers vary depending on which product you choose, where on the face, and your individual metabolism of the product. For example, filler in your lips will degrade faster than in your cheeks simply because your mouth is always moving (talking, eating, drinking). 

What Special Information Can You Share Regarding Dermal Fillers?

There are a few trends in fillers these days that I would consider to be ‘red flag’ issues. I believe that patients need to be made aware of the potential risks of using these products.

First, if accidentally injected into a blood vessel, you can get a blockage of blood flow called a vascular occlusion. Although this complication can happen to anyone, it is important to choose an injector who has the knowledge and experience to not only try to minimize this risk but to deal with it appropriately should it occur. I would suggest that patients inquire if their injector has a ‘vascular occlusion plan’ and if they carry the medication to reverse this issue on-site or not.

Don’t be afraid to ask your injector their qualifications.

I would recommend only getting Cosmetic injectables done by a properly trained medical professional. This is a medical procedure, and with any medical procedure there is a risk for complications such as infection, vascular occlusion, discoloration, and lumps.

It is important to empower yourself with knowledge!

— Dr. Rassouli, DrRassouli.ca

Thank you Dr. Rassouli! We always love talking to you and we appreciate all of the great information provided today. 

Dr. Rassouli is a head and neck surgeon with specialty fellowship training in Facial Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery. He has lobbied Grey Bruce Health Services to bring in new technologies in order to better serve his patients and he is well respected amongst his colleagues and patients alike.