Dermal Fillers
Dermal fillers offer a wide variety of opportunities to help you achieve the youthful look you desire. These injectables are safe and approved by the FDA, giving your skin a smoother, more plump appearance and reducing fine lines and wrinkles. With all the different fillers to choose from, and new advanced fillers being added all the time, it can be overwhelming to keep them all straight. I have provided an easy way to navigate through many of the more popular dermal fillers available in the United States. I have categorized them according to the manufacturers with a brief description to follow. To learn more about any of the fillers, simply click on the name and it will take you to a page with more detailed description of that filler.
ALLERGAN
All of Allergan’s dermal fillers are made from hyaluronic acid (HA) but use different technology to provide fillers for different use. They all have lidocaine added to additional comfort.
Juvederm Ultra and Ultra Plus were the first of the Juvederm family of fillers. They are ideal for someone looking for mild correction of wrinkles and folds. They are also a nice choice for the lips in a patient who is looking for smoothness with a touch of volume as well. The difference between the two fillers is the that Juvederm Ultra will last 4-6 months while Juvederm Ultra Plus will last 6-12 months.
Volbella is a filler specifically designed to correct lip wrinkles without adding additional volume to the lips. It is ideal for the patient who is looking to restore the shape and form of their lips that they once had without adding to much fullness. Lips look smoother and wrinkle free after the treatment, which can last as long as a year.
Voluma is the first dermal filler FDA approved to treat the volume loss that occurs in the cheek and cheekbone area. The patented “Vycorss Technology” provides a beautiful lifting effect with a duration of up to eighteen months.
Vollure is a newer addition to the Juvederm family of fillers specifically designed to address the nasolabial folds. This Vycross technology blends different molecular weights of hyaluronic hyaluronic acid (HA) that contributes to its increased flexibility and it’s eighteen-month duration.
GALDERMA
Most of Galderma’s dermal fillers are made from hyaluronic acid (HA) and are known as the Restylane family of fillers. They consist of different fillers types to be used in different areas of the face. All of the fillers have lidocaine added for injection comfort. However, Restylane is also available without lidocaine for those who have lidocaine sensitivities. In addition, Gladerma makes the filler called Sculptra Aesthetics which is described below the Restylane products.
Restylane- L is one of the original dermal fillers on the US market and has been used for decades to correct the nasolabial folds (smile lines between nose and mouth). It can also be injected in the lips, cheeks, jawline or anywhere on the face to add volume.
Restylane Silk was part of the next generation of fillers added to the list of the Restylane family of dermal fillers. Restylane Silk differs from the traditional Restylane by consisting of smaller particle size making it a smoother filler, ideal to inject in areas where a smooth filler would be needed. It is FDA approved for injection in the lips but can also be used for fine lines anywhere including plumping the lips or decreasing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth and other parts of the face.
Restylane Lyft, formerly known as Perlane-L, is a dermal filler approved for cheek augmentation to correct midface contour deficiencies. It is a filler known for its stronger support based upon the larger hyaluronic particle size. It too can be used for treating moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds such as the nasolabial folds (smile lines). The treatment lasts longer than many other fillers and patients may still see results at 18 months after the initial procedure.
Restylane Refyne is part of the newest generation of Gladerma’s family of Restylane products. It is designed with “XpresHAn Technology”. This technology allows for the crosslinking of the molecules to have more flexibility and hence a filler that allows for more movement. It maintains the natural movement in areas where the is increased expression. Restylane Refyne is made for areas of finer lines, where Restylane Defyne (see below) provides the same movement but for deeper lines and folds. Restylane Refyne can help smooth out wrinkles in a natural looking way and the treatment lasts between 9-12 months.
Restylane Defyne is similar to Restylane Refyne using “XpresHAn Technology” described above. However, it is ideal for moderate to severe deep folds and wrinkles. It works to reduce the appearance of your most prominent facial lines while giving you a fresh and natural looking appearance that moves with your facial expressions, with long lasting results from 9-12 months.
Sculptra Aesthetics is made of injectable poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) microparticles, which is a powerful collagen stimulator. Sculptra is mixed with sterile water and lidocaine and injected within the deep dermis, hence the name “liquid face lift”. Over time, the small PLLA microparticles are absorbed and what remains is your own rebuilt collagen strains which gradually help restore facial volume. Multiple treatments are needed over several months for optimum results which, once achieved, can last two years. Sculptra can be used in conjunction with the HA fillers since there are some areas that Sculptra should not be injected in. In some cases, Sculptra and HA fillers are layered in an area for optimal immediate and long-lasting results.
MERZ AESTHETICS
MERZ AESTHETICS currently has two types of dermal fillers on the U.S. market. One is a hyaluronic acid called Belotero Balance, and the other, Radiesse, falls into a different category which is described below.
Belotero Balance, more commonly referred to as just Belotero, contains proprietary technology that works to soften some of the most problematic fine lines on the upper surface of your skin. This technology allows for a very smooth filler which is ideal for correcting the fine lines in the glabellar area between your brows, crow’s feet, wrinkles above the upper lip and philtrum, and fine wrinkles on the cheeks and mouth area. Belotero results last between 6-9 months.
Radiesse is comprised of microscopic calcium particles, called Calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) microspheres suspended in a gel carrier. Radesees provides immediate volume after it is injected but the best part is that it will also stimulate your body to produce its own natural collagen. The product will last about a year or more but after your body metabolizes the CaHA spheres, you will have new natural collagen to keep your results lasting longer. Radiesse comes in two forms Radiesse and Radiesse (+) the difference being that Radiesse (+) has lidocaine added for additional comfort.
To learn more about how dermal fillers can help you achieve your aesthetic goals and which dermal filler is right for you, contact the Elizabeth Roche Med Spa for a consultation.