Dermal Fillers
Over seven million injectable treatments are provided in the United States each year. Many women and a growing number of men are intrigued by minimally invasive anti-aging treatments like dermal fillers. However, with such a dizzying array of product choices, where do you begin?
What are dermal fillers?
Dermal fillers are injectable materials that help to delay or minimize fine lines and wrinkles that can give away your age. They have been proven to offer both a safe and cost-effective way to reduce the signs of facial aging.
Most dermal fillers work by increasing facial skin volume, which in turn flatten fine wrinkles. Depending upon the formulation, some dermal fillers can also improve skin hydration for a further anti-wrinkle effect.
Some common ingredients found in dermal fillers include hyaluronic acid, polylactic acid, and hydroxyapatite. Some popular brand names are Juvederm, Restylane, and Sculptra.
What are the benefits of dermal fillers?
One thing that most patients appreciate is the ability of dermal fillers to offer real results that appear soft and natural. Since much of skin aging is due to a loss of skin volume, using dermal fillers feels like turning back time to a more youthful version of yourself, rather than injecting you with exotic ingredients or substances that don't work well with the human body.
Two key advantages of dermal fillers are that complications are rare and minimal. Dermal fillers' effect is temporary and therefore allows the treatment to be adjusted to the individual needs and condition.
How are dermal filler treatments performed?
Dermal fillers are applied through a safe series of injections in areas where the face could benefit from additional skin volume to help reduce lines and wrinkles. Most fillers offer immediate results that may continue to build in the days and weeks after the treatment.
What is hyaluronic acid?
Since hyaluronic acid is probably the most popular ingredient found in dermal fillers, it deserves a separate mention here. You may already hear of hyaluronic acid as an increasingly popular additive to many topical skin care products. In addition to its topical use, it makes an excellent ingredient for injection as a dermal filler due to its superior hydrating properties.
As a natural substance produced by the human body, hyaluronic acid has an excellent safety profile. These injections are simply replacing the hyaluronic acid that you may have lost due to the aging process or environmental impacts.
Hyaluronic acid attracts a considerate amount of water into the skin tissue, and hold many times its weight in water molecules. Think of hyaluronic acid like a sponge within your skin, soaking up moisture to provide a more youthful dewy facial appearance.