The Bad News: We all age and as we age, our skin loses its youthful appearance. Our natural support structures (bones, fat, collagen and hyaluronic acid in the skin) diminish leaving lines and wrinkles behind.

The Good News: Facial fillers are now used routinely to replace the volume lost with aging! With so many products available there truly is something for everyone.

Hyaluronic Acid Fillers:

Restylane, Perlane, Juvederm and Belotero

Various types of fillers have been FDA approved over the years. We have about 8 fillers approved for use in the U.S.; The Europeans can choose from over 160! Most dermal fillers contain hyaluronic acid (HA). This is a major component natural to your skin. HA’s are designed to integrate into your skin. When this filler is placed into the skin, it adds volume and “fills “the line or wrinkle.

Fillers for Under Eye Wrinkles

Hyaluronic acid fillers are great for treating tear troughs> (the hollows that occurs under the eye). Restylane is my favorite HA for tear troughs. Restylane fills this depression and eliminates shadows leaving a smooth appearance to the under-eye area. Results are immediate and correction is typically maintained for over 2 years.

Improve Lip Volume with Restylane or Juvederm

HA’s are also used to add volume and definition to lips. As we age, our lips become flatter and thinner. Lip augmentation improves lip shape and proportion and can help re-balance lip asymmetry. Both Restylane and Juvederm do a good job and results last for 9 to 12 months.

Remove Fine Lines and Treating Nasolabial Folds

For fine skin lines, I like to use Belotero. It is very soft, pliable and integrates naturally into the skin. It can be placed just underneath the lines without the risk of the bluish discoloration (Tyndall Effect) that may occur when other HA’s are placed so superficially.

The folds seen from the nose to the mouth (nasolabial folds) are common and a distress to many people. They are often the result of cheek volume loss leading to flattened cheeks. Nasolabial folds are the symptom – not the problem. The proper treatment is not filling in the folds (as most patients think) but restoring volume to front and side of the cheek. Volume placement here lifts the cheek and the fold is self-corrected.

Cheek Augmentation Requires Volumizing Fillers

The volumizing fillers Radiesse (Calcium hydroxyapatite) and Sculptra (Poly L lactic acid) are used to treat deflation in the temples, cheeks, chin and jawline. The newest volumizing filler, Juvederm Voluma (a heavy-duty hyaluronic acid), was FDA approved in October 2013 and is indicated for midface (cheek) correction.

Over the past 6 years, I have been using Radiesse for cheek augmentation and patients have been satisfied with beautiful, natural results. This calcium based gel has incredible lifting capacity, acts as a scaffold under the skin and has some collagen stimulating properties. Both Radiesse and Juvederm Voluma yield immediate results and therefore, immediate gratification!

Sculptra is a unique filler. It is termed bio-stimulatory because it so powerfully stimulates collagen production. It is this new collagen that is responsible for volumizing or restoring lost facial fullness. Several treatment sessions (spaced 6 weeks apart) are required and the results are gradual however results last for 25 months or longer and the fill is ‘organic’: the restored volume is your own collagen! I normally use Sculptra for full facial volumization. The end result is the natural-looking, full, smoothly contoured face of youth.

A good, experienced injector can provide natural and subtle results with dermal fillers. If you have some of the issues described above, maybe now is the time to replace what’s missing…You’ll know you had something done; everyone else will only recognize the results!