Dermal fillers are typically used to reverse visible signs of aging and to improve skin contours/appearance. With dermal fillers, a substance is injected into an area of the face or hands in order to add volume and contours and smooth out the skin. Currently fillers are the most popular non-surgical cosmetic procedure after anti-wrinkle injections.
Dermal fillers achieve the following:
Fill in sunken or hollowed areas
Address facial sagging
Eliminate deepening lines, wrinkles and skin folds
Make hands more supple and smooth
Plump up thin lips
Reshape a nose
Narrow a jawline
One reason for the popularity of fillers is that dermal fillers provide subtle, natural-looking augmentation. Another is that the procedure takes approximately 20 minutes and can produce immediate results that last, depending on the selected filler, from six to twenty-four months. And, while maintenance injections prolong the effects, if maintenance is not feasible, patients appreciate that results disappear slowly over time, which produces a subtle return to the skin’s previous state. Choosing a treatment that is completely reversible provides peace of mind.
For many people, the greatest indicator that it may be time to consider fillers is when they notice their laugh lines deepening or their cheekbones beginning to flatten in their 30s or 40s. But the age that is appropriate for you depends on the issue you’re seeking to address. For example, wrinkles and folds are evidence of aging-related issues that fillers can improve. But what if you want to augment genetic aspects of your appearance, such as thin lips, gaunt cheeks, a crooked or disproportionate nose or a wide jawline? In such instances, patients seek out fillers in their 20s.
It’s important to note that using fillers before the age of 20 is discouraged, in order to allow patients to reach maturity before beginning cosmetic treatment. Also, once patients are in their 50s, fillers are no longer a viable alternative to a face lift surgery, as the skin is typically too lax and lacking in volume. That said, if older clients are realistic about the corrections obtainable through fillers after 50, then fillers remain a viable option for producing results.
If you’re a man reading this post, take heart, in today’s world where men are pressured to look vibrant, more and more male patients are seeking treatment to address a tired, older appearance. If you’re considering fillers, know that you’re part of a quickly growing demographic, and it is quite possible that you will not be the only man in the dermatologist’s waiting room!
In a few instances, derma fillers are not suitable for patients. While fillers are unlikely to cause an allergic reaction, if a candidate could have a reaction to an ingredient in a given filler, than alternative procedures should be considered. Also, people with any of the following medical issues are not viable candidates: bleeding disorders; a propensity to scar; severe allergies, especially anaphylactic shock.
For patients who are candidates, postpone the procedure if you are experiencing inflamed skin, infected skin, pimples, cysts, rashes or hives.
PSF would like to thank Dr Michael Zacharia, ENT and Facial Plastic Surgeon for his input into this blog post.