Dermal fillers play a major role in rejuvenating and revolutionising the face without having to go under the knife. A dermal filler is a specific type of product injected into the second layer of the skin (dermis) and helps to add volume and smooth out deep facial wrinkles and folds. When dermal fillers appeared on the market, they came in the form of collagen which gives our skin its volume, elasticity and strength.
NON-PERMANENT
Non-permanent dermal fillers would have to be the most popular form on the market today. It use a common ingredient known as hyaluronic acid (HA). HA is a naturally occurring substance in our body and it gives excellent natural results. HA works by drawing moisture into itself, giving it the ability to revolumise most areas of the face and even some areas of the body.
The most common and well known products on the market today are Juvederm and Restylane. Both are made from HA but in their own unique way, which does give them some differences. Restylane tends to be a much firmer product and comes in six different preparations:
1. Vital - The thinnest of all Restylane products, designed for ultra-thin lines and large area rejuvenations on the body and face.
2. Restylane Touch - Designed for fine lines around the face and body.
3. Restylane Regular - This is the original restylane formula and most widely known. It is thicker than Vital and Touch and quite versatile.
4. Pearlane - Again, thicker than Restylane Regular, used where more volume is required. It tends to be a firmer product that can be used in the lips, smile lines around the mouth and even in the cheeks.
5. SubQ - It is the thickest form of restylane and called SubQ because it is predominantly injected intraorally (from inside the mouth) into the subcutaneous layers of the skin.
6. Macrolane - This is an extremely exciting product made by Q-Med, the company that manufactures and sells Restylane. Macrolane is thicker than subQ and predominantly used as an injectable form of breast augmentation.
Juvederm comes in two preparations:
1. juvederm Ultra - This is an extremely versatile product, rivalling Restalyne Regular, and is typically used for reshaping the lips, reducing lines around the mouth and could be used in cheeks for small, subtle adjustments.
2. Juvederm Ultra Plus - This is the thicker version of the two products, and is mainly used for deeper lines and reshaping the cheek area of the face and deeper lines or folds.
3. Juvederm With Local - Both Juvederm preparations now come with local anaesthetic built in. Due to the almost instantaneous effect from the local anaesthetic,Juvederm can now be injected without the need for nerve blocks and topical anaesthetic creams.
PERMANENT
although called permanent fillers, the name is a little misleading. The products we have on the Australian market will last anywhere from two to 10 years, depending on the type of product, the individual anatomy of the patient receiving the treatment, and where it’s injected. As with non-permanent fillers, permanent fillers will be gradually broken down by the body over time, the difference being the extended life of these products.
The advantages that permanent fillers have are obviously the longevity of the product and its cost-effectiveness.
WHERE IT BE CAN APPLIED
dermal fillers are highly versatile, and there are numerous locations around the body where they can be applied. Keep in mind that the thickness of the filler selected, and the volume injected will vary on a case-by-case basis. The most common locations are:
- The lips
- The chin and corners of the mouth
- The cheeks
- The smile lines around the mouth
- Under and around the eyes
- The hands
- Various fine lines around the face