Fillers

Injectable Fillers Restore the Volume of Youth: Get A Lift Without Surgery

As we age, our faces begin to show the effects of gravity, sun exposure and years of facial muscle movement, such as smiling, chewing and squinting. The underlying tissues that keep our skin looking youthful and plumped up begin to break down, often leaving laugh lines, smile lines, crow's feet or facial creases over the areas where this muscle movement occurs. A youthful face has a smooth full appearance. As we age, we lose volume, which gives a sagging and/or wrinkled appearance. Restoring the volume of youth is one of the main benefits of injectable fillers.

Injectable fillers have added new dimensions to the field of cosmetic medicine, allowing new forms of facial rejuvenation and wrinkle treatment without surgery. Injectable skin and wrinkle fillers are used to increase tissue volume (as with lip augmentation), reduce wrinkles, and improve skin's overall contour. Soft–tissue fillers can help fill in these lines and creases, temporarily restoring a smoother, more youthful–looking appearance. There are numerous applications for fillers that create a subtle, beautiful and natural appearance. Fillers can be used for anything from smoothing out a little wrinkle to evening out a deep furrow.

Injectable fillers can correct hollowness under the eyes, add fullness to thin lips, or balance a disproportionate face. They can be used to restore fullness that is naturally lost as fat diminishes from the face with aging, or can be used to create stronger features such as prominent cheekbones or a more angled jaw line. Injectable fillers provide immediate results with no need for allergy testing and last from 3 months to 2 years depending on which filler is used. Injectable fillers may be used alone, or in conjunction with Botox Cosmetic, laser, light and resurfacing procedures, for a total "no down–time" rejuvenation.

What Are The Available Cosmetic Fillers?

Over the years a variety of filler agents have been successfully used. Each filler is a different material and the duration of filling may vary between the different substances.

Radiesse®

Radiesse is the newest non–surgical facial contouring filler that delivers immediate, long lasting results. Now you can sculpt cheekbones, the nose, and chin and anywhere you need enhancement. It also works as a dermal filler to fill in deeper lines and ridges, and generates new collagen to add volume to the treated area. Safe and effective, it requires no skin testing and the risk of an allergic reaction is virtually eliminated.

Radiesse™ is made of very small biocompatible smooth calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) microspheres, the same calcium minerals that form bones and teeth, which are suspended in a water–based gel carrier. The microspheres (particles) form a scaffold through which your body's own collagen grows, and this produces the desired long–term effect, lasting 1–2 years. These unique advantages make Radiesse the ideal choice.

Juvéderm™

Juvéderm™ restores volume and fullness to the skin while simultaneously softening wrinkles. Juvéderm™ gives a smooth, long–lasting correction with two formulations available, Juvederm Ultra and Ultra Plus, and provides immediate dramatic results. This allows Susan Stevens Tanne, M.D. to provide a personalized approach to help patients maintain their youthful appearance.

Juvéderm™ fills in moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds and achieves a smooth and natural look. It corrects and adds volume to the nasolabial folds (the folds running from the sides of the nose to the outer corners of the mouth), the hollows under the eyes and the creases between the brows.

Juvéderm™ is a perfect choice for restoring volume and fullness to lips that have receded, enhancing their shape and giving a beautiful, natural–looking, more sensuous look. The key component in Juvéderm™, hyaluronic acid, is a naturally occurring, biodegradable complex sugar found in the human body and in all living animals. Among other things, hyaluronic acid hydrates the skin and adds volume, contributing to the overall appearance of the skin.

Juvederm™ is safe for all skin types and colors, and requires no allergy testing. A single treatment of Juvéderm™, in the majority of patients, can last six months or longer. Juvederm™ treatment is one of the most exciting procedures available for patients looking to maintain their youthful appearance.

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ArteFill®

At Cosmetic Laser MD we are excited to now offer ArteFill, the first and only FDA–approved long–lasting wrinkle filler for the correction of smile lines. ArteFill gives immediate, visible results with no downtime, and lasts up to five years.

If you have previously used temporary dermal fillers such as Restylane, Juvederm, Radiesse, and Sculptra, then you know they are eventually absorbed by the body and require frequent repeat injections to maintain correction. With Artefill you can now get the lasting wrinkle correction you want in just one or two treatments. The unique microspheres in ArteFill are not absorbed by the body and provide the permanent support your skin needs for long–lasting wrinkle correction.

Elevess®

Over time, wrinkles and folds caused by the gradual loss of collagen and elastin keep you from looking as good as you feel. And while we use many wrinkle fillers at Cosmetic Laser MD to help restore the smoothness of your skin, Elevess is formulated to be the wrinkle filler you can truly feel good about. Elevess is an FDA–approved, hyaluronic acid–based wrinkle filler that provides a comfortable, affordable way to fill out facial wrinkles, such as smile lines. With Elevess, you can get back the smoother, younger–looking skin that makes you feel good again.

Does treatment with injectable cosmetic fillers hurt?

Dr. Tanne makes every effort to provide a pain free experience for her patients. To achieve this she uses topical numbing cream to anesthetize the skin. Often local anesthetic and/or a painless dental (nerve) block is also used to fully numb the area being treated. This is especially important when lip augmentation is being done, and allows her patients to comfortably watch as immediate, beautiful results are obtained.

What kind of reactions can occur after cosmetic filler injections?

Reactions to filler agents are rare and generally resolve with time. Some common injection–related reactions might occur, such as swelling, redness, pain, itching, discoloration and tenderness at the implant site. They typically resolve spontaneously within several days after injection into the skin.

What can I do to optimize cosmetic fillers results?

Filler agents are ideally combined with BOTOX® injections that are used for wrinkles caused by too much muscle tone. Wrinkles such as frown lines, crow's feet, marionette lines and vertical lip lines are better treated with BOTOX® than a filler agent. BOTOX® injections are also use to provide a "chemical" brow lift, causing the brow to arch and raise up, giving a more open look to the eye. Ideally anti–aging skin treatments will include not only filler agents and BOTOX® , but also skin rejuvenation treatments and the various non–surgical resurfacing, skin tightening and laser treatments available in our office.

Will there be any downtime?

No, there is no downtime. You may immediately return to your daily routine. Some common injection–related reactions might occur, such as swelling, redness, pain, itching, discoloration and tenderness at the implant site. They typically resolve spontaneously within several days after injection into the skin.

Who should avoid treatment?

Do not use injectable fillers if you have an infection at the site where they will be injected. Avoid Botox® if you are allergic to any of its ingredients or are pregnant. Some conditions may increase the chance of infection, so Dr. Tanne should be advised before pursuing treatment if you have a serious medical condition, are breastfeeding or plan to become pregnant.

Instructions for before treatment

Tell Dr. Tanne about any allergies you have, any serious medical conditions and all medications you are taking, both prescription and non–prescription. To reduce bruising, avoid anticoagulants, aspirin and other blood thinners for a week before treatment.