Dermal fillers (including JUVÉDERM®) are now offered at Advance Dental!
What are dermal fillers?
Dermal fillers (or just “fillers”) used at AdVance Dental are smooth injectable gels made from naturally occurring hyaluronic acid (HA). Fillers add volume to weakened facial features and can stimulate collagen growth. Each type of filler is unique in its own way but similar in two. First, they plump skin and gently lift it to restore collagen loss due to the normal aging process shown in figure 1. Secondly, dermal fillers motivate the body to create its own natural collagen and restore your face to a more youthful appearance.
How do fillers work?
Whereas Botox® is used to treat “dynamic wrinkles” – or wrinkles in the skin that appear or are more visible when underlying muscles are in motion, fillers are products designed to treat “static wrinkles” – wrinkles present when the face is at rest (more about Botox® here). As skin ages, it begins to lose collagen filled with HA. Collagen and HA add structure and volume to the face, therefore a lack of HA causes the skin to sag and wrinkle – that’s where fillers come into play. They are placed under the skin in the layer called the dermis (hence the name dermal fillers) as shown in figure 2.
Filler treatments typically take 20-40 minutes and the amount of dermal filler needed will depend on volume loss and the areas you would like to restore to its natural beauty. You will see results immediately after treatment.
Featured in figure 3 is a picture of one our wonderful hygienists Wendy. Over the past 8 months she has had a few treatments of both Botox® and JUVÉDERM®. Botox® was used to treat the lines on her forehead, in between her nose, and on either side of her eyes. JUVÉDERM® was used to treat the lines on either side of her nose (“smile lines”) as well as the corners of the mouth. Notice how the smile lines in the after picture are less visible, and the corners of the mouth are not as downturned. The combined treatments have reduced the visibility of facial lines, creating a more youthful (yet still natural) appearance.
Are fillers safe?
Fillers approved by the Food and Drug Administration are minimally invasive and very safe. As with any procedure there are possible risks, the most common being post-procedure bruising and swelling which are usually very minimal and resolve quickly. In some rare cases fillers can block a blood vessel, in which case a medication that dissolves the filler (hyaluronidase) can be used to resolve the issue. This can also be used if the filler application is unsatisfactory to the patient for some reason. All potential risks are reviewed before any treatment is performed.
You can read more about JUVÉDERM® here.
Read more about fillers from the American Academy of Facial Esthetics (where I received my training) here.
Check out my blog page for more posts about esthetic services and many other topics.
Check out our YouTube Channel for educational videos about our practice, dentistry, and more!
References:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collagen
- https://www.juvederm.com/volume-loss
- https://www.facialesthetics.org/patient-info/dermal-fillers/