Filling the Need — Our Facial Injectables
While many have tried to outsmart time, it wins without exception. And your skin is on the front line of that battle with time and the inherent factors of aging, taking casualties every day!
New weapons in the fight hit the market every day in the form of new facial injectables. Whether muscle relaxers like Botox or hyaluric acid fillers like Juvederm, there are many to choose from, with more coming out all the time. Our patients can be confused by some of the names and what they do. While everyone on the planet (except maybe someone living in the wilds of New Guinea) has heard of Botox, other injectables aren’t as famous.
Different ways of doing it
Every injectable has the same goal, to turn back the clock on facial aging. But they do it in different ways. Botox is a neuromodulator. Certain wrinkles are the result of muscle contractions under the skin when we do things like frown or squint. This type of wrinkle is called a dynamic wrinkle. When Botox is injected into the muscle it causes the muscle to relax and not contract for a period of four to six months. By stopping their contractions, the wrinkles they form also go away.
Dermal fillers are the other kind of injectable, but, as their name implies, they fill in the crease or wrinkle and plump the skin. Some also encourage the production of new collagen in the area. Fillers are injected beneath the wrinkle and basically push the skin back up, erasing the wrinkle. They treat the other kind of wrinkles, static wrinkles; these wrinkles show themselves at all times.
The five fillers we use
Here are the five popular fillers used at the Herte Center and their characteristics.
Restylane® — Restylane is made from hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance in the body that is responsible for plumping the skin. Hyaluronic acid plumps the skin by binding with water molecules beneath the skin surface. This makes the surface skin smoother. Restylane is very effective at improving wrinkles and creases around the mouth and lips, as well as those under the eyes. It is best on areas with thinner skin.
Juvederm® — Juvederm is also a hyaluronic acid-based filler. Juvederm restores volume and addresses deeper wrinkles, especially those around the mouth and nose and on the forehead. There are three types of Juvederm: Juvederm XC, Juvederm Voluma XC, and Juvederm Ultra Plus. Each has different characteristics that target different issues such as volume vs. wrinkles.
Perlane® — This hyaluronic acid-based filler is made by the same company as Restylane, but its consistency is much thicker, making it best for improving large nasolabial folds and worry lines on the forehead. Perlane, due to its thicker consistency, needs to be injected in areas where there is underlying fat to hide it.
Radiesse® — Radiesse is different. It’s made up of a water-based gel with calcium hydroxylapatites microspheres. It fills wrinkles two ways. It fills in the volume-deficient area with the gel like a cosmetic filler. Then, as the body absorbs the filler, the microspheres stimulate collage production at the treatment site. Radiesse can improve moderate to severe facial folds, creases, and wrinkles. It can also be used to augment the nose, chin, and cheeks.
Sculptra® — Sculptra is one of the longest-lasting fillers, providing results for up to two years. Sculptra is made from poly-L-lactic acid, which encourages the body to produce new collagen. Collagen is the skin’s basic support structure, making it firm and taut, and it decreases with age. Since Sculptra encourages new collagen production, its results are more gradual. Sculptra is effective for nasolabial lines, marionette lines, and lines on the forehead.
Now that you know what we offer at the Herte Center, call us at 702-732-9600 and let’s talk about which filler may be right for you.