Fillers

Fillers are popular for several reasons. Patients like that they can return to everyday activities immediately after getting most fillers. They like the immediate results that many types of fillers deliver. Patients also like that they can get this treatment during an office visit. Some fillers require a few office visits.
Uses : With a number of fillers now available, dermatologists can diminish signs of aging that appear on the face, lips, and hands. Fillers can effectively:

Restore fullness to cheeks, hollow areas under the eyes, and deep creases.
Diminish scars.
Erase fine lines.
Plump lips.
Lift the brow or a down-turned mouth.
Rejuvenate hands.

1. Dermal Fillers

Dermal fillers help to diminish facial lines and restore volume and fullness in the face.
As we age, our faces naturally lose subcutaneous fat. The facial muscles are then working closer to the skin surface, so smile lines and crow's feet become more apparent.
The facial skin also stretches a bit, adding to this loss of facial volume. Other factors that affect the facial skin include sun exposure, heredity and lifestyle.

What Dermal Fillers Can Do

Plump thin lips
Enhance shallow contours
Soften facial creases and wrinkles
Improve the appearance of recessed scars
Reconstruct contour deformities in the face
Decrease or remove the shadow of the lower lids

Dermal fillers can be very helpful in those with early signs of aging, or as a value-added part of facial rejuvenation surgery.

What Dermal Fillers Can't do

For some patients, surgery such as a facelift, brow lift or eye lift may be the best approach. Minimally invasive rejuvenation treatments, such as soft tissue fillers, cannot achieve the same results, but may help delay the time when consideration of a facelift becomes appropriate. It is important to remember that dermal fillers are temporary treatments for facial aging and that ongoing treatments will be needed for long-term results.

2. Facial Fillers

Facial fillers are products such as collagen, hyaluronic acid and calcium hydroxyl apatite that rejuvenate facial skin by reducing or eliminating wrinkles, raising scar depressions, enhancing lips and replacing soft-tissue volume loss through facial injections. With age, our skin becomes more susceptible to wrinkles and sagging. Exposure to sun and years of muscle movement ( squinting, chewing, smiling ) contribute to tissue breakdown of the skin.
Facial fillers are temporary to long-lasting solutions administered through a few tiny facial injections on specific areas of the face. Various types of facial fillers are available; each is designed with one or several purposes, such as wrinkle reduction and lip augmentation. A qualified dental or medical professional can help you determine which facial injections and what injectable fillers treatments are right for you. Facial fillers will volumize creases and folds in the face in areas that have lost fat and collagen as we age. Hyaluronic acid is the natural filler substance in your body. The face starts to lack volume and appears aged with deeper nasolabial folds, unaesthetic marionette lines, a deeper mentalis fold, the lips start to thin, and turning down the corners of the lips. Hyaluronic acid fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm are then injected extraorally right underneath these folds to replace the volume lost which creates a younger look in the face. Dermal fillers can be used for high lip line cases, asymmetrical lips around the mouth, lip augmentation, and completing cosmetic dentistry cases by creating a beautiful, young-looking frame around the teeth.

Here are some more well known of the best dermal fillers :

Juvederm Facial Filler : Made of a hyaluronic acid gel, Juvederm is a naturally-occurring substance in the skin that contributes to volume and hydration. Juvederm is designed to temporarily correct moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds. Juvederm is made by Allergan, the same makers of Botox.
Restylane Facial Filler : A non-animal, biodegradable gel composed of hyaluronic acid, Restylane is a soft tissue dermal filler that adds volume to the skin through tiny injections; smoothing facial folds and wrinkles in areas around the mouth and eyes.

In addition there are some lesser known dermal fillers :

Collagen (Zyplast/ Zyderm) : A soft-tissue dermal filler made from purified cow skin used to fill wrinkles, lines, and scars on the face. Collagen is a naturally-occurring protein that supports various parts of the body, including skin, tendons, and ligaments; it will eventually absorb into the body.
Sculptra : An injectable made of synthetic polylactic acid contained in microspheres, Sculptra is the first FDA-approved injectable for the restoration of lost facial volume (correction of lipoatrophy) in people with HIV infection.
Captique : Utilized for filling moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds around the nose and mouth, is a soft tissue filler that adds volume to certain areas of the face; derived from non-animal-based hyaluronic acid.
Hylaform : Fills moderate to severe wrinkles around the nose and mouth, Hylaform ® is a dermal filler that has been chemically modified from hyaluronic acid; designed to temporarily smooth the surface the skin.
Radiesse : A synthetic dermal filler made of calcium hydroxyapatite is utilized for the correction of moderate to severe wrinkles and folds. This injectable is a longer-lasting filler because the body forms collagen around the microspheres; adding bulk to the injected areas.

Length of a Dermal Filler Injections and Side Effects

The average length of filler injections is about 10 to 20 minutes per session, depending on the individual and the amount of areas being treated. Some of the most common side effects include: allergic reaction, bruising at injection site, numbness, and temporary redness, swelling, pain/tenderness, or discoloration. Dermal filler injections require very minimal downtime, allowing patients to return to work and their normal activities directly following treatment. Yet for the first 24 hours, individuals may be instructed to refrain from strenuous activities and excessive sun or heat exposure. Some of the risks of facial injections are lumps (granulomas/nodules) which are a potential risks associated with Radiesse®, Sculptra, Juvederm®, and ArteColl.

Results of Injectable Fillers

In general, the results from most injectable fillers are temporary; commonly lasting from a few months to about a year. This depends on the type of facial fillers or filler injections used. For optimal results, additional treatment sessions are encouraged. A facial filler or injectable fillers treatment entails a series of tiny injections under the skin’s surface – at the subdermal-dermal levels. The amount administered depends on the depth and size of the skin defect or wrinkle. With the evolution of facial fillers and injectable filler it would be great resource to add to your dental or medical practice.
The American Academy of Facial Esthetics (AAFE) is the industry leader in providing the most updated and comprehensive training in all facial esthetic fields. Are Courses are authorized Allergan training courses. We offer two full days of live hand on patient training to teach proper procedures and technique with regards to Botox® and facial fillers. For more information about our courses check out our Botox and Dermal Fillers Training page.

3. Hyaluronic Acid Wrinkle Fillers

The most popular category of wrinkle fillers is hyaluronic acid. Each type works in a slightly different way with varying results.
Side effects are rare but can include redness, swelling, and bruising at the injection site. The filler may also show up under the skin as tiny bumps. This is a problem that often improves over time.