How Do Dermal Fillers Work?
About 3.4 million filler treatments were performed last year in the United States, making it the second most popular minimally invasive cosmetic procedure overall, with Botox® taking the top spot. There are plenty of reasons why dermal fillers are so popular: Treatment is quick, there’s no downtime, and the results are beautifully natural and completely customizable.
Dermal fillers have lots of applications, from smoothing wrinkles to diminishing the appearance of scars to restoring lost volume. Rodrigo Belalcazar, MD, and the team at Advanced Eye Center in Hialeah, Florida, offer dermal filler treatments for their patients using a patient-centered, custom approach for the best results.
Here’s how cosmetic fillers work, and how they can help you look and feel great.
The ABCs of dermal fillers
Dermal fillers are a safe, time-tested option for correcting an array of cosmetic imperfections, such as the following:
- Lines and wrinkles in the midface area
- Loss of facial volume
- Enhancing lip plumpness
- Restoring cheek volume
- Diminishing “hollows” under the eyes
- Smoothing wrinkles around the nose, mouth, and chin
- Diminishing the appearance of scars, including acne scars
- Gently lifting sagging skin in the lower face
Although different filler products have varying formulas, they all have the same goal: to plump up skin and restore firmness.
Most fillers use hyaluronic acid, a substance that occurs naturally in the body. Hyaluronic acid works to restore volume and “fill in” scars and wrinkles, plus it helps attract moisture naturally to prolong those results. Hyaluronic acid-based fillers can be used in just about every area of your face, including your lips.
Some of the other types of fillers are those that consist of collagen or synthetic, biocompatible materials, which can treat very deep creases. The filler type we recommend will depend on your goals, your facial structure, and other factors.
What to expect during treatment
Prior to treatment, our team will evaluate your skin and review your treatment goals. Next, we’ll work with you to select the right filler and develop an optimized treatment plan.
Immediately prior to your treatment, we’ll gently cleanse your skin in the injection site areas and apply a topical numbing cream to keep you comfortable. The number of injections you need will depend on the size of the area you’re having treated. Multiple areas can be treated in one session.
After treatment, you’ll probably have some local tenderness and mild swelling, just as you can have with any type of injection. These effects should diminish fairly quickly, and you’ll be able to see your initial results once the swelling goes away. There’s no downtime, so you can resume your regular activities right after your treatment.
Filler injections can also stimulate natural collagen production to help prolong your results and give your skin natural fullness and tone. Hyaluronic acid fillers typically last for about 6-18 months, while some other fillers can last longer.
More than a cosmetic treatment
Fillers can definitely enhance facial aesthetics, but there are noncosmetic benefits, too. By restoring firmer, smoother skin, adding plumpness and volume, and hiding scars and other imperfections, fillers can dramatically boost your self-confidence. Plus, our custom approach means your results will be beautifully natural and based specifically on your goals.
Cosmetic fillers help millions of Americans enhance their aesthetics and their confidence every year. To learn how fillers can help you achieve your goals, book an appointment online or over the phone with Advanced Eye Center today.