Our skin changes as we age. It becomes thinner, loses fat, and no longer looks as plump and smooth as it once did. Facial aging begins in your 20s, when skin firmness begins to decrease as a result of both internal (genetics and natural aging) and external (sun exposure, smoking, stress, etc) factors.
.
If you are looking to rejuvenate your appearance and fight the effects of gravity, you may have considered a facelift or dermal fillers. A facelift is performed by a plastic surgeon and is a good option to correct sagging skin. Dermal fillers are gel-like substances that are injected beneath the skin to restore lost volume, smooth lines, and soften creases. Other than possible bruising, there is no down time with dermal fillers.

A facelift, however, is much more invasive, and downtime is expected. Many people are hesitant to go under the knife, which has led to the rise in the popularity of dermal fillers. There are many different types of dermal fillers to be specifically placed on the face. The most common types of FDA-approved fillers are hyaluronic acid (e.g., Juvéderm®, Belotero® or Restylane), collagen, calcium hydroxylapatite (e.g., Radiesse), and PPLA (e.g., Sculptra®).

For younger patients or those looking to avoid going under the knife, dermal fillers can provide a non-surgical solution to many visible signs of aging. The ideal candidate for dermal fillers is someone who is not ready to commit to permanent surgery, someone looking to treat the signs of premature aging or a non-severe issue, someone who is looking for a fast result, or someone who does not like surgery.

Dermal fillers made their first debut in the 1970s with bovine collagen, a collagen derived from cows. The problem with bovine collagen was the high likelihood of sensitivity, resulting in a lot of swelling and inflammation. The industry needed to develop a better product.

Que the production of hyaluronic acid dermal fillers. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance in your skin that helps provide fullness and elasticity. Hyaluronic acid diminishes as we age, causing the skin to lose volume while increasing the chances for wrinkles and folds to appear. In the early 2000s, the FDA cleared hyaluronic acid dermal filler, which ultimately changed the game for fillers. The first hyaluronic acid dermal filler released on the market was Restylane made by Galderma. Shortly after, Allergan quickly released their version of a dermal filler called Juvederm. Since then, competitors have released their versions of hyaluronic acid dermal filler.

The Restylane family of products includes Restylane, Restylane-L, Restylane Lyft with Lidocaine, Restylane Silk, Restylane Kysse, Restylane Refyne, and Restylane Defyne. The Restylane line smooths away facial wrinkles and folds (Restylane, Restylane Lyft, Restylane Refyne, Restylane Defyne), provides subtle lip enhancement (Restylane, Restylane Silk), smooths the lines around the mouth (Restylane Silk), adds lift and volume to the cheeks (Restylane Lyft), and helps reverse the signs of volume loss in the back of the hands (Restylane Lyft).

Restylane Silk, Restylane, and Restylane Lyft use Galderma’s innovative NASHA technology. This gives each product a unique particle size for tailored treatment. Restylane Refyne, Restylane Defyne, and Restylane Kysse are flexible “XpresHan technology” hyaluronic acid gels designed to give you the flexibility to show your natural range of facial expression.

Restylane and Restylane-L are for mid-to-deep injection into the facial tissue for the correction of moderate-to-severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds. Restylane and Restylane-L are also indicated for injection into the lips.

Restylane Lyft with Lidocaine is for deep implantation into the facial tissue for the correction of moderate-to-severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds, and cheek augmentation and the correction of age-related midface contour deficiencies.

Restylane Silk is for lip augmentation and correction of perioral wrinkles.
Restylane Refyne is for mid-to-deep injection into the facial tissue for the correction of moderate-to-severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds.

Restylane Defyne is for mid-to-deep injection into the facial tissue for the correction of moderate-to-severe deep facial wrinkles and folds.

Restylane Kysse is a lip filler that adds volume, smooths upper lip lines for up to one year and enhances lip color. Designed specifically for the movement of lips, Restylane Kysse is made with XpresHAn Technology’s innovative cross-linking gel for precise, natural-looking results.

Juvederm Voluma XC injectable gel is for deep injection in the cheek area to correct age-related volume loss and for augmentation of the chin region to improve the chin profile.

Juvederm Vollure XC, Juvederm Ultra Plus XC, and Juvederm Ultra XC injectable gels are for injection into the facial tissue for the correction of moderate-to-severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds. Juvéderm™ Ultra and Ultra Plus are smooth, malleable gels with a homologous consistency that use a new technology called “Hylacross™ technology”.

They have a high concentration of cross-linked HAs, which accounts for the product’s longevity.

Juvederm Volbella XC injectable gel is for injection into the lips for lip augmentation and correction of perioral lines.

Sculptra Aesthetic is an FDA-approved injectable that helps gradually replace lost collagen. Collagen is the most common protein in the body that is used to form a framework to support cells and tissue. It is indicated for use in people with healthy immune systems as a single regimen for the correction of shallow to deep nasolabial fold contour deficiencies and other facial wrinkles in which a deep dermal grid pattern (cross-hatch) injection technique is appropriate. Sculptra Aesthetic works within your body’s deep dermis to help revitalize collagen production and help restore your skin’s inner structure and volume. Sculptra works gradually after several injection sessions and can last up to 2 years, longer than most injectable treatments. Sculptra can also be placed in marionette lines (a.k.a, “laugh lines”) as well as chin wrinkles.

Radiesse and Radiesse (+) are dermal fillers that are used for smoothing moderate-to-severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds.

Radiesse is a collagen stimulator. It stimulates the body’s process of generating collagen and encourages growth for a more refreshed appearance and blossoming beauty. Radiesse is composed of calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) microspheres suspended in an aqueous gel carrier.

Once injected, it provides immediate volume and correction and continues to work by stimulating the body to produce its own natural collagen for a long-lasting effect.

Over time, the gel is absorbed and the body metabolizes the CaHA microspheres, leaving behind only your own natural collagen. Radiesse has been shown to last at least a year and contributes to increased collagen within the deeper layers of the skin, resulting in long-lasting and natural effects.

Radiesse and Radiesse (+) are dermal fillers that are used for smoothing moderate-to-severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds.

Radiesse is a collagen stimulator. It stimulates the body’s process of generating collagen and encourages growth for a more refreshed appearance and blossoming beauty. Radiesse is composed of calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) microspheres suspended in an aqueous gel carrier.

Once injected, it provides immediate volume and correction and continues to work by stimulating the body to produce its own natural collagen for a long-lasting effect.

Over time, the gel is absorbed and the body metabolizes the CaHA microspheres, leaving behind only your own natural collagen. Radiesse has been shown to last at least a year and contributes to increased collagen within the deeper layers of the skin, resulting in long-lasting and natural effects.