The Filler Fixation: Enhancing Facial Features & Restoring Youthfulness
Aging is inevitable — and when our age starts to manifest itself physically, the first signs are typically in the face. Consequently, it should be no surprise that in 2020, facial injections continued to be the most popular minimally invasive procedures on the market. Dermal fillers in particular are helpful for enhancing and plumping areas of the face that have lost volume over time, whether it be flattened cheeks, sunken under eyes, recessed scars, or contour deformities.
Younger people, particularly young women, turn to dermal fillers to plump their lips or cheekbones. While some patients who come into our practice are worried they’ll walk out of their filler appointment looking like a botched Kylie Jenner, they’re often shocked at how subtle, yet transformative, their final results turn out to be. Young or old, new or experienced, the common denominator is that these patients leave our aesthetic center with a reinvigorated sense of self-confidence and truly feel like themselves again.
What An Appointment Will Look Like
First timers tend to come to our aesthetic center when they’ve begun to notice volume depletion in their face, which can start as early as the 30s. Bone resorption, fat loss, and gravity are all contributing factors in this process. It might surprise you to learn that filler appointments are relatively fast! A first-time filler patient can be in and out of our office within an hour; this includes a consultation and discussion with our professional injector, an allotted 20 to 30 minutes for numbing the area, and the injections themselves, which can take anywhere between three and 20 minutes depending on the number of syringes and areas treated.
A new filler patient will be given what we call the “sushi menu,” a handout with photos and descriptions to help them better identify their concerns. These concerns can range from thin lips to flattened cheeks to frown lines, amongst other dislikes. Once the patient has pinpointed their goals, our injector will analyze these choices from a neutral perspective, being sure to first address these concerns but also identify anything else that catches her eye. This way, she and the patient are on the same page when it comes time to inject the filler.
The Fillers We Use
Our aesthetic center utilizes hyaluronic acid fillers in order to best mimic the natural HA found in our skin when revitalizing areas that have lost volume over time. This allows for natural, long-lasting results. Of these dermal filler options are the JUVÉDERM® Collection, RHA® Collection, and some members of the Restylane® family.
What we love most about HA fillers is that their results are easily reversible. Especially for first-time injectable patients, this is a crucial factor to consider in choosing a practice and the fillers it offers. While very uncommon, adverse effects can occur from dermal injections — as with any other treatment. Moreover, a patient who desires a lip augmentation may decide after being injected that they don’t like the appearance of larger lips on their face. Whatever it may be, the HA fillers we use at our practice allow for the peace of mind that any potential risks are covered and treatable.
What’s Going To Happen After I’m Injected?
Any time the skin is penetrated with a needle, there is an opportunity for a bruise. While it’s impossible to guarantee that this won’t happen, there are a few things that we can do prior to the appointment to help prevent a bruise. One helpful tip we recommend to our patients is to take Arnica before their appointment. We also recommend avoiding NSAIDs, caffeine, alcohol, and other blood thinners to reduce the risk of bruising. If you do bruise, a cold compress is helpful, which we offer immediately following the injections. Some swelling will also be present after the appointment. Perhaps the most notable area for swelling is the lips. This is unavoidable and every patient will have some degree of temporary swelling post lip injections. Luckily this sensation lasts, on average, only three to four days after being injected, with some patients saying their lips appear as they should in as little as two days. Pro tip: do not get lip injections in the days leading up to a party, vacation, or date! That is unless you love the swollen look, which some of us do. 😉
Your filler is indicated to last up to a full year. After that point, the HA begins to break down and wear off, with younger, more active patients’ filler tending to break down slightly faster. Injections in the cheeks, tear troughs and under-eye area will last the longest, while fillers around the mouth dissolve more quickly over time from the high level of movement that occurs in the area. Rest assured, these fillers are guaranteed to give the injectee long-lasting, satisfactory results that are visible throughout this period of time.
Restoration & Reinvigoration
The top comment we hear from patients looking to dermal fillers is that they simply want to look and feel young again. While we can’t turn back the clock, our dermal fillers are an effective option for revolumizing features of the face that have diminished over time, bringing people of all backgrounds back to a version of themselves they never thought they’d see again. Especially in the last year, the isolating nature of the pandemic has given us almost too much time to fixate on ourselves — and not in a positive way. Our ultimate goal through dermal fillers is to hear from every patient that they feel like themselves again, the same self they know and love.