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Dermal Fillers
While cosmetic surgery can provide beautiful and long-lasting results, dermal fillers offer a highly effective non-surgical treatment to achieve natural-looking facial rejuvenation. As facial skin becomes more lax with the natural aging process, facial lines and creases often appear more pronounced while certain facial features can experience volume deficits. Dermal fillers can be an ideal solution to improve these concerns by smoothing wrinkles and deep creases, as well as enhancing fullness in the lips, cheeks, and temples. As a popular injectable treatment that does not require anesthesia, surgery, or downtime, dermal fillers have helped countless patients refresh their appearance and restore youthful volume to their facial features.
There are a number of dermal fillers with advanced formulations designed to address a patient’s varying areas of concern. Dr. Ali Sepehr, our board-certified facial plastic surgeon, offers several state-of-the-art options at our Newport Beach practice and can help you determine which filler is the best treatment to fulfill your aesthetic goals.
What are Dermal Fillers?
Dermal fillers are volume-enhancing products that are injected in sunken, flat, or depressed areas of the face to replace subcutaneous fat lost from the aging process. This subtle augmentation can provide volume-depleted facial features with a more youthful contour. While there are several types of dermal fillers that have similar goals, the fillers at OC Facial Plastic Surgery are made of hyaluronic acid (HA), molecules which have moisture-retaining properties and are naturally produced by the body. High levels of hyaluronic acid are key to retaining smooth, plump, and soft skin; unfortunately, levels of HA tend to diminish as individuals grow older. Dermal fillers offer a simple and effective treatment to replenish the body’s HA levels and keep the skin looking healthy and hydrated.
What are My Dermal Filler Options?
JUVÉDERM® ULTRA XC
JUVÉDERM® is a widely used family of dermal fillers composed of hyaluronic acid, a naturally-occurring substance in the body that can help the skin retain its youthful properties. For patients concerned with volume loss in the lips, JUVÉDERM ULTRA® XC can be very effective in treating lips that appear small or narrow, or that have developed lines and wrinkles over time. With its smooth-consistency gel, JUVÉDERM® XC can improve lip volume for results that have lasted three to nine months in many cases.
Learn more about JUVÉDERM ULTRA® XC.
JUVÉDERM VOLUMA® XC
JUVÉDERM VOLUMA® XC is another variation of the JUVÉDERM® product line that is used to treat volume loss in the mid-face. Over time, you may notice sagging skin or a flattening of the cheeks that can obscure your youthful facial contours. JUVÉDERM VOLUMA® XC can provide subtle volume to the mid-face in order to lift and restore fullness in the cheeks. Results have been proven to last up to two years, after which patients often require less product to achieve their desired aesthetic.
Learn more about JUVÉDERM VOLUMA® XC.
JUVÉDERM VOLBELLA®
If you are seeking lip enhancement, JUVÉDERM VOLBELLA® can be an excellent solution to soften the appearance of the lips for results that can last up to one year. This smooth-consistency injectable is used to add volume to the lips as well as diminish the look of vertical lip lines. JUVÉDERM VOLBELLA® can be an effective treatment for patients whose lips are thinning, or appear aged as a result of smoker’s lines. VOLBELLA® can also be used to fill tear troughs and improve under eye hollows, as well as the shadowing that contributes to lower eyelid dark circles.
Learn more about JUVÉDERM VOLBELLA®.
JUVÉDERM VOLLURE®
If nasolabial folds, or “parentheses wrinkles,” are causing you to look older than you feel, VOLLURE® is a JUVÉDERM® formulation designed to treat the creases that extend from the nose to the mouth. This can produce a smoother, more rejuvenated look in the lower face for results that last as long as 18 months with optimal treatment. JUVÉDERM VOLLURE® also includes lidocaine in its composition, a topical numbing agent that can increase patient comfort during injections.
Restylane®
Restylane® comprises another family of hyaluronic acid dermal fillers wherein each Restylane® product is formulated to treat a unique region of the face. When compared to JUVÉDERM®, the treatment process for Restylane® is very similar. The original Restylane® solution is designed to correct signs of aging like nasolabial folds, marionette lines, and other moderate to severe facial wrinkles. In addition, the injectable can add volume to thin lips for patients aged 21 and older. While results vary from patient to patient, many individuals report that their rejuvenation from Restylane® lasts as long as 18 months after injection.
Restylane® Eyelight
Restylane® Eyelight is specifically designed to rejuvenate the under-eye area by filling in hollow tear troughs. This can reduce the appearance of dark circles and create a brighter, more refreshed look. Made with NASHA® Technology, Restylane® Eyelight offers smooth integration with the delicate skin around the eyes and provides natural-looking results that can brighten the upper face.
Learn more about Restylane® Eyelight.
Restylane® Lyft
Another telltale sign of aging is a general loss of fullness in the mid-face, sometimes resulting in sagging skin and jowl formation. Restylane® Lyft is a filler designed to treat volume deficits in the cheeks and hands for a more youthful look. Formerly known as Perlane-L®, Restylane® Lyft can plump facial creases and sunken areas of the face to restore your cheek contour. The injectable can also improve the appearance of the hands, which are known to lose fat and volume as individuals grow older.
Learn more about Restylane® Lyft
Restylane® Refyne and Defyne
For patients who exhibit mild to moderate laugh lines, Restylane® Refyne and Defyne can be an effective treatment to minimize creases along the nose and mouth. As the skin loses collagen and elastin, these wrinkles often deepen with age and become more noticeable with the formation of facial expressions. The Refyne® and the Defyne® formulations are made with XpresHAn® Technology, which works to correct nasolabial folds and marionette lines while supporting your natural facial expressions for a subtle, yet noticeable, result.
Restylane® Silk
Restylane® Silk is a lip filler injected to add fullness and definition to the lips. If your goals include achieving a softer, more voluminous lip shape, Restylane® Silk is FDA-approved to augment the lips and smooth fine lines around the mouth. With its composition of hyaluronic acid particles, Restylane® Silk can help you achieve an ideal lip contour, which is characterized by a well-defined cupid’s bow and fullness that tapers off at the corners of the mouth. Results from Restylane® Silk can last approximately six months or longer.
Restylane® Kysse
As the most recent addition to the Restylane® product line, Restylane® Kysse is a new filler designed to enhance the lips and reduce wrinkles surrounding the mouth (known as perioral lines). Restylane® Kysse has a higher degree of cross-linking hyaluronic acid particles when compared to other lip fillers, often allowing Restylane® Kysse to achieve longer-lasting rejuvenation. The effects of Restylane® Kysse can be noticeable for an average of 6 to 12 months depending on the extent of your concerns.
Learn more about Restylane® Kysse.
Restylane-L®
Designed specifically to treat nasolabial folds, marionette lines, and other creases in the mid-face, Restylane-L® offers an improved formulation when compared to other Restylane® products. Restylane-L® uniquely includes lidocaine — a local numbing agent — and can achieve stunning results while enhancing patient comfort during treatment.
Learn more about Restylane-L®.
How Long Do Dermal Fillers Last?
Depending on which product is used, dermal fillers typically provide visible results for anywhere from 3 to 24 months. The longevity of each filler depends on your unique rate of aging and the area(s) of injection. In general, JUVÉDERM® products that are injected into more expressive regions of the face tend to break down faster than areas where facial motion is static. That said, fillers can still provide relatively long-lasting rejuvenation in all areas of the face. Although the outcome is temporary, touch-up treatments can be pursued as necessary to preserve the aesthetic achieved with dermal fillers. Pairing this treatment with regular application of medical-grade skincare products can also prolong the appearance of full, younger-looking skin.
How Much Do Dermal Fillers Cost?
JUVÉDERM® fillers are priced by the syringe, so the cost will depend on how much product is needed to address your concerns. Augmenting the cheeks and/or lips typically requires more filler when compared to smoothing fine lines and superficial wrinkles, therefore the cost of treating these areas may be slightly higher. However, this varies from patient to patient and an accurate cost estimate cannot be provided until we properly assess your concerns. If you prefer to pay for treatment with dermal fillers in smaller installments over time, our practice offers plastic surgery financing to qualified patients through CareCredit® and Prosper® Healthcare Lending. Both of these lending companies have a variety of short- and long-term payment arrangements that can be selected to accommodate your ideal budget. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call our Newport Beach office for more information.
Questions? To learn more about dermal fillers, or to book your appointment, please contact OC Facial Plastic Surgery today.