Did you know that aging signs start to show due to facial volume loss? As the tissues thin out, the facial lines, creases, and wrinkles become more pronounced. Facial injectable treatments and dermal fillers help to replace this lost volume and smooth out the wrinkles, restoring your youthful appearance.
How Injectables Enhance the Facial Appearance
Facial injectable treatments do more than smooth out wrinkles. They make a face more attractive by:
- Smoothing out marionette lines and smile lines.
- Restoring volume to sunken cheeks or temples.
- Diminishing vertical lip lines
- Enhancing the lips
- Smoothing out a chin crease
- Improving symmetry of your facial features.
Here are the facial injectable treatment options available to you.
Neurotoxins
(Brand names include: BOTOX® Cosmetic, XEOMIN®, Dysport®, Jeuveau®)
Neurotoxins or neuromodulators, including BOTOX® Cosmetic, help to reduce the appearance of dynamic lines and wrinkles (the ones caused by repeated muscle movements) such as crow’s feet, frown lines, and forehead wrinkles.
This type of injectable is not a dermal filler; instead, this treatment is injected into the muscle to temporarily prevent muscle contraction.
Hyaluronic Acid
(Brand names include: JUVÉDERM®, Restylane®, BELOTERO BALANCE®)
Hyaluronic acid is naturally present in your body, soft connective tissues, and the fluid surrounding your eyes. It’s also present in joint fluids and skin tissues and is a popular injectable filler.
Hyaluronic acid injections improve your face’s contour by reducing depressions caused by scars, injuries, or lines. It helps to smoothen out smile lines and eliminate the worry lines across the forehead, marionette, and frown lines between your brows. This dermal filler also takes care of some facial scars, with results lasting six to 12 months.
Calcium Hydroxylapatite
(Brand names include: RADIESSE®)
This dermal filler is a mineral-like compound naturally present in human bones. When used to enhance the face, it restores the fullness of your cheeks and enhances the facial contours. Calcium hydroxylapatite produces natural results, with side effects being rare.
And this dermal filler can help to correct mild and severe creases such as marionette and frown lines. In addition, it also improves volume when a patient is experiencing muscle wasting due to illness. The results can last up to three years when used to fill wrinkles.
Polyalkylimide
(Brand names include: Aquamid)
This semi-permanent filler is often used to treat deep wrinkles, enhance the jawline, make thin lips fuller, and restore muscle volume. This filler is safe and biocompatible, with no need for allergy testing.
Over time after injection, it encourages the formation of a thin collagen layer around it, and it can even be removed if necessary, as it’s pretty stable over time.
Polymethyl-methacrylate Microspheres (PMMA)
(Brand names include: Bellafill)
This semi-permanent dermal filler treats medium-to-deep wrinkles and folds. And surgeons also use it to fill pitted scars and enhance thin lips; it’s a preferable treatment for facial wrinkles compared to hyaluronic or collagen replacement therapy.
Although it achieves permanent results, it requires several injections that could take up to three months to create the right volume and realize its full transformative effects.
Poly-L-lactic Acid
(Brand names include: Sculptra)
This synthetic dermal filler encourages your body to generate more collagen; it’s a non-toxic and biodegradable substance and has been in use for over 40 years. Polylactic acid works best in enhancing the lower half of your face, smoothing out wrinkles and deep nasolabial folds, and plumping thin lips.
It takes about six weeks for the full effect. But to achieve the desired results, you might need occasional touch-ups over three months.
Fat Grafting
During treatment, the surgeon extracts fat from the lower abdomen (or other trouble area) through liposuction. Then makes small incisions on the cheek, lips, forehead, or temple and injects this fat in.
Facial Injectable Treatment Options Q&As
Q: Can injectable facial treatments restore volume to your cheeks?
A: Yes. Dermal fillers can restore the volume lost due to muscle wasting. Neurotoxins cannot restore lost volume.
Q: How long can the results last after using injectable facial treatments?
A: The effect can last 6 to 12 months after using facial injectable dermal fillers. Neurotoxins tend to last three to six months.
Q: How long does the treatment procedure take?
A: The injectable procedure takes under an hour to complete.
Q: Is using dermal fillers risky?
A: Dermal fillers are compatible with human skin, have no risk of allergies, and have very low risks when performed by a professional.
Q: Is the patient under anesthesia during the filling procedure?
A: Since the procedure is minimally invasive, there’s no anesthetic involved during dermal filling.
Q: Is it necessary to inform the doctor of any pre-existing health conditions?
A: Yes. Always let the surgeon know about any health conditions or medications you are taking, as it might affect the outcome.
Q: Can I achieve natural outcomes by using injectables?
A: Yes. Dermal fillers highlight your natural beauty, creating an authentic look.
Q: Is the dermal filling procedure the same for all?
A: No. Each patient has unique needs. And the facial injectable treatment is tailored to such needs and preferences.
Q: Can dermal fillers correct facial symmetry?
A: Using injectables, a clinician or surgeon can add the filler fluid as needed to enhance your facial symmetry.