WHAT ARE DERMAL FILLERS?

Dermal fillers are injections that will smooth out wrinkles and lines on your face. There are a variety of dermal fillers. Healthcare providers often inject dermal fillers around your eyes, mouth, and nose. This common cosmetic procedure produces immediate results and may last for months or years.

What are Dermal Fillers?

Dermal fillers are extremely common. Every year in the United States, over three million people elect to receive dermal fillers.

Dermal filler injections are nonsurgical cosmetic procedures. Your qualified healthcare provider injects these substances just under your skin.

You could choose to get a dermal filler to enhance your facial features or to restore a more youthful appearance. This elective treatment takes less than 30 minutes, and recovery time is minimal. Results are visible immediately and last months to years depending on the kind of filler and the location.

There are a few kinds of dermal fillers. Your healthcare provider will explain your options. As with any medical procedure, there can be risks, including bleeding, bruising, and infection. Most health insurance plans do not cover elective cosmetic procedures like dermal filler injections.

Why are Dermal Fillers Used?

As you age, your body naturally loses collagen. Collagen is an essential substance that is all over your body, including in your skin, muscles, bones, and connective tissues. A reduction in collagen in your skin results in loose skin and volume loss. Your skin becomes thinner, loses its elasticity, and starts to sag.

You could choose to get dermal fillers to:

1. Smooth out wrinkles and creases in your face.
2. Add volume to your sagging skin.
3. Make your facial features more symmetrical.
4. Plump up your lips and cheeks.

Some prescription medications have been proven to cause thinness in your face. You might choose to get a dermal filler to restore volume to your face after taking these medications.

What are the Types of Dermal Fillers?

There are several dermal fillers. In addition to the fillers that use synthetic, manmade materials and substances that are naturally in your body, healthcare providers can even use fat from your own body. Healthcare providers call this procedure autologous fat grafting, where they withdraw fat from a part of your body and inject it into your face.

The types of off-the-shelf fillers include:

1. Hyaluronic acid, HA, is a natural acid in your skin. It gives your skin volume and keeps it hydrated. As you age, your body quits making hyaluronic acid.
2. Calcium hydroxylapatite, CaHA, is a filler that consists of a substance you have in your bones. Results from these fillers usually last about a year. Healthcare providers use CaHA fillers for deeper wrinkles. An example of a CaHA filler is Radiesse®.
3. Poly-L-lactic acid, PLLA, is a substance that helps your body create its own collagen. Healthcare providers often use this acid to smooth deep wrinkles on your face. Your results can last two years or more. An example of a PLLA filler is Sculptra®.
4. Polymethylmethacrylate, PMMA, a filler consisting of collagen and tiny balls that stay under your skin after your healthcare provider injects them. The balls give your skin volume and keep it firm. Bellafill® is one type of PMMA filler.

Your healthcare provider will explain the different kinds of dermal fillers and discuss which one is the right solution for you. They will also advise you about realistic goals and the results you can expect after receiving a dermal filler injection.

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