Is your skin starting to change as you get older? Are you noticing more lines appearing around your forehead, around your eyes, or near the lower part of your face? Are you experiencing a loss of volume in your cheeks or lips, producing a thin or drooping look in either area? These issues are very common, but so is the solution. There’s a treatment that many people have already discovered called Juvederm, and we offer this solution at eSSe Plastic Surgery in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
This treatment is what is known as a hyaluronic acid filler. It is a special kind of gel that is injected directly into the areas where lines, wrinkles, and volume loss are most prevalent. When the gel is injected, it rejuvenates the skin by increasing water retention.
The added hydration leads to a softening of facial lines as well as added volume in areas that often grow thin (like cheeks or lips). The active ingredient is hyaluronic acid, and it’s a natural substance that helps produce a natural-looking result.
Hyaluronic acid is the key component of our filler, and it works by binding to water molecules in your skin. In fact, hyaluronic acid is a substance that everyone already has in their bodies. It helps lubricate our joints, and it keeps our skin hydrated with its water-binding properties.
Unfortunately, when we age, we start to see a decline in this important substance, and we lose volume in the lower layers of the skin. This can lead to thin lips, sunken cheeks, and lines along the surface of the skin.
This hyaluronic acid filler is both popular and versatile. It originally entered the market in 2006 and was primarily designed to treat nasolabial folds near the lower regions of the mouth.
However, in the years that have followed since its introduction, it has been modified and specialized. There are now a few different varieties, and each one of them has been specially formulated to target specific issues or areas of the face.
When this treatment was first approved by the FDA in 2006, it was marketed as a way of treating nasolabial folds. These folds exist around the edge of the mouth, usually starting at the lower corners of the nose, and running down to the lower areas of the cheeks. Nasolabial folds are some of the earliest and most noticeable signs of aging skin.
For some people, they can become especially pronounced even at an early age. Unfortunately, these lines have also proved difficult to treat with earlier injectables like Botox, because the muscle-relaxing qualities of Botox are more suited for the lines in the upper regions of the face.
When the skin’s levels of hyaluronic acid are replenished directly underneath the nasolabial folds, however, the added water retention causes the lines to appear less severe and soften significantly. The standard form of Juvederm is used here, and the treatment lasts longer than many of the competitors–typically up to a year.
The name of these lines is a little funny, conjuring up the image of a marionette childhood toy. However, they can be a source of frustration for many patients. Marionette lines start at the lower corners of the lips and drop down to the chin, potentially leading to a very noticeable pair of folds.
This is another region that can be treated exceptionally well with our filler, as it softens the lines in the same way that it works with nasolabial folds. The standard form of the filler is used here as well, with results continuing for roughly one year.
These lines around the eyes are often the very first wrinkles to appear as the natural result of aging. They pop up on the outside edges of the eyes (you can usually see them when you squint, even if you can’t see them when you’re relaxing your face.)
In these cases, very small amounts of the dermal filler can be used to correct and soften the lines. We use the same standard formula here, but in most cases, not as much of the filler is needed, since these lines rarely become as deep as nasolabial folds or marionette lines.
There are a number of different wrinkles that appear on the forehead as we age. Generally speaking, the most common are “frown lines,” and these are often treated with Botox. However, patients also notice that they are getting the horizontal lines that appear across the main surface of the forehead.
These are more commonly treated with a hyaluronic acid filler as they can be softened in the same fashion. By smoothing out the skin in this way, you can experience a more youthful look in one of the most visible regions of the face.
When it comes to the cheeks, we use a different formula than we do for the other facial lines. This is because the skin on our cheeks is a little different from the rest of the face. It’s thicker, and as a result we can administer a deeper injection that provides more volume and also lasts for two years instead of one.
This specific variety is called Voluma, and it can address several different issues. The apex of the cheek is the very top of the cheek line. This area is the nearest to the eye, and a sharp, contoured cheek line can be visually very striking and attractive. As skin ages, the cheek line may start to drop, but with Voluma, we can raise this cheek line once again, providing a lift without surgery.
The apples of the cheeks are often associated with youthfulness, friendliness, and good health. There’s a reason for that: they are the regions of the cheeks that pop up when we smile.
If we lose volume in these “apples” of the cheek, we might appear to lose some of these qualities as well. Voluma can return that volume, and treating the apples can lend a healthy look to the entire face.
The hollow of the cheek is the area most near our mouths. If you “suck in” your cheeks, this is the area that is affected. When this area loses volume, we can look sickly or old much more quickly.
The hollow of the cheeks can become sunken or thin, leading to what is known as “hollow cheeks.” By restoring volume to this region, Voluma manages to counteract one of the most noticeable signs of aging skin.
The lips have their own unique formula as well: Volbella. This type of filler was specially designed to treat two common considerations that come with filling the lips. Firstly, Volbella recognizes that the lips are sensitive areas of the face. The filler is a somewhat softer touch than other fillers. It has plenty of anesthetic to help minimize discomfort, and it also is formulated to be injected in tightly controlled doses.
Secondly, Volbella addresses the fact that not everybody wants a big pouty “lip flip” that is often seen as the result of treatment. That is something that can be accomplished with this filler, but Volbella’s design also allows for subtle contouring of the lips. One can think of it more like a “fine point” paintbrush that is able to provide more detailed control over the final shape of the lip.
In addition to augmenting the lips, this filler also softens lines on the lips or around the lip region. It can help smooth the lines right at the corner of the lips or in the area just above the mouth but below the nose.
In addition to its remarkable versatility, this treatment is widely respected for its reliable effectiveness and long-lasting results. Millions of people get this treatment every year, and many return to have new areas treated after seeing what it is able to accomplish. Here are a few other benefits:
In 2006, the FDA approved the original version of the filler. The FDA oversees the approval of new varieties as well, keeping a watchful eye over clinical trials and results. Every new version is subject to extensive reviews and safety measures before it ever reaches the market.
In many cases, patients first come to a clinic in order to get Botox treatments. However, in some cases, they discover after multiple treatments that they have developed a resistance to the treatment and that their Botox injections don’t have the same positive results that they are used to seeing.
Hyaluronic acid fillers operate according to a different approach and can often replace Botox treatments when they stop having the same effect.
Many hyaluronic acid fillers last for six to twelve months. Juvederm routinely lasts for one year or more, with some varieties lasting 18 months and Voluma lasting up to two years.
Many patients choose to get follow-up injections to maintain their results and are able to save significant time and money as a result of being able to space out treatments.
Although this is a dermal filler, the real secret is that the filler is not the main reason for the increase in the skin’s volume. Rather, the volume comes from the body’s own natural water reserves that bind to the hyaluronic acid after injection. The hydrating effect looks far more natural than with many other options.
Every new version of the treatment comes with the local anesthetic lidocaine. This is mixed into the vials of filler so that patients can see their effects automatically and have a comfortable experience without having to undergo a second injection.
Because hyaluronic acid is present in all human skin, there is next to no possibility that the acid will cause an allergic reaction. Patients may be advised against treatment for a few reasons, of course, but these are fairly rare.
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should delay treatment simply because of a lack of information about how treatment might affect an unborn baby, and patients who are allergic to lidocaine should seek another option. However, for the vast majority of patients, the filler will work with their skin and skin type.
Are you ready to experience the rejuvenating powers of Juvederm? Our staff is waiting to help answer all your questions Contact eSSe Plastic Surgery in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and schedule your personal consultation today!
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