Facts to Consider About Wrinkle Fillers and using them in your Youthful Face Strategy!

It wasn't long ago that looking young, even when you weren't, was the domain of the rich and famous. This is Not so anymore. Today, a more youthful look is possible thanks in large part to a new generation of nonsurgical injectable wrinkle fillers. Most fill your lines and wrinkles in less than 30 minutes with results that last from four to six months to a year or longer -- all for a fraction of the cost of a traditional face-lift. And while results aren't as dramatic as a face-lift, they can certainly help hold back the hands of time for at least a little while longer.

Unlike Botox injections or Dysport, which relax the muscle under a wrinkle, injectable wrinkle fillers actually fill the line or crease with one of several different substances, so it seems to nearly disappear.  Botox or Dysport treatments for relaxing facial muscles will lesson the amount of times you wrinkle your face, and will extend the time that a Juvederm treatment or a Restylane or Perlane treatment lasts for you when these anti aging treatments are done together.   Request your Botox appointment here.

Moreover, wrinkle fillers are also now being used as "volumizers," lifting and lifting the skin around the cheeks, filling out thinned lips, and plumping sagging skin around the eyes, the nose and on the hands.

And while the treatment is fast and easy, all wrinkle fillers have a downside, including the risk of allergic reaction and the formation of tiny bumps under the skin that in some instances may be permanent. Typically, wrinkle fillers with longer-lasting effects are more likely to cause side effects. A bluish skin discoloration known as the Tyndall effect is also possible. The color change can last for several months, but treatments are available. In very rare instances, death of skin cells can occur if the wrinkle fillers are not administered properly.

Perhaps more important, however, is that not every wrinkle is right for every type of wrinkle filler. In fact, experts agree that using the right wrinkle filler in the right way not only reduces risks, but also ensures a better result overall -- one reason why it is vital to have wrinkle fillers performed by a Physician or a P.A. or nurse.  Request your appointment for a consultation on fillers to treat aging skin and wrinkles.

To help you discuss all your options with your doctor, what follows is a breakdown of all the wrinkle fillers currently available, including their basic ingredients, how they work, risks and benefits, and the best areas for treatment. Your doctor can help you decide with wrinkle filler is right for you. 

Call 512-921-1411, or email myskin@aebeautylaser.com to request your appointment for consultation.

Wrinkle Filler Options 

Hyaluronic Acid Wrinkle Fillers-

By far the most popular category of wrinkle fillers is hyaluronic acid, a natural component of all connective tissue. Each type of hyaluronic acid wrinkle filler works in a slightly different way to fill lines and wrinkles with a varying range of lasting results.

For the most part, side effects of these injections are rare but can include the risk of redness, swelling, and bruising at the injection site, as well as the possibility that the substance may be seen beneath the skin in the form of tiny bumps, a problem which typically improves over time.

While the length of the results may vary from several months to up to a year or longer, there is some medical evidence beginning to emerge that repeated injections of these fillers over time may help stimulate the body's own natural production of collagen, which in turn helps to naturally decrease some of the lines and wrinkles. There is also some evidence that less filler is needed over time to achieve the same look.

*This is the type of filler for treating sagging skin and loss of volume that A&E Beauty Laser offers and recommends.

Hyaluronic wrinkle fillers include:

Wrinkle Filler: Juvederm Ultra/Juvederm Ultra Plus

Ingredient: Gel made of hyaluronic acid
Effects: Up to one year
FDA Approved for: Moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds
FYI: Not recommended for use in patients with severe allergies, particularly to bacterial proteins.

Wrinkle Filler: Restylane/Perlane
Ingredient: Hyaluronic acid particles suspended in a gel.
Results: six months or longer
FDA Approved for: Moderate to severe wrinkles and folds.
FYI: Not recommended for use in patients with severe allergies

Call A&E Beauty Laser 512-921-1411 to request a confidential appointment.

 Synthetic Wrinkle Fillers-

This somewhat smaller category of wrinkle fillers is composed of substances that are considered synthetic -- in that they are not related to anything found naturally in the skin.

In all formulations, however, side effects are similar with the risk of redness, swelling, or bruising at the site of the injection among the most common. Other risks include the development of nodules or bumps under the skin that can be seen and felt and in rare instances may require surgical removal.

The benefits of this category of injections include a longer-lasting effect, with at least one offering permanent filling of lines and creases. Products with longer-lasting effects are more likely to cause side effects. Several studies have reported that when used incorrectly, synthetic wrinkle fillers can lead to permanent disfigurement.

Synthetic wrinkle fillers include:

Wrinkle Filler: Radiesse
Ingredient: Micro-spheres of the mineral calcium hydroxylapatite suspended in gel
Effects: Typically one year; some research shows that the body begins producing collagen around the micro-spheres, which might lead to longer lasting effects over time.
FDA approved for: Long-lasting fill of deep lines, including folds around the nose.
FYI: Clumping of the filler can develop when injected into the lips. There is a risk of allergy.

Wrinkle Filler: Sculptra
Main Ingredient: Synthetic poly-L-lactic acid in micro-spheres
Effects: Typically up to one year
FDA approved for: Volumizing of HIV patients suffering from loss of facial structure.
FYI: The ingredients in this filler are made for deep injections below the muscles and not as an injectable into fine lines.

Collagen Wrinkle Fillers-

One of the very first wrinkle fillers developed was derived from a purified form of collagen extracted mostly from cows. Although it worked well to offer a natural looking line and crease fill, the results were short lived, with most collagen injections beginning to degrade as soon as one month after treatment. Because these wrinkle fillers were derived from an animal source, they also prompted a higher rate of allergic reaction and the need for allergy testing prior to treatment.

 Fast-forward several decades, and collagen injections take a big leap forward. New ways of processing the bovine sources have helped reduce risks, plus new forms of synthetic collagens are making these injections safer and more useful for a wider range of people. Although by comparison the results are generally shorter lived than other wrinkle fillers, many believe the results are better and more natural looking.

Side effects of collagen injections still include some risk of allergic reaction (mostly for those still using bovine sources) and bruising and redness at the site of the injection.

Collagen injections include:

Wrinkle Filler: Cosmoplast/Cosmoderm
Ingredient: Collagen derived from purified human tissue grown in a lab. Does not require a skin test.
Effects: Up to six months depending on area that is treated.
FDA approved for: Frown lines, crow's feet, forehead lines, vertical lip lines (also called bleeding lipstick lines, nose-to-mouth lines, lip border, scar filling. Cosmoplast is used for deeper, more pronounced wrinkles.
FYI: One of the few fillers that is recommended for treating fine lines around the eyes.

Autologous Wrinkle Fillers

This category includes wrinkle fillers derived from substances, usually fat, taken from your own body. The fat is normally harvested from the thighs, buttocks, or stomach.

While these are among the least performed wrinkle fillers, for some they can be a viable and important option.

Risks for these injections are similar to other wrinkle fillers, including bruising, redness, and swelling at the site of the injection. However, because the use of these fillers includes the need for two procedures (one to remove the fat, one to inject -- the two procedures may be done in one visit) plus additional purification steps taken in the laboratory, they can be both costly and time consuming. Rarely, results can be permanent. Because they don't involve any foreign substances, these injections do not require FDA approval. They are most frequently used for fine lines and creases on the face.

Minimizing Risks and Increasing Good Outcomes for All Wrinkle Fillers

Though wrinkle fillers are among the safest cosmetic procedures in use today, there are things every consumer can do to help ensure their treatment is everything they hope for.

Don't let price be your guide. If you are offered a wrinkle filler treatment that costs far less than the standard fare, there are typically some compromises being made, either in the skill of the provider or the quality of the ingredients being used. Never make a bargain with your face.

All wrinkle fillers should be administered in a medical setting using sterile instruments. Treatments offered in homes, hotels, spas, or resorts are not considered medical environments, regardless of who is doing the injection.

Do not get injectable wrinkle fillers outside of a doctor's office. Know what you are being injected with, and ask your physician specifically if they are using an FDA-approved wrinkle filler and if it was purchased directly from the manufacturer. Reports have emerged of everything from industrial grade silicone to baby oil to unapproved fillers being used. If your provider will not give you the information about what is being used in your treatment, then seek another provider.

Contact Us Today to schedule your confidential consultation with A&E Beauty Laser!