Dermal Fillers are an increasingly popular form of cosmetic treatment intended to treat wrinkles and add ‘plumpness’ to the face. But there’s a lot of questions to be asked about Dermal Fillers. What exactly are they? Are they like botox? Are they safe? What’s treatment like? Here are some answers regarding the basics of Dermal Fillers.
What exactly are Dermal Fillers?
Dermal Fillers, or Wrinkle/Soft Tissue Fillers, are medical implants intended to give the face a smoother or fuller look. They should not be confused with another similar treatment called ‘Botox’.
Whereas Botox paralyses the muscles beneath the skin to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles, Dermal fillers are small implants injected or implanted via needle.
Dermal fillers implants can include a variety of substances, including Hyaluronic acid – found in some of the bodies fluids and tissues which add a ‘plumpness’ to the skin, transparent gels like Polyalkylimide, which is completely compatible with the human body. Others are Polycratic acid, that helps the skin produce more collagen, a common protein in the body.
Many of these materials can be found in other cosmetic products or are produced by the body itself. For example, Calcium hydroxyapatite is a mineral found in human bones.
All of these are intended to assist in treating signs of aging in the body or provide other cosmetic benefits. The Dermal Filler treatment itself involves injecting the ‘solution’ beneath the skin with a very small and fine needle, and when performed by a medical professional can subtly improve the tone or soften and smooth skin. It is also important to make use of a proper professional when it comes to Dermal Fillers.
The uses of Dermal fillers
Dermal fillers are primarily used to treat signs of aging in the face, and as such are most commonly used to handle facial wrinkles and skin folds. For example, ‘nasolabial folds’ – the lines that extend from the sides of the nose to those of the mouth, and ‘perioral lines’ – those wrinkles that surround the mouth and lips.
Some of the specific and approved uses of Dermal fillers include;
- Temporary fillers to handle facial wrinkles and skin folds
- Crow’s feet, Frown lines and other facial lines
- Augmenting of the lips, chin, cheeks, and back of the hand
- Permanent fillers for use with cheek acne scars and nasolabial folds
- Correction of acne scars
- Correction of depressions/pockmarks in the skin caused by injury of disease (for example, chickenpox scars)
These are just some of the cosmetic issues Dermal fillers can provide assistance with. In other cases, fillers can be used to improve the ‘volume’ of the lips, nose and cheeks.
Dermal fillers will not always solve issues with one treatment and multiple treatments might be required. Severe deep facial lines might require further attention or alteration in order to get the best results. Likewise, dermal fillers can be temporary, and as such repeat treatments will be required if the effect is to be maintained.
So how does Dermal filler treatment work? How long does it last for?
Dermal filler injection is relatively simple, as the process does not require any cuts or incisions.
The injection site will be cleaned and may be given an anaesthetic (usually a topical cream). Some fillers even have anaesthetic in the syringe itself. In other cases, an anaesthetic is not required, as the most that will be felt will be the slight prick of the needle. The doctor will then inject the filler. In some cases, treatment can require multiple injections – though these might be spread out over a single session or multiple visits.
The entire procedure can last anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Dermal filler treatments can vary from temporary to permanent. For example, non-absorbable fillers are permanent. Temporary fillers usually last between six months to two years. As such, if one wishes to maintain the effect brought by fillers, they will need to be replaced.
Are Dermal fillers safe? What about side effects?
Dermal fillers are regarded as some of the safest cosmetic procedures available, but as with every cosmetic treatment they must be performed by a professional and they must be treated in a professional environment if this safety is to be maintained.
Some basic points to always remember.
- If treatment is offered at a price far lower than the norm, it is very likely that either the practitioner is unqualified or unskilled or the materials being used as unqualified. In either case, the results can be disastrous
- Treatments should always be provided in the appropriate setting – homes, spas, hotels, etc. are not appropriate – Dermal fillers are a medical treatment and require the use of an appropriate environment with appropriate equipment
- Never make use of treatment that did not come from a cosmetic professional. There’s no way to know what is inside the fillings provided by sources that aren’t qualified.
Patients should also always be tested before fillers are used, in case of an allergic reaction.
As always, be sure to make use of qualified, trusted and respectable professionals when looking into dermal fillings. In the right hands Dermal fillers are considered to be safe and effective. Just as with other treatments, however, if they aren’t performed by someone who is properly qualified major issues can appear.
