Get to know your fillers!
Hyaluronic acid
Brand names: Juvederm, Restylane, Belotero
Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance found in your body. It has become one of the most popular kinds of injectable fillers used to improve the skin’s contour and reduce depressions in the skin due to scars, injury, or aging. Hyaluronic acid absorbs water after being injected, which helps to give additional volume in areas of depression such as cheeks, nasolabial folds, marionette lines. It is the preferred product to use in lip augmentation. Results typically last from 6 months up to one year depending on the area it is injected.
Calcium hydroxyapatite
Brand names: Radiesse
Calcium hydroxylapatite is found naturally in human bones and is known to produce a very natural result. This dermal filler is thicker than most hyaluronic acid products great for injecting into the cheeks, chin, jawline, and temples. This type of dermal filler also stimulates the body’s own production of collagen once the gel is metabolized. This product typically lasts for up to 2 years.
Polylactic acid
Brand names: Sculptra
Polylactic acid is a synthetic dermal filler known as a stimulator because it causes your body’s own production of collagen. This product is unlike other dermal fillers because it does not produce immediate results. Instead, it stimulates your own body’s collagen production, so results appear gradually over a period of 2-3 months. However, you will likely need several monthly treatments to achieve your desired results. With each treatment, there is re-stimulation of your own collagen which takes about four to six weeks to see the full effect and results typically last about 2 years. A rule of thumb is that for every decade of age typically correlates to the amount of polylactic acid treatments needed. For example, a patient in their 40’s will likely need 4 vials of Sculptra.
Polymethyl-methacrylate microspheres (PMMA)
Brand names: Bellafill
PMMA is considered a semi-permanent filler used to treat medium-to-deep wrinkles, scars, folds, and furrows. When a more permanent solution is desired, PMMA is often used instead of collagen stimulating products or hyaluronic acid products. One thing to consider with PMMA products is that multiple injections are needed to create volume and it can take up to three months to realize the full effects which last about 5 years.
