New weapons in the fight hit the market every day in the form of new facial injectables. Whether muscle relaxers like Botox or hyaluronic acid fillers like Juvederm, there are many to choose from, with more coming out all the time. At Saltz Spa Vitoria, we find that our patients are sometimes confused by the different fillers and what they do. Most everyone, unless they’ve been living in a cave, has heard of Botox, but from there other injectables aren’t nearly as well known. Here is some information about five popular dermal fillers.
Different ways of doing it
Every injectable has the same goal, to turn back the clock on facial aging. But they do it in different ways. Botox is a neuromodulator. It temporarily paralyzes the muscles that create wrinkles on the skin surface above them. These are called dynamic wrinkles. These are the wrinkles usually involved with expressions on the upper third of the face. By stopping their contractions, the wrinkles they form also go away.
Dermal fillers are injectables, too, but, as their name implies, they fill in the crease or wrinkle and plump the skin. Some also encourage the production of new collagen in the area. Fillers are injected beneath the wrinkle and basically push the skin back up, erasing the wrinkle. They treat the other kind of wrinkles, static wrinkles; these wrinkles show themselves at all times.
Five popular fillers
Here are five popular fillers and where they work the best.
- Restylane® — Restylane is made from hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance in the body that is responsible for plumping the skin. Hyaluronic acid plumps the skin by binding with water molecules beneath the skin surface. This makes the surface skin smoother. Restylane is very effective at improving wrinkles and creases around the mouth and lips, as well as those under the eyes. It is best on areas with thinner skin.
- Juvederm® — Juvederm is also a hyaluronic acid-based filler. Juvederm restores volume and addresses deeper wrinkles, especially those around the mouth and nose and on the forehead. There are four types of Juvederm: Juvederm XC, Juvederm Voluma XC, Juvederm Ultra Plus and Juvederm Volbella. Juvederm is known for replacing volume in different areas from the cheeks to the lips.
- Perlane® — This hyaluronic acid-based filler is made by the same company as Restylane, but its consistency is much thicker, making it best for improving large nasolabial folds and worry lines on the forehead. Perlane, due to its thicker consistency, needs to be injected in areas where there is underlying fat to hide it.
- Radiesse® — Radiesse is different. It’s not made from hyaluronic acid; it’s made up of a water-based gel with calcium hydroxylapatites microspheres. It fills wrinkles two ways. It fills in the volume-deficient area with the gel like a cosmetic filler. Then, as the body absorbs the filler, the microspheres stimulate collage production at the treatment site. Radiesse can improve moderate to severe facial folds, creases, and wrinkles. It can also be used to augment the nose, chin, and cheeks.
- Sculptra® — Sculptra is one of the longest-lasting fillers, providing results for up to two years. Sculptra is made from poly-L-lactic acid, which encourages the body to produce new collagen. Collagen is the skin’s basic support structure, making it firm and taut, and it decreases with age. Since Sculptra encourages new collagen production, its results are more gradual. Sculptra is effective for nasolabial lines, marionette lines, and lines on the forehead.
Now that you’re a dermal filler expert, give us a call at either our Park City or Salt Lake City Saltz Spa Vitoria locations and let’s talk about which filler could be right for you.
