Did you know that more than 2 million people in 2016 in the United States alone have gotten dermal fillers? If you are unfamiliar with the term, you may be wondering, "What is a dermal filler, how does it work, and what does it do?" Fortunately, this article will guide you through the many details of dermal fillers.
By understanding dermal fillers, you can better understand what they can accomplish cosmetically and if they might even be a good option for you. To start off, let's take a look at what a dermal filler is and what types there are.
What Is a Dermal Filler
Facial fillers may be of various materials and act to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in the face. While dermal fillers are usually used in the face to make the skin look younger, fillers can technically be used anywhere. For example, they are often used in the lips to give them more volume.
Dermal fillers are usually injected and can be of different components. The most common type of dermal filler injections is hyaluronic acid fillers. This is one of the most popular fillers because hyaluronic acid is naturally made in the body, so these fillers tend to react well within the body and dissolve over a period of time.
The results of these fillers tend to last anywhere between six months and a year. As mentioned before, since hyaluronic acid is a normal substance, it will dissolve into the body without any side effects. This dissolution, of course, is not ideal for many who want more permanent results.
However, there don't seem to be any side effects with getting new hyaluronic acid fillers once the old ones have dissolved. This is especially true if you are only filling in small lines and wrinkles. The main downside is that these repeated fillers can get costly over time, especially if you get them done every year or even more frequently.
What if you want more shaping instead of filling in a few lines and wrinkles? And what if you want longer-lasting results than hyaluronic acid fillers? What might your options be?
More Types of Dermal Fillers
Calcium hydroxylapatite is a great filler for volume. Instead of treating wrinkles like hyaluronic acid fillers, these fillers are perfect for adding volume to the jaw, chin, cheeks, or other areas of the face. They are also better for deeper wrinkles than hyaluronic acid fillers such as for laugh lines or deep lines in the forehead.
Since calcium hydroxylapatite fillers are better at adding volume, they may be favored by those who are older. As we age, we tend to lose a lot of the volume in our cheeks and jaw which can keep us looking young. Calcium hydroxylapatite fillers help to restore this lost volume and the results can last as long as three years.
Calcium hydroxylapatite, however, still does not offer permanent results. If you want truly permanent results, you'll have to opt for soft tissue fillers that the body can't dissolve. However, if you're looking for dermal filler tips, it is recommended that soft tissue fillers should not be the first filler that you get.
Another common type of filler comes in the form of fat grafting. As the name suggests, fat grafting includes taking fat from another part of your body, usually your stomach or hips, and injecting it into the places that need more volume such as your cheeks. The results may be semi-permanent, depending on how your body absorbs fat.
Now that you know about the common types of dermal fillers from this dermal filler guide, what should you know about the dermal filler injection procedure?
Understanding the Injection Procedure
Anyone who has lines or wrinkles that they want to be filled is a great candidate for dermal fillers. The only thing that might stop you at first is finding a good doctor who can administer the fillers. Finding a good doctor is one of the most important steps of this process.
This is essential because if you choose a doctor because their services are cheap, you may be putting yourself at risk for receiving low-quality results. Not only that, your risk of developing an infection may be higher as well. Developing an infection after getting fillers might require the fillers to be dissolved and in severe cases, your own tissue could suffer injury.
Once you find a good doctor and it's time to get your fillers, your face will be numbed so you won't feel the needle puncturing your skin. The whole process should take around an hour, but the time might vary depending on where you are getting fillers and how much filler you might be getting. The cost of the procedure, of course, will also depend on how much filler you will need.
The big benefit of dermal fillers is that there is no downtime. Because of this, you can go back to work or school directly after the procedure. However, for about a week after your procedure, you may experience some bruising around the areas that were treated.
You can continue your skincare routine after treatment but doctors recommend not to use any harsh products that may irritate your skin until the needle punctures are fully healed. Until they heal, it is important to keep your face clean in order to avoid the risk of infection.
All You Need To Know About Dermal Fillers
By the end of this article, you should no longer be asking yourself, "What is a dermal filler?" By now, you should know all about the different types of dermal fillers, what they can do, and what you should expect from the injection procedure. With this information, you can decide if dermal fillers sound right for you.
Check out our process at Be Youthful Co and consider booking an appointment for our dermal fillers here.