Is your face starting to take on a haggard, tired look? Perhaps your cheeks are starting to hollow out, or maybe your lips have become thin. If you’re beginning to lose volume in your face, dermal fillers may be a way of restoring a youthful contour, and dermal fillers under the eyes can ease the look of bags and dark circles. At The Aesthetic Clinique in Santa Rosa Beach, FL, we can help you find the perfect filler for your cosmetic needs.
Why Is My Face Losing Volume?
During our thirties, the amount of fat in the face begins to decline. It happens subtly, and you may not even notice it at first, but by the age of 35, most of us have already experienced a roughly 10 percent decline in facial fat.
As we continue aging, the face gradually loses more and more fat. You may start to notice that your cheeks are flatter, the eyelids are sagging, and facial lines and creases are more visible. The loss of facial volume is a normal part of aging that is also tied to the decline in skin elasticity.
Understanding Dermal Fillers
Dermal fillers are injectable treatments that can be used all over the face to plump and smooth it, restoring volume that has been lost and easing the look of fine lines and creases. Once in place, these injectable gels provide volume and support for the face from beneath the skin.
Some of them also jumpstart collagen production in the face, which also helps rejuvenate your appearance. Hyaluronic acid is a mainstay ingredient in many of the fillers we offer. Hyaluronic acid is a molecule that occurs naturally in the skin and joints, where it acts as a lubricant.
Hyaluronic acid behaves like a sponge under the skin, pulling moisture molecules together and keeping the face hydrated and plumped. Hyaluronic acid fillers are gradually broken down by the body.
How Long Do Dermal Fillers Last?
The longevity of a dermal filler depends on several factors, including which filler is injected, the location on the body it is injected into, and the patient’s individual metabolism. Hyaluronic acid fillers tend to offer more immediate results, but they don’t usually last more than a year.
Some other fillers, like Sculptra and Bellafill, offer results that develop more gradually but last longer. We work with patients to select the best fillers for their cosmetic needs, and we often inject a combination of fillers for optimal results.
How Do Dermal Fillers Under the Eyes Work?
Sometimes the hollowness under the eyes is enough to create a shadowed effect or darkening under the eyes. This effect can become more pronounced as fat in the face begins to decline and the cheeks sink, creating even more under-eye hollowness.
Dermal fillers can be used to fill in under-eye hollows, eliminating any dark shadowing that depression may have been causing. They can also be used to smooth away under-eye bags.
Patients using dermal fillers under eyes usually have an injection on the cheeks as well as in the under-eye area so that the face remains in balance. Each patient’s situation is different, but deeper injections sometimes work well under the eyes, because a deeper injection lifts the tissues above it resulting in a more natural effect.
Neurotoxin Injections
The one eye issue that dermal fillers don’t usually help with are crow’s feet: the tiny lines that develop at the outer corners of the eyes with age. Crow’s feet are caused by repetitive facial expressions, like laughing and squinting.
Patients looking for help with crow’s feet usually see the best results with botulinum toxin injections, which work by preventing the muscles from fully contracting when making those expressions. Because the facial muscles aren’t fully contracting, those fine lines become invisible.
Dermal Filler Options
Each patient that we work with has slightly different cosmetic needs and goals. Each patient also has a different facial structure, and we work with each individual to select the best filler for him or her. There are 4 dermal fillers we usually work with: Restylane, Radiesse, Sculptra, and Bellafill.
Restylane
Restylane was the first hyaluronic acid injection approved by the FDA. The original formula was developed to smooth over signs of aging around the mouth and eyes while also adding volume to the cheeks. This treatment has been widely used and is known for the natural results it offers.
There are now additional varieties of Restylane that are specifically designed for particular areas of the face, including Restylane Silk, which is designed to enhance lip volume and smooth fine lines around the mouth. Restylane Defyne targets the smile lines that can develop on either side of the mouth.
Although best known for its use on the face, Restylane can also be used to rejuvenate the hands. Whether it’s injected in the face or the hands, this injectable treatment is gradually and naturally absorbed by the body. Like other hyaluronic fillers, Restylane can be dissolved or reduced with an injection of hyaluronidase. This means we can adjust a patient’s results if they want a more subtle look.
How Long It Lasts
Restylane treatments usually take no more than an hour to perform, and patients usually notice some initial improvement later that same week. Although results vary with each individual, for most patients Restylane lasts about 10 months. Follow-up injections can be scheduled.
Does It Work Under the Eyes?
Restylane — particularly Restylane Silk — is an effective option for treating the small, sensitive area under the eyes. Hyaluronic acid gel injections in general are considered to be good dermal fillers in part because their results can be adjusted if needed.
When Was It Approved by the FDA?
Restylane was approved by the FDA in 2003, making it the oldest hyaluronic acid injection on the market.
Radiesse
Radiesse is a nice option for patients who want to address wrinkles and folds on both the face and hands. Laugh lines around the mouth, lines above the lip, and the creased, crepey skin on the backs of the hands are all areas that can be treated with Radiesse.
This filler can also address chin wrinkles: the horizontal lines that can form on the chin when you smile. Radiesse is made from calcium hydroxylapatite, a mineral that is often found in the bones and teeth, which is suspended in a gel-like substance.
Radiesse stimulates collagen production in the skin, which results in smoothing and plumping over time. Once it’s done its job, this filler is absorbed by the body over time.
How Long It Lasts
A Radiesse injection takes about 15 minutes to complete. Because this injection stimulates collagen production in the skin, it offers long-lasting results. Some patients enjoy their results for as long as 18 months, and follow-up injections can be scheduled.
Does It Work Under the Eyes?
Radiesse is considered to be an excellent filler for hollows under the eyes.
When Was It Approved by the FDA?
Radiesse was approved by the FDA in 2006.
Sculptra
Sculptra can be used to gradually restore facial volume in areas where the patient most needs it. This long-term filler can soften areas of the face that have become boney, such as the cheeks, and plump up areas that have become shallow and hollowed.
This injection is made of Poly-L-Lactic Acid, a synthetic substance that is also used in dissolvable sutures. Like Radiesse, this filler works by kick-starting collagen production, which results in a gradual rejuvenation of the face. This injectable is gradually absorbed by the body and the patient’s plumped, collagen-infused tissue takes its place.
How Long It Lasts
Sculptra injections can be performed in less than an hour, and because this is another injection that spurs collagen production, results develop gradually during the months after treatment. But the results are worth the wait because they can last as long as two years in some patients. Follow-up maintenance treatments can be scheduled.
Does It Work Under the Eyes?
Sculptra can help resolve under-eye bags and dark spots. This dermal filler will thicken the delicate skin in that area. One of the advantages of Sculptra is that it works gradually through increased collagen production, which means you’ll never suddenly look like you went and had work done.
When Was It Approved by the FDA?
Sculptra was approved by the FDA in 2004.
Bellafill
Bellafill is another long-lasting dermal filler that stimulates collagen production. It’s a nice option for restoring volume and addressing signs of aging around the mouth and between the brows. It’s also a great option if you’re looking for dermal fillers under eyes, and it can be used to smooth over fine facial lines and fill in scars.
Bellafill contains collagen and small polymethylmethacrylate beads. The collagen will be absorbed by your body, while the microspheres will remain in place to provide long-term support. Bellafill is known for its ability to lift the skin in the target area.
How Long It Lasts
It usually takes no longer than an hour to undergo a Bellafill treatment, and this injection offers patients immediate results that only get better over time. Many patients enjoy results that last as long as 5 years.
Does It Work Under the Eyes?
Bellafill is perfect for under the eyes. Because it works to encourage the development and plumping of a patient’s own tissue, it offers very natural results in the high-profile under-eye area. Bellafill is considered one of the best dermal fillers under eyes.
When Was It Approved by the FDA?
Bellafill was approved by the FDA in 2015.
Treatment Specifics
Undergoing a dermal filler treatment is fairly straightforward and is not that much different from most other cosmetic injections. For most patients, we start by cleansing the treatment area and making a few marks on the skin that we’ll use as a guide for the injections.
If you wish, we can also apply a topical numbing cream to the area. All of our fillers have lidocaine added to them, which also provides some temporary numbing during the injections. Nitrous oxide — laughing gas — is available for patients who are especially concerned about discomfort.
Our injections are performed using cannulas as opposed to traditional sharp needles. The advantage of using a cannula for these injections is that they are safer, result in less bruising and downtime, and are more comfortable for the patient overall. Cannulas, because they tend to be longer than most needles, also mean it’s possible for the filler to reach more areas with fewer injections. After your injection, we may press the injection site gently to make sure the filler is secured in place.
Will I Need to Do Anything to Prepare in Advance?
Little is required of patients in the way of advance preparation. We ask patients to stop taking all blood thinning supplements and anti-inflammatories at least 3 days prior to their appointment, and aspirin should be stopped at least 10 days in advance.
What Type of Recovery Is Involved?
Dermal fillers usually take no more than an hour, and patients are free to get back to their regular schedules immediately afterward. We recommend that strenuous activity be avoided for 24 hours after treatment. We also recommend that patients try to sleep on their back, propped up by 2 or 3 pillows, to speed their recovery.
What Areas Can Be Treated With Dermal Fillers?
Dermal fillers are a versatile treatment that can be used widely. We’ve performed these injections all over the face and neck, including the cheeks, tear troughs, forehead, temples, along the jawline, chin, and in the folds that can develop on either side of the mouth.
We’ve even performed earlobe injections and frequently inject fillers into the backs of the hands. And that’s not all. Dermal fillers can be used to tighten and redefine crepey skin around the knees and on the arms and fill in cellulite dimples and acne scars.
Who Is a Good Candidate?
The best patients are at least 21 years of age, have signs of aging that they want to resolve, but have skin that is otherwise healthy in the treatment area. If you have a rash or an open skin infection in the treatment area, we may ask you to delay your treatment. We also encourage patients who are pregnant or nursing to postpone their treatments.
The signs of aging have a tendency to creep up on us, but if you’re starting to have concerns about your appearance, it’s a good idea to schedule a consultation and consider treatment sooner rather than later. If you put off an appointment until you have significant cosmetic concerns, it could take a more aggressive treatment to bring your issues under control.
Turn Back the Clock
If you feel like your appearance is being held back because of signs of aging, or if you’re unhappy with your look but can’t pinpoint exactly why, it may be time to explore dermal fillers. These fillers can soften folds, restore youthful volume and curves, and fill in hollow cheeks, offering long-lasting results.
Dermal fillers under the eyes can also get rid of those frustrating bags and dark circles. Our practice offers a wide range of dermal fillers, and we can design the perfect treatment for you. Call The Aesthetic Clinique in Santa Rosa Beach, FL, today and schedule a dermal filler consultation.
