As you age, your face naturally loses its subcutaneous fat, making your aging signs more apparent. When your facial skin stretches, your face loses its volume. While some of your aesthetic concerns, like a facelift, may need a surgical procedure, Santa Clarita dermal fillers may be appropriate when you need temporary treatments to address aging signs like fine lines. There are various categories of fillers that your healthcare provider may use to treat your aging signs. Thus, before choosing one, ensure you understand how it works and your potential risks.
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How can you use dermal fillers to enhance your appearance?
Dermal fillers also casually referred to as ‘wrinkle fillers,’ do more than just smoothening out your wrinkles. Besides using filler to fill in your deep furrows, your aesthetician may also use them to:
- Address aging lines around your mouth and nose
- Add volume to your sunken cheeks
- Enhance your facial features’ balance by eliminating contour deformities
- Plump your thin lips and eliminate lip lines
- Smooth out your chin creases
- Minimize shadows on your lower eyelids
What substances are present in dermal fillers?
There is a wide range of FDA-approved products cosmetic surgeons use to make dermal fillers. Thus, your healthcare provider will most likely categorize the fillers he will use during your treatment depending on the substances present.
Generally, dermal fillers contain the following substances:
Hyaluronic Acid (HA)
HA is a common substance in your skin that helps hydrate and keep it voluptuous. Although the gel-like HA fillers are safe, their results are temporary, lasting for approximately 12 months. After the time is up, your body absorbs the particles, making you vulnerable to aging signs. Your aesthetician may induce the HA fillers with lidocaine during the treatment to minimize the discomfort you are likely to feel during and after the process.
Calcium Hydroxylapatite (CaHA)
Like HA, CaHa also occurs naturally in your body. However, instead of your skin, the substance is found in your bones. Unlike hyaluronic acid, the consistency of calcium hydroxylapatite fillers is thicker and may last longer than HA fillers. Since the substance can stimulate your collagen production naturally, your aesthetician may use it to address your deep wrinkles.
Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)
PMMA in dermal fillers resembles small balls that remain underneath your skin indefinitely, giving your skin the necessary support to make it attractive. The synthetic substance also contains collagen that helps your skin remain firm.
Poly-L-lactic acid
Your doctor may use the biodegradable and biocompatible synthetic substance to stimulate collagen production, enhancing the appearance of fine lines. The substance may be most beneficial when eliminating profound facial wrinkles and can last for approximately two years.
Autologous fat injections
Unlike the other fillers, autologous injections are the only fillers that may prompt you to go for a surgical procedure. During the treatment, your aesthetician harvests fat from an area of your body, purifies, and injects it into various parts of your face to restore their volume. The good news about the injections is, the results may last you longer than the minimally invasive alternatives.
Different substances in dermal fillers have different purposes. Contact your doctor to know the combination that best addresses your aesthetic concerns before selecting any filler.