Cosmetic Surgery: Dermal Fillers – Non-Surgical Face Lifts
Cosmetic Surgery physicians suggests dermal fillers as an option if you’d like to restore youthful fullness to your face, enjoy plump lips, enhance shallow contours or soften those facial creases and wrinkles. This type of use for dermal fillers has been called “liquid facelifts” because there are many of the benefits of a surgical facelift without the downtime.
Soft tissue fillers can add more volume and provide immediate results at a lower cost than surgery, even though they can’t help with excess sagging skin. The results from most dermal fillers aren’t permanent, they must be repeated and maintained but are still a reasonable alternative to cosmetic surgery.
Dermal fillers fall into two categories:
Temporary Fillers
Collagen is a natural substance known as a protein, and the main component in cartilage, teeth and bones. It is derived either from human skin or cows (known as bovine collagen). Brand names include: CosmoDerm, Cosmoplast, Zyderm, Zyplast.
Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance found in your body. High concentrations are found in soft connective tissue and in the fluid surrounding your eyes. It’s also in some cartilage and joint fluids, as well as skin tissue. Hyaluronic acid is not derived from animal sources. Brand names include: Captique, Esthélis, Elevess, Hylaform, Juvéderm, Perlane, Prevelle, Puragen and Restylane.
Calcium hydroxylapatite, is found naturally in human bones and is the heaviest of the dermal fillers. This mineral-like compound is used to fill the deepest creases such as marionette lines around the mouth and frown lines between the eyes and on the forehead. It’s also used to enhance fullness of the cheeks and other facial contours. Calcium-based microspheres are suspended in a water-based gel. Brand names include: Radiesse, Radiance.
Polylactic acid, a synthetic material that stimulates the body’s own production of collagen. This substance is unlike other dermal fillers because it doesn’t produce immediate results. Instead, it stimulates collagen production, so results appear gradually over a period of a few months. Brand names include: Sculptra, New-Fill.
Semi-Permanent
PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate) fillers contain a 20/80 percent ratio of tiny PMMA microspheres to purified collagen gel. This semi-permanent removable substance is most often used to treat medium-to-deep wrinkles, folds and furrows, particularly nasolabial folds. It can also be used to fill out pitted scars and to augment thin lips. Brand names include: Articol, Artefill, Metacrill.
There are many types and brands of dermal fillers, each with it’s own list of benefits and risks. Review your dermal filler options with your doctor to make sure your treatment will meet your expectations.
