Hyaluronic acid (HA)is an amazing substance. It is present in huge quantities in your body, especially during youth. Its job is to absorb 1000 times its weight in water in order to provide bounce and resilience. The presence of HA also facilitates proper function and communication between all the cell types. Aging, sun and pollution exposure unfortunately drastically decrease the skin’s HA content over time, resulting in wrinkles, folds and laxity.
There are 3 major brand names of HA: Restylane, Juvederm and Belotero Balance
All 3 are FDA-cleared, non-animal, non-human in origin. All 3 provide a very natural correction, when used appropriately. One of the major advantages of using an HA is that it can be dissolved if it were ever necessary.
All 3 lines have various formulations consistencies that address different wrinkle depths, skin thicknesses and facial contouring needs. Most already contain Lidocaine for comfort.
Restylane-L, Restylane Lyft, Restylane Silk, Restylane Defyne, Restylane Refyne, Restylane Kysse, Juvederm XC, Juvederm Ultra XC, Juvederm Ultra Plus XC, Juvederm Voluma XC, Juvederm Volbella XC, Juvederm Vollure XC, Belotero Balance, Belotero Intense (coming soon to the US)
RADIESSE is a wrinkle filler used to plump the skin. RADIESSE consists of calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHa). It is injected through a small needle or cannula and placed under the skin. This filler works immediately to add volume under the skin and, over time, the benefits of RADIESSE continue by stimulating your body’s own natural collagen. The natural results have been shown to last a year or more in many patients, making the treatment results both immediate and long lasting.
Sculptra is an FDA-cleared synthetic, biocompatible and biodegradable filler composed of poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA). PLLA is immunologically inert and has been present in dissolvable sutures and soft tissue implants for almost 30 years.
• Unlike other fillers, Sculptra does not generate an immediate correction. Treatments are best compared to seeding a lawn. The product is injected in a highly diluted form throughout all areas needing volume correction. This initiates a very gradual thickening of the skin’s foundation over the course of 3 or 4 treatment sessions, 2 to 3 months apart.
• Although Sculptra can generate amazing facial rejuvenation, results are highly technique dependent and should only be undertaken by the most experienced dermatologists.
• Side effects may include temporary swelling and bruising. Patients must massage treated areas for 5 minutes, 5 times a day for 5 days in order to keep small particles from coming together and forming temporary micro nodules deep in the skin.
• Sculptra has been safely used since 1999 in over 30 countries for the cosmetic correction of facial volume defects.
• After full facial correction, results can last 2+ years.
Belotero Balance® is a hyaluronic acid (HA) injectable filler that completely integrates into the skin tissue.2,3 While some fillers are designed to rebuild facial volume and structure, Belotero Balance specifically treats moderate-to-severe etched-in lines and wrinkles such as vertical lip lines above and around the lips.4
Belotero Balance lasts around 6 months, while the effects of Radiesse will remain for nearly 12 months. People will continue to see improvements from hyaluronic acid fillers for 12 to 24 months. Sculptra is one of the most long-lasting fillers that remains for 24 months.
Fillers are available for many parts of the body. The most common location is the face; someone can get fillers in the earlobes, cheeks, jawline, lips, and under their eyes. Fillers can also be applied to the hands, feet, and décolletage (neck, shoulder, and chest area).
Each syringe costs between $500 and $1,000. For larger parts of the body, such as the décolletage, you may need more than one syringe per treatment. The general recommendation is that someone gets three treatments (each one month apart) to see the full effects.
People who stay very regular with the maintenance of their fillers usually don’t want any wrinkles to return, so they opt for treatments every 4 to 6 months. Others may wait 7 to 9 months before getting their next treatment. This is usually personal preference.
