Woodstock Cosmetic Injections and Fillers

Our bodies naturally change with age, and those differences might include new wrinkles on our faces or cheekbones that aren’t as high as they once were. Woodstock cosmetic injections and fillers can help minimize these signs of aging if you’re unhappy with them.

However, these changes are completely normal and occur when we lose some of the subcutaneous fat that supports our skin. Over time, the skin on the middle of our faces shifts down too, causing our cheeks to sag a bit. Dermal filler can be used to help lift and add support. It can also help soften wrinkles.

Did you know that many visible signs of aging can be traced back to volume loss? As facial tissues thin out, lines become etched around the nose and mouth and cheeks look a little hollow. Dermal fillers can replace lost volume to help smooth wrinkles, plump the lips, and restore a more youthful appearance.

Injectable filler (injectable cosmetic filler, injectable facial filler) is a soft tissue filler injected into the skin at different depths to help provide facial volume, fill in facial wrinkles, and augment facial features: restoring a smoother appearance. Most of these wrinkle fillers are temporary because they are eventually absorbed by the body.

Most dermal fillers today consist of hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring polysaccharide that is present in skin and cartilage. Some people may need more than one injection to achieve the wrinkle-smoothing effect. The effect lasts for about six months or longer.

Successful results depend on the health of the skin, the skill of the health care professional, and the type of filler used. Regardless of material (whether synthetic or organic), filler duration is highly dependent on the amount of activity in the region where it is injected.

Exercise and high-intensity activities such as manual labor can stimulate blood flow and shorten the lifespan of fillers.

In the US, fillers are approved as medical devices by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the injection is prescribed and performed by a qualified health care provider. What defines a qualified dermal injection provider varies by country and is a point of debate between board-certified doctors and injectors who operate under cosmetic or aesthetician licenses. Fillers are not to be confused with Neurotoxins such as Botox. Learn all about injectable dermal filler treatments below.

Dermal Fillers: Minimally Invasive Procedures

Injectable dermal fillers can soften facial creases, plump thin lips, enhance shallow contours, remove wrinkles and improve the appearance of scars.

What Are Injectable Dermal Fillers?

Dermal fillers are gel-like substances that are injected beneath the skin to restore lost volume, smooth lines and soften creases, or enhance facial contours. More than 1 million men and women annually choose this popular facial rejuvenation treatment, which can be a cost-effective way to look younger without surgery or downtime.

Dermal fillers help to diminish facial lines and restore volume and fullness in the face.

As we age, our faces naturally lose subcutaneous fat. The facial muscles are then working closer to the skin surface, so smile lines and crow’s feet become more apparent. The facial skin also stretches a bit, adding to this loss of facial volume. Other factors that affect the facial skin include sun exposure, heredity, and lifestyle.

What injectable dermal fillers can do

Plump thin lips
Soften facial creases and wrinkles
Enhance shallow contours
Reconstruct contour deformities in the face
Improve the appearance of recessed scars
Decrease or remove the shadow of the lower lids

Woodstock cosmetic injections and fillers can be very helpful in those with early signs of aging, or as a value-added part of facial rejuvenation surgery.

What Dermal Fillers Can’t Do

For some patients, surgery such as a facelift, brow lift, or eye lift may be the best approach. Minimally invasive rejuvenation treatments, such as soft tissue fillers, cannot achieve the same results but may help delay the time when consideration of a facelift becomes appropriate.

It is important to remember that dermal fillers are temporary treatments for facial aging and that ongoing treatments will be needed for long-term results.

How Can Dermal Fillers Enhance My Appearance?

While dermal fillers are casually known as “wrinkle fillers,” they can do much more than just smooth out wrinkles, although they are excellent at this too! Here are a few of the common issues dermal fillers can help address:

Enhance and restore volume to sunken cheeks or temples
Smooth outlines around the nose and mouth (also called marionette lines, smile lines, and parentheses)
Plump and enhance the lips
Diminish vertical lip lines
Improve symmetry among facial features
Smooth out a chin crease

What Are Dermal Fillers Made With?

There is a variety of FDA-approved filler products that cosmetic surgeons use. In general, fillers are categorized by the substance they are made from.

A Note For Your Safety: Always ensure that you’re receiving FDA-approved, brand name fillers, which are only available through a licensed physician, such as a board-certified cosmetic surgeon.

Hyaluronic Acid (HA)

Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance that is already found in your skin. It helps keep skin plump and hydrated. HA fillers are typically soft and gel-like. The results are temporary, lasting 6 to 12 months or longer before the body gradually and naturally absorbs the particles.

Most HA Woodstock cosmetic injections and fillers are infused with lidocaine to help minimize discomfort during and after treatment. FDA approved HA fillers include:

Juvéderm products: Juvéderm XC, VOLUMA, VOLBELLA, VOLLURE
Revanesse Versa
Belotero Balance
Restylane products: Restylane, Restylane Silk, Restylane Lyft, Restylane Refyne, Restylane Defyne, Restylane Kysse, Restylane Contour
The RHA collection: RHA 2, RHA 3, and RHA 4

Poly-L-lactic Acid

Poly-L-lactic acid is a biocompatible (meaning it’s safe to use in the body), biodegradable synthetic substance. It has been used for many years in medical devices, such as dissolvable stitches.

Poly-L-lactic acid products are technically classified as “collagen stimulators,” as their main mechanism to smooth fine lines is by helping your skin rebuild natural collagen—the filler gel itself dissipates a few days after treatment.

Poly-L-lactic acid is typically used to treat deeper facial wrinkles, and the results can last more than 2 years. FDA-approved Poly-L-lactic acid fillers include Sculptra Aesthetic.

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is a synthetic, biocompatible substance that has been used in medicine for much of the last century. In Woodstock cosmetic injections and fillers, PMMA takes the form of a “microsphere” or tiny ball, that remains beneath the skin indefinitely to provide continued support.

PMMA fillers will also contain collagen, a naturally occurring substance in the skin that provides structure and firmness. FDA-approved PMMA fillers include Bellafill (formerly known as Artefill).

Calcium Hydroxylapatite (CaHA)

Calcium hydroxylapatite is also a naturally occurring substance, found primarily in our bones. When used in a filler, the calcium particles are nearly microscopic and suspended in a smooth gel.

The consistency of a CaHA filler is typically thicker than that of a hyaluronic acid filler and typically last longer as well, about 12 months for most patients. Calcium hydroxylapatite is also reported to help stimulate natural collagen production, and it’s typically used for deeper lines and wrinkles. FDA-approved CaHA fillers include Radiesse.

Autologous Fat Injections (Facial Fat Grafting)

Autologous fat injections are the only injectable filler treatment that requires surgery, but results can last for many years. Your own fat is harvested from another area (autologous means “from the same person”), typically using liposuction.

The fat is then purified and injected into the face to help restore volume to the temples, cheeks, lower eyelids, or other areas. Fat injections require specialized training to perform safely and achieve great results, and should only be performed by an experienced, board-certified cosmetic surgeon.

Choosing a Provider for Filler Treatments

When selecting a provider for injectable dermal fillers, give your decision the same level of care and scrutiny that you would for a surgical procedure. Non-surgical filler treatment is still a medical procedure that requires specific training, knowledge, and skill to ensure safe treatment and natural-looking results.

Choose a provider with extensive knowledge of facial anatomy, a well-developed aesthetic eye, and a surgeon’s skill and precision.

Whomever you choose, ensure your provider has a proven background in cosmetic medicine as well as training and substantial experience performing filler injections. Ask to see before & after photos of a potential provider’s patients.

If an R.N. or physician’s assistant will be performing your Woodstock cosmetic injections and fillers, that person should be working closely under the supervision of a qualified physician, preferably a board-certified cosmetic surgeon.

Which Filler Do I Need?

With so many dermal filler products on the market, it can be difficult to know the right choice for you without an experienced cosmetic surgeon’s guidance.

Each product is uniquely formulated to have a certain texture, density, and injection depth, which means that certain fillers work better for certain areas of concern. Therefore, your doctor will determine what product is best for you.

What to Expect During Treatment

Dermal filler injections are non-surgical and typically completed during an office visit. Your initial treatment will begin with a consultation, during which you will meet with your cosmetic surgeon to discuss your concerns and goals.

Pre-Treatment Consultation

During your consultation, your cosmetic surgeon will evaluate your area of concern and review your medical history.

While the risks associated with dermal fillers are minimal, you need to fully disclose your medical history before treatment, as certain allergies, skin and neurological conditions, or medications can jeopardize your safety or results.

For instance, you need to tell your cosmetic surgeon if you have been taking NSAIDs (e.g., aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen) or blood thinners, as these increase the likelihood of bruising.

Your Injectable Filler Treatment

Just before the actual treatment, the area will be cleaned, and you may be given a topical anesthetic to numb the area before injection. Many filler products also contain lidocaine, a mild anesthetic, which is intended to help minimize discomfort during and after your treatment. Your doctor will then inject a precise amount of filler strategically beneath the skin.

Depending on the product and the areas treated, you should be able to notice results immediately after receiving filler injections. Some patients experience mild bruising and swelling, but these are temporary and should subside over the days following treatment.

You will be able to go back to your normal activities right after treatment, but your cosmetic surgeon may ask you to take the day off from exercise or other strenuous activities.

How Long Do the Results Last?

How long the effects of Woodstock cosmetic injections and fillers will last depend on the product, the area of treatment, and the patient. Generally speaking, the denser the product is and the more deeply it is injected, the longer it will last, although this is not a hard and fast rule.

To maintain your results, your cosmetic surgeon will simply repeat treatment, adjusting the amount and techniques as necessary to ensure optimal results.

Hyaluronic acid fillers tend to be the most temporary option, and therefore are often recommended for first-time filler patients. These will typically last from 6 to 18 months. Injections to the lips will wear out a little faster than those to the nasolabial folds. Certain HA fillers, such as VOLUMA, are formulated to last longer but are usually limited to certain areas, such as the cheeks.

Synthetic fillers tend to last longer, as they are not absorbed by the body. They can be a great option for the right patient, but you will want to be ready to commit to results that will be there for several years—and choose an experienced, qualified doctor whose aesthetic style you like.

Fat injections are meant to last indefinitely; however, some of the injected fat is expected not to survive. Initially, your cosmetic surgeon may overfill the treatment area, resulting in an initially fuller look that will gradually settle into a more natural appearance.

Find A Qualified Dermal Filler Doctor

With the help of an experienced, qualified doctor, injectable fillers can provide natural-looking enhancements to help you feel more confident in your appearance. If you are ready to learn more about your options, the next step is to meet with a board-certified cosmetic surgeon for a consultation.