Dermal fillers are a relatively new kind of injectable anti-wrinkle treatment which is becoming very popular, challenging the traditional ‘Botox-style’ anti-wrinkle injections for dominance of the market. In truth, though, this is not a competition – dermal filling and traditional anti-aging injections target different parts of the face, and can be used in tandem for truly remarkable results.
How do dermal fillers work?
Like other anti-wrinkle injections, dermal fillers are injected under the skin with a hypodermic needle. However, they work in an entirely different manner. Whereas traditional anti-wrinkle injections relax the facial muscles to minimise and prevent the formation of wrinkles, dermal fillers focus on contouring the face, creating tissue volume, and revitalising the skin itself.
Dermal fillers rely upon a naturally occurring skin chemical called hyaluronic acid. Despite its name, hyaluronic acid is really a complex sugar which plays an important role in hydration and transporting nutrients to the skin. However, its main function as part of a dermal filling treatment is to lubricate and pad the skin itself.
Hyaluronic acid draws water into itself naturally, and holds on to it over the long term. This allows your skin to regain its youthful elasticity and resilience. It can also be used to restore a youthful fullness to areas of your face which naturally thin as you age. The change is very subtle, but the appearance of youth it can deliver when applied by a true expert is downright uncanny.
A dermal filler is injected as a tissue-friendly gel which remains in place between the layers of your skin for a long time before being naturally absorbed. Each treatment typically remains effective for 6 to 9 months. This is far longer than many other options, which is just one of the factors making dermal fillers so popular today.
Where are dermal fillers usually applied?
One of the most common sites for dermal filler injection is the nasolabial folds – the patch of skin running down from your nose to your mouth. This is not an area that tends to wrinkle precisely, but one in which the natural thinning of aging skin is most readily apparent. Conversely, it is one where the restoration of youthful skin is most aesthetically effective.
Next most commonly targeted for dermal filling are the ‘glabella lines’ between your eyebrows. This is an extremely expressive part of the face, and one which few people wish to ‘mute’ using muscle relaxing injections. Many people report much better and longer lasting results by building up the youthful resilience of this part of the face using dermal filling.
Finally, dermal filling is often used to restore a plump, firm, youthful appearance to the lips themselves. This is an area where the long-term moisture-retention ability of hyaluronic acid really stands out. Better still, the effect is much more subtle and natural-looking than the ‘bee stung’ lips that were so popular in years past.
You should talk to your aesthetician today about whether dermal fillers could be right for you, and what place they could take in your overall beauty programme.
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