Botox®/Dysport/Fillers
BOTOX® and dermal fillers are some of today’s most popular cosmetic surgery procedures. They help reduce wrinkles, leaving skin looking young and beautiful. If creases are only apparent when we squint, only BOTOX® is needed. If creases are visible at rest, and not made worse by squinting, then fillers are necessary. If creases are present at rest and get worse with facial expressions, then BOTOX® and fillers are necessary.
Dermal fillers are becoming increasingly popular as a means to help reverse the changes associated with aging. Because the goal is to return the dermis to its original youthful state, dermal fillers can give a more natural appearance than surgical face lifts. Dermal fillers are being used to reduce or eliminate wrinkles, raise scar depressions, enhance lips, and replace soft-tissue volume loss.
As our skin ages, the dermis gradually loses its major constituents: collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid. Collagen acts as the major support protein for our skin, elastin allows our skin to stay firm and resist wrinkles, and hyaluronic acid helps to trap water and add volume and shape to our skin.
Some of the most popular fillers include hyaluronic acid based fillers (i.e. Restylane and Juvederm), poly lactic acid based fillers (i.e. Sculptra) and calcium hydroxylapatite fillers such as Radiesse.
All types of filler materials can all help improve the youthful appearance and fullness of facial skin, but there are differences in the way each behaves and the duration of time the results of each filler will last. An important element to achieving successful results with dermal fillers is realizing that no one filler is ideal for all areas of the face. In some cases, multiple fillers can be used in various places in the face to improve the entire facial aesthetic, in a procedure known as a liquid facelift.
Sculptra is a long lasting dermal filler because it actually works by activating the production of natural collagen, which fills the wrinkle or fold over time (usually 2 to 6 months), rather than plumping the area with the product itself. Since it works in this way, Sculptra is not technically classified as a dermal filler, but it is administered similarly to one and the results can last up to two years.
Most injectable fillers are administered in just a few minutes, and any discomfort can be managed with topical or injectable anesthetics. Some minor initial discomfort is normal, but should be brief, as most patients are comfortable returning to work or other daily activities immediately. The results can last from three months to five years, depending on the filler being used. Dermal fillers are minimally invasive and generally very safe.
The skin of the face and neck develop an aged look due to effects of sun damage, gravity, sleep lines and muscular action. Years of squinting and frowning can leave deep wrinkles between the eyebrows and may extend to the bridge of the nose. These defects also may appear across the forehead and at the corners of the eyes as "crow's feet."
Botox® and Dysport are approved by the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) for the treatment of the lines between the eyebrows and also can be
effectively used for "off-label" indications in other facial
areas. These injections reduce facial lines by temporarily interrupting
the connections between the underlying nerves and muscles. With decreased
muscular contractions, the overlying skin smoothes, decreasing the appearance
of skin creases and preventing new creases from developing.
Injections of Botox® or Dysport are done with very small amounts of
the toxin at several points along the muscle with a very thin needle. Patients
usually notice a clinical effect 1-3 days following injections and the effect
maximizes by 1-2 weeks.
