Dermal Fillers

What are Dermal Fillers?
Dermal fillers, as the name suggests, are literally used to fill in lines and wrinkles. There are a number of different brands on the market, the majority of which these days are made from hyaluronic acid – a substance that is naturally produced by the body to keep skin hydrated.

The original dermal filler was made from collagen, derived from cows, and had a fairly major limitation in that patients needed to have a skin test four weeks before treatment – not exactly a walk-in, walk-out procedure!

So when Restylane, an HA filler, hit the market in 1996 it was pretty much an overnight success and several others have since followed suit. The best- known of these are the Juvéderm and Belotero lines, although newcomers like Uma Jeunesse have been making waves of late.

Dermal Fillers don’t have to be made out of hyaluronic acid, however, and there are some new contenders made from different substances. Ellansé, for example is a longer-lasting filler (most have a duration of six to twelve months) that is made from polycaprolactone – a material that is used medically for things like dissolvable stitches.

The vast majority of the temporary dermal fillers on the market are bio-resorbable, which means that after a period of time the product will be broken down and re-absorbed by the body.

Most ranges of dermal fillers have several products of varying viscosity, which can be used for different treatments – aside from wrinkle- filling, dermal fillers can be used as a non-surgical option for Lip Augmentation, as well as nose reshaping, cheek enhancement and tear trough rejuvenation – more below.

Who is suitable for Dermal Fillers?
Pretty much anyone is a candidate for dermal fillers, and according to some practitioners almost anything can be achieved with them, so it’s definitely worth having a consultation to find out what fillers can do for you.

What’s the treatment like?
A local anaesthetic cream may be applied – although some ranges, like Juvéderm, have an anaesthetic built in.

To treat wrinkles, the dermal fillers will be injected quite superficially into each individual line, and then massaged to ensure that the product is evenly dispersed, so you don’t end up with any lumps.

Cheek enhancement is usually performed using a higher viscosity filler, which is injected deeper into the dermis to create a volumising effect – see  Volumisers.

For tear trough rejuvenation – which is a relatively new treatment to deal with dark circles and fill those ageing hollows under the eyes – multiple tiny injections of the filler are given in the under-eye area.

Non-surgical nose reshaping is offered by advanced practitioners. It’s only suitable for more minor reshaping procedures – if you have a serious problem with the structure of your nose then you probably need to go for Rhinoplasty – but it can produce very effective results.

Small amounts of filler are injected into the areas of the nose that need ‘tweaking’, and because you can see the results straightaway, you are in complete control of the finished effect – the practitioner tends to do it in stages and show you a mirror after each one, so you can check you are happy.

This is also a good introductory measure for those who are unsure about a full-blown nose job.

What happens afterwards Dermal Fillers?
There is minimal downtime after dermal fillers, although there may be some redness at the site of injection, and – rarely – a small amount of bruising, so you might want to wait a day or two before having that big night out to show off your new look.

Most of these fillers are temporary and will need to be topped up after six to twelve months to maintain the results, although the effects of some Ellansé products can last for up to four years.

Will I have a scar after Dermal Fillers?
There is little to no risk of scarring, although it is possible – rarely – to suffer an allergic reaction, which can manifest itself in lumps and bumps in the treatment area.

The advantage of temporary dermal fillers is that this tends to resolve itself within a few months as the filler is reabsorbed by the body, but if it really bothers you, it is possible to have them dissolved using a product called hyaluronidase.

Types of Dermal Filler:
> Ellanse            > Restylane
> Juvederm       > Aquamid
> Teosyal           > Uma Jeunesse

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