Injectable Facial Fillers (Hyaluronic Acid)
As we age, we lose volume, particularly in the “transition areas” of our faces. Imagine a baby, brimming with youth, and the full features and soft transitions of the face. As time and gravity exert their effects, these transitions become more pronounced as soft tissue volume slowly dissipates. The transition from face to lip (the nasolabial fold or melolabial fold), the junction of the lower eyelid and cheek (the nasojugal fold, or “tear trough”), and the progression of the jowl to the chin (the marionette line), all tend to become accentuated by shadow as we age. Elsewhere on the face, full cheeks may lose their prominence, and lips may seem to thin and wrinkle. Restoring volume to smooth these transition zones and to refill areas where fullness has been lost can be achieved without surgery with injectable fillers such as Belotero© or Juvederm©, minimizing the effects of age, and restoring youth and beauty.
Need more information?
If you would like to learn more about having Injectable Facial Fillers that will suit you best, we invite you to meet with Dr. Nabil Fakih for a private consultation at our office.
Please contact us to schedule an initial consultation with Dr. Nabil Fakih to make an appointment. You may also fill out our contact form to make an appointment.
What is Injectable Facial Fillers (Hyaluronic Acid)?
Facial fillers replace skin substances that, when lost, cause wrinkles. The skin thins by loss of collagen and fluid. In youth, the skin remains plump from a natural sugar called hyaluronic acid that attracts and binds to the body’s water. Fillers are substances that are injected to fill in wrinkles and facial depressions that may come with age. Remember, if you don’t like its effect, we can dissolve them by using injectable hyaluronidase. So it is reversible!
What should I expect from my consultation?
During your consultation, you will learn about fillers and discuss your needs and concerns. Dr. Nabil Fakih will carefully examine your entire face and he will determine how much hyaluronic acid (injectable facial filler) you need. After your consultation we will take photographs for your medical record and we will discuss the treatment fees and scheduling dates. You should come to the consultation prepared to discuss your medical history. Also provide information about any medical conditions, drug allergies, medical treatments you have received, previous surgeries and medications that you currently take. It is important for you to provide complete information.
What is Hyaluronic Acid?
Facial fillers are one of the most popular facial cosmetic procedures in the world today. There are a myriad of products on the market, and many more are emerging every year. The fillers we choose are used for the specific area being treated: lines, folds, crevasses or frank volume loss. The most common are hyaluronic acid fillers (HA): Juvederm and Belotero. Hyaluronic acid is a clear gel that already exists in the human body. It attracts water, hydrating your skin. Hyaluronic acid fillers have been safely used in USA and Europe since 1996. Unlike many other fillers, Hyaluronic Acid is non-animal-based and poses no risk of animal disease transmission or allergic reaction. Gradual, precise and pointed is our method and in other areas we uses special cannulas. The most superficial lines, those that appear “etched” into the skin require the thinnest fillers. As the need for more volume replacement increases, fillers are placed deeper and can be thicker. Medium thickness fillers are used for actual folds in the skin and deeper crevasses, such as the naso-labial folds. Medium depth fillers also may be very effective for marionette folds that run downward from the corners of the mouth to the jaw. These thicker fillers are also longer lasting than the thin, superficial fillers. Since there are a number of available fillers for fine and deep wrinkles, both may be used in the same patient, and in conjunction with one another. We often layer fillers in the same areas in order to plump folds and fill the lines that may lie in the depths of those folds. The thickest fillers are more for volume enhancement for the face that needs to be “plumped up.” As the face ages, the cheeks get hollow in addition to droopy. Patients may need lifting as well as volume. In younger patients, however, facelifts can often be delayed by filling the cheeks. This can actually give a small lift as well and is called the “Liquid Facelift.” Of course, nothing substitutes for a beautiful and professional facelift if it’s a means to elevating jowls or excess skin under the neck. But we can go a long way in making you look more refreshed by starting with fillers.
Cohesive Polydensified Matrix Technology
Dr. Nabil Fakih uses cohesive polydensified matrix technology hyaluronic acid, this technology allows durability and tissue integration allowing to smoothly and homogeneously integrate into the dermis a day or two after injection. Also provides a smooth transition between treated and untreated areas not leaving lumps as traditional fillers. If you want to know more about published studies about this technology, please inform Dr. Nabil Fakih to present to you the studies. Also we only injects with Micro-Cannula since it distributes better the filler and with less incidence of bruising.
How long the result last?
How long the results will last depends on several factors. Each patient metabolizes fillers at a different rate. Hyaluronic acid will last about between 6-12 months (depends the concentration of hyaluronic acid and the cross linking).
What happens if you do not like it?
Hyaluronic acid fillers can be dissolved by using an enzyme called hyaluronidase.
We demonstrate an example video explaining how cohesive polydensified matrix technology integrates in the skin.
What is Calcium Hydroxyapatite Filler?
Calcium Hydroxyapatite are another type of fillers. These dermal fillers that are used for smoothing moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds. Also it is used for correcting volume loss in the back of the hands. It is FDA approved for Face and Hands. Collagen is the main structural protein in our skin–it’s what helps it feel and look tight, taught, and youthful. As we age, the production of collagen slows down, causing skin to sag. Fillers containing calcium hydroxyapetite are collagen stimulators. They stimulates the body’s process of generating collagen and encourages growth, for a more refreshed appearance, so beauty can bloom
Calcium Hydroxyapatite
Dr. Nabil Fakih uses Calcium Hydroxyapatite, being up to date the only FDA approved for face and hands. This filler is comprised of calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) microspheres suspended in an aqueous gel carrier. Once injected, it provides immediate volume and correction and continues to work by stimulating the body to produce its own natural collagen for a long-lasting effect. Over time, the gel is absorbed and the body metabolizes the CaHA microspheres, leaving behind only your own natural collagen. We demonstrate below a video of how calcium hydroxyapatite works.
How long the result last?
Radiesse will last up to 2 - 2.5 years.
