Cosmetic Dermal fillers restore volume and fullness to the skin to correct moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds, and marionette lines. Dermal fillers are also used to enhance lips and minimize acne scars. The number of syringes is determined by the amount of material necessary to achieve optimal results. The cost of treatment depends upon the amount needed of the specific product used.
How will I know which dermal filler is right for me?
Each of the fillers we offer at Georgia Dermatology Partners is targeted for different areas. For instance, Juvéderm Voluma is formulated specifically to return the volume to sunken cheek areas. Juvéderm Volbella is meant to add subtle, not showy, volume to the lips. Restylane Lyft is excellent for returning volume to the backs of the hands, where tendons and blood vessels have become more prominent. There are a variety of options for addressing all the lines around the mouth, such as nasolabial folds (smile lines).
When you come in for your consultation, you’ll discuss the areas you seek to target, and we can then match the right filler specifically to your needs.
What’s the difference between dermal fillers and neuromodulators?
Dermal fillers are injected under a crease or area of volume loss and they fill in the depression and push the skin upward. Most fillers are made from hyaluronic acid, which binds with nearby water molecules as soon as it is injected.
Dermal fillers only are effective aesthetically on lines, creases, and areas of volume loss on the mid to lower face. These wrinkles are known as “static wrinkles” because they show themselves at all times. Static wrinkles are caused by sun damage, declining collagen production, and other factors that come with aging.
Botox is a neuromodulator and neuromodulators (we also offer Dysport) work in an entirely different fashion. Neuromodulators are made primarily from the botulinum toxin type A, the same bacteria responsible for botulism. That sounds scary, but it’s not. That’s because in the late 1940s scientists discovered that when injected in very minute amounts the botulinum toxin temporarily stopped muscles from contracting.
Botox and Dysport work on wrinkles on the upper third of the face. These wrinkles form on the surface skin above muscles when we perform various common expressions. If you make a frown, for instance, you can feel the muscles around your eyes, between your brows, and on your forehead engage. Over time, as our skin thins and we produce less collagen, wrinkles form on the surface skin when we contract these muscles. These are called “dynamic wrinkles.” These are crow’s feet at the outside of the eyes, the 11s between the eyebrows, and forehead wrinkles.
What is the difference between hyaluronic dermal fillers and synthetic fillers?
All of the fillers in the Juvéderm and Restylane lines are made predominantly from hyaluronic acid. This is a naturally occurring substance in the human body that is responsible for hydrating, plumping, and firming the skin. For that reason, these fillers are designated as “natural” fillers. When they are injected under a crease or area of volume loss the hyaluronic acid binds with nearby water molecules to provide instant volume, erasing the wrinkle or filling in lost volume.
Radiesse and Bellafill are created with calcium microspheres or polymethyl methacrylate microspheres, so they are categorized as “synthetic” fillers.
After they are injected, the microspheres begin to be absorbed by the body, and this triggers the body to produce new amounts of collagen. Since collagen is the protein responsible for providing the structural latticework under our skin, this rejuvenates the skin and fills in depressed areas and areas of volume loss.
How should I prepare for a dermal filler session?
These are simple treatments that take just 15-30 minutes. You don’t need to do anything in preparation.
Juvéderm® & Juvéderm Voluma®
Juvéderm® is the first FDA-approved dermal filler proven safe and effective for persons of color. The Juvéderm gel is made of hyaluronic acid with a smooth consistency, allowing for easy injections and instant natural-looking results.
Juvéderm®, Volbella and Voluma® are FDA-approved dermal fillers formulated specifically to add volume to the face and soften fine lines around the cheeks and chin. These injectable gels were created to provide a subtle, natural enhancement to the mid-face, addressing changes in definition that occur over time. Dermal fillers can help restore more youthful contours by plumping up the area that so often loses volume as part of the aging process. It can also return a firmer shape to the jaw line when some softening has set in.
Restylane®
Restylane Lyft®, Restylane Silk,® and Restylane® injectable gels are cosmetic “fillers” that contain hyaluronic acid (HA), a natural substance that is found in the body. HA gives volume and elasticity to the skin. As the body ages, HA levels decrease, resulting in loose skin and wrinkling.
When injected, both gels are designed to plump up the skin beneath lines and wrinkles, smoothing them out and making them less noticeable. The difference between the three gels is the molecule size. Restylane Lyft gel, although similar in consistency to Restylane gel, contains larger particles, which are better at filling deeper depressions. Restylane Lyft® injections are used for moderate-to-severe lines around the lips, nose, mouth and forehead while Restylane® and Restylane Silk® are more commonly used for lips, tear troughs and fine lines.
How long will my results last with Juvéderm and Restylane fillers?
How long fillers will last depends in part on your metabolism, as different people break down hyaluronic acid at different rates. These are some general timeframes.
Juvéderm Voluma is the longest-lasting hyaluronic filler, restoring cheek volume for up to two years. Other Juvéderm and Restylane fillers provide results from 9-18 months.
Radiesse®
Radiesse® volumizing filler is a synthetic injectable filler that has been U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved for reducing moderate-to-severe wrinkles, folds and creases around the nose and mouth by augmenting the skin’s natural collagen supply.
It is a safe, effective and long-lasting alternative to injectable collagen and other dermal fillers for smoothing wrinkles and adding facial volume and contour.
Bellafill
Bellafill® is approved for the correction of facial wrinkles known as nasolabial folds, or smile lines, and the correction of moderate to severe, atrophic, distensible facial acne scars on the cheek in patients over the age of 21 years.
Bellafill® is also the only dermal filler established safe and effective for the correction of nasolabial folds through 5 years.
What is Bellafill made of?
Bellafill consists of a mix of 80 percent collagen and 20 percent polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microspheres. PMMA is a biocompatible material that has been safely used in medical implants and other devices for over 65 years.
How long will my results last with Radiesse and Bellafill?
The two synthetic fillers we offer are Radiesse and Bellafill. Radiesse provides increased collagen production for one year or longer in some patients. Bellafill is the longevity king of all fillers — it provides volume to smooth nasolabial folds for up to five years!
How many sessions are required to receive dermal fillers?
All of the dermal fillers we offer at Georgia Dermatology partners only require one injection session. From there, as mentioned above, your results will last anywhere from 9 months to up to five years with Bellafill.
How long does a dermal filler session take?
The length of your session depends on the area or areas you are having addressed. You can plan on usually 30 minutes for most sessions. If we’re applying topical numbing cream prior to your injections, you should add another 10-15 minutes for it to take effect.
Do dermal filler injections hurt?
For most patients, we apply topical numbing cream 10 minutes before their injections. Many of these fillers also include some lidocaine in their formulation. The combination ensures patients have little or no discomfort with their injections.
What are the side effects with dermal fillers?
All of the dermal fillers we use at Georgia Dermatology Partners have been approved for aesthetic use by the FDA. We use fillers made predominantly from hyaluronic acid, along with two synthetic fillers. Because hyaluronic acid occurs in the body, reactions to these fillers are quite rare.
The typical side effects after dermal filler injections are slight redness and swelling at the injection sites. This resolves in a day or so. It is possible for a lump to develop at the injection site, but this can be remedied easily by injecting an enzyme, hyaluronidase. This enzyme neutralizes the hyaluronic acid instantly and breaks down the lump. We can then try the injection a second time.
Radiesse is a synthetic filler that uses calcium microspheres to trigger increased collagen production. Bellafill uses microspheres made from polymethyl methacrylate, which is compatible with the body and has been used in medical implants for over 65 years. Both of these synthetic fillers trigger increases in collagen production, and both had to show extensive testing to gain FDA approval. After your injection session, you may have some temporary swelling, redness, bruising, lumps or bumps, itching, and discoloration at the injection sites. These issues typically resolve in 1-7 days.
Schedule Your Consultation Today
Georgia Dermatology Partners proudly offers cosmetic dermal fillers such as Juvéderm®, Juvéderm Voluma®, Restylane®, Radiesse®, and Bellafill® to patients from Loganville, Snellville, Braselton, Gainesville, Monroe, and Lawrenceville, GA. Call us today at 470-400-SKIN (7546) to schedule an appointment.
