Dermal Fillers

Hyaluronic Dermal Fillers Facial Enhancement and Contouring

What are Dermal Fillers?

Dermal fillers are hyaluronic acid injectable solution, used to fill facial lines and restore lost volume under the skin. This gel is highly water loving (hydrophilic) and works by increasing the moisture content in your skin.

As your skin ages, it loses the collagen that helps shape and support it. Natural lines and wrinkles deepen. Sun exposure, smoking, air pollution and even stress can all age your appearance. Collagen production decreases as we age and the face can begin to lose volume giving sunken cheeks and a ‘dragged down’ appearance.

Dermal fillers such as Belotero®, Juvederm®, Restylane® and Sculptra® are used as an effective treatment for deep lines and wrinkles. They can help reduce deep lines and wrinkles, fill hollows and smooth the contours of your face. Anti-ageing facial fillers are the non-surgical way to achieve younger looking skin and provide volume for tired lines and wrinkles.

Which areas can Dermal Fillers be administered?

Deep facial wrinkles
Nose to mouth lines (naso-labial folds)
Cheeks (for volume loss)
Lip lines around the lip (smokers lines, marionette lines)
Tear troughs (sunken lower lid)
What are the benefits of dermal fillers?

A non-invasive treatment with little downtime, so you can return to day-to-day activities straight away
Reduction of lines and wrinkles to give a more youthful looking appearance
Replenishes lost volume for a softer more younger look
Long lasting results
Is it safe and does it hurt?

Millions of people worldwide have had these injections and the safety of the product is well established. Many dermal filler products contain 0.3% of lidocaine (local anaesthetic) this can produce a positive result in drug tests.

Due to the use of a needle there is likely to be some bleeding at the injection site. People taking certain medications that reduce or inhibit metabolism (cimetidine, beta-blockers etc. are not advised to have dermal fillers treatment. Treatment is also not recommended in pregnant or breast-feeding women.

What can I expect following treatment?

The effect of your treatment is almost immediate. Filler can be slightly mobile for a few hours following the procedure so it is important that you keep facial movements minimal and do not rub or massage the area for the rest of the day.

Immediately after treatment it is quite normal to have slight redness, swelling and tenderness around the treated area. These signs will gradually disappear in a few days. Wash and dry your face with gentle patting movements.

It is possible that you may be able to feel or see where the product has been placed for about two weeks following treatment. As the filler gradually incorporates into the matrix of your skin, these signs will lessen. If you have had stronger, more uplifting filler, it is possible that the filler will last for longer.

Avoid the use of makeup for the rest of the day following filler to prevent the introduction of infection to the injection sites.

Do not have facial beauty treatments or massage for two weeks following treatment and avoid exposure to strong sunlight, very cold temperatures, saunas and solariums for the same length of time.

If there is discomfort following treatment you may take Paracetamol. Avoid the use of aspirin, ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory drugs as these may increase the risk of bruising.

Lip treatment generally take a little longer to settle and may feel tender and appear uneven – this will gradually resolve itself within the first week and will not affect the final result.

There is a chance of bruising with filler treatments, caused both through the injection and sometimes through the pressure of the product on capillaries under the skin.

Bruising may be apparent at the time of treatment or may develop later and may be anything from more likely mild to moderate or occasionally heavy. This is an unfortunate side effect of filler treatments. Bruising will subside in time and the use of cool compresses for two days following treatment can help. After two days, warm compresses will encourage blood supply to remove traces of the bruise.

Although your treatment result is immediate the overall result will look much better in about two weeks when any trauma has subsided and the plumping effect of the product has really started to take effect.

What are the risks of Dermal Fillers?

Your doctor will explain all the specific risks of Dermal Fillers to a particular facial area in detail before you sign a consent form for treatment we have outlined the risks of Dermal Filler injections in general: –

Common

Swelling / bruising at the injection site: this is normal and should subside within a day or two. ** Bruising in patients taking blood-thinning agents may take several weeks to resolve.
Indurations (hardening of the skin), bruising or nodules may develop at the injection site. These usually resolve within 1 – 2 weeks.
Rare

Infection is possible at the injection site although rare and can be treated with antibiotics.
The injection of dermal fillers in patients who are prone to herpes simplex (cold sores) may trigger an outbreak, particularly when injecting into the lip area. Prophylactic treatment with anti-viral medications will be discussed with these individuals.
In rare cases discolouration of the injection site, necrosis, abscess formation, granulomas, hypersensitivity and haematomas have been reported.
Very rare

Severe allergic reactions including anaphylaxis are a very rare possibility.
If any side effect becomes serious, or any side effect not listed in this document occurs, please tell your healthcare professional.
Very rarely reported: occlusion and compression of blood vessels in the area which can lead to skin necrosis (skin death) and permanent scarring.
Delayed allergic reactions (hypersensitivity) may occur which can result in swelling and redness after several weeks which may need prolonged treatment.
There have been a few reported cases of blindness across the world that may have been attributed to the treatment with dermal fillers in the temple area, tear trough and nose re shaping.
When can I expect to see the results?

Visible results are usually seen instantly. Patients should allow up to 2 weeks for the Dermal Fillers to take full effect before evaluating final results.

How long do the effects last?

The effects of the treatment usually last between 6 and 8 months, this will vary from person to person.

The average effect of treatment to the lips is less than in other areas due to high vascularisation and frequent action of the lip area. Deep lines will be softened and may take a couple of treatments until the optimal results are seen, fine lines can almost disappear.