Choosing the Dermal Filler That Is Right for You

Dermal fillers are often referred to as liquid facelifts, as they provide many of the benefits of surgery in just one easy injectable. Facial fillers are an excellent choice for minimizing wrinkles, plumping lips, filling out shallow contours, and restoring youthful fullness to the face. Treatment options are generally divided into two categories – temporary or semi-permanent – but all require regular maintenance to achieve optimal results.

Temporary and semi-permanent dermal fillers

Temporary dermal fillers are very popular, since they are generally forgiving and allow for easy adjustments to obtain desired results. Temporary products include:

• Body fat: The most natural of all dermal fillers is your own body fat. Your cosmetic surgeon begins with liposuction to harvest fat, then fills wrinkles, hollows or other contoured areas.
• Collagen: This natural protein is generally used as a facial filler to reduce the appearance of fine lines or plump the lips. Band names include Cymetra, Dermalogen, and Fascian.
• Calcium hydroxylapatite: This dermal filler is derived from human bone, and is the heaviest of all temporary fillers. It is utilized to fill deep wrinkles or creases, such as frown lines, and to fill in sunken facial features. Brand names include Radiance and Radiesse.
• Hyaluronic acid: This natural substance is used to inject fullness into facial tissues that have lost elasticity or volume, usually due to aging. It is one of the most popular dermal fillers today. Brand names include Captique, Elevess, Esthélis, Hylaform, Juvéderm, Perlane, Prevelle, Puragen and Restylane.
• Polylactic acid: This synthetic injectable stimulates the body’s production of collagen, thus providing very natural, gradual improvement of deep lines and creases in the face. Brand names include New-Fill and Sculptra.

The leading semi-permanent dermal fillers on the market contain PMMA, or polymethylmethacrylate, a substance comprised of PMMA microspheres suspended in purified collagen gel. Your surgeon will generally under-fill during the first PMMA treatment, as this filler is easily increased, if necessary, during future treatments. Popular brand names include Artefill, Artico, and Metacrill.

Choosing the right filler: Juvederm, Radiesse, and Restylane NYC

Options for plastic surgery New York include a wealth of facial filler options to rejuvenate your skin. Choosing the best filler for your needs is a delicate process and depends on several factors.

During your initial consultation, Dr. Loeb will take into account your age, target areas, desired results, skin condition, and other factors to recommend the best filler for you. For many, temporary fillers, including Juvéderm, Radiesse, Restylane and Sculptra are excellent choices. In particular, Juvéderm and Restylane provide natural results with biodegradable, non-animal based injectables that restore youthful fullness and soft lines.

Maintenance of dermal fillers

Most temporary facial fillers provide immediate, visible results and last six months to one year. It is important to schedule regular touchups in order to maintain optimal results. To improve their overall appearance, some patients choose to combine dermal fillers with other non-invasive treatments, including botulinum toxin (Botox), microdermabrasion, photo facials, and skin rejuvenation or resurfacing.

If you would like to learn more about dermal fillers in NYC, we invite you to call Dr. Loeb’s Fifth Avenue office at 212-327-3700 to schedule a private facial surgery consultation.