Dermal filler are made up of hyalauronic acid, which is a naturally occurring sugar found in your body that gives the skin moisture, volume, and elasticity to help keep the skin  plump and hydrated. As you age, hyalauronic acid in your body gets depleted, causing the skin to lose volume. When hyalauronic acid is injected into the face via dermal filler, it attracts water into the skin, which plumps up the area that was injected. Dermal filler with hyalauronic acid also stimulates your body to create more of its own natural collagen production, giving your face a more youthful appearance over time.

 

Hyalauronic acid is naturally broken down by the body every 6 months. Therefore, the average client needs a touchup of their dermal filler once or twice a year to maintain their look.

 

Dermal fillers come in many different forms that are typically soft and gel-like. Each injectable has different physiochemical properties to achieve specific goals in certain anatomical areas. Your injector will determine what filler works best for the look you are trying to achieve.

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We often see dermal fillers be injected into the cheeks and lips. Dermal fillers can also be used for lines that are apparent when the face is relaxed such as nasolabial folds/smile lines (nose to mouth lines), marionette/frown lines (mouth to chin lines), and those who have vertical lines above their lip from smoking. In order to achieve these results for lines, it may be a multi step process, which involves adding filler near the cheekbones to restore fullness, by plumping and lifting the face for structural support. The reason we do this is because as you age, skin sags causing deeper folds towards the end of the face. If we can restore fullness in the cheeks, we can also reduce the look of smile lines in the process. We can then reassess the area and determine if you still need filler in those lines.

 

Dermal filler often gets a bad reputation for giving people the look of duck lips or trout pout. But when filler is expertly injected it can often look very natural without anyone knowing you had filler.

 

If you do not like the way filler looks on your face, you can opt to have it dissolved with hyaluronidase, an enzyme that breaks down hyalauronic acid. This takes only minutes to do.

 

Bruising can often occur with dermal filler and last 7-10 days. Therefore, you should not get dermal filler right before a big event in case you bruise.

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A few simple guidelines both pre and post-treatment can make a difference between a good result and a fantastic one.

 

BEFORE

• Eat at least 1 cup of fresh pineapple or pineapple juice for 3 days prior to appointment (the enzyme it contains can help prevent bruising and swelling)

• Please note, if you have a history of facial cold sores, there is a risk that the insertion of the needle could contribute to a cold sore development. Some patients opt to take antiviral medicals before the treatment as a preventative approach to a potential cold sore.

• Avoid drinking alcohol 3 days before your treatment It is important that you do not take Aspirin, NSAIDS (Aleve, Naproxen, Ibuprofen, Motrin), Vitamin E, fish oil, Ginko Biloba, St Johns Wart, Ginseng, and Garlic for 7 days before getting filler as this may contribute to bleeding and bruising. Please consult your doctor before discontinuing if you are taking Aspirin for medical reasons! 

 

AFTER

• Please note that it is normal to feel “firmness” in the treated areas for the first week after treatment, and then it will soften and settle, leaving you with a soft, natural looking result. It is normal to experience tenderness at the injection site. You may take Acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain relief.

• After your treatment you may apply ice to diminish swelling and bruising.

• You may take Arnica pills or use Arnica gel to help with bruising.

• Do not rub or massage the treated area.

• If you get lip filler, it is advised that you do not drink out of a straw for 24 hours.

• Avoid exercise for 24 hours after your treatment.

• Avoid drinking alcohol for 24 hours after your treatment as this may contribute to bruising and swelling, since alcohol may cause the blood vessels to dilate causing more bruising.

• Wait 1 week after your treatment before receiving laser or skincare treatments near the area that was treated with filler.

• Wait 2 weeks after your treatment before getting a massage due to the pressure from the face cradle.

• Avoid taking Aspirin, NSAIDS (Aleve, Naproxen, Ibuprofen, Motrin), Vitamin E, fish oil, Ginko Biloba, St Johns Wart, Ginseng, and Garlic 2 weeks after the procedure since this may increase the risk of bruising. Please consult your doctor before discontinuing if you are taking Aspirin for medical reasons! 

• Avoid excessive heat such as saunas, hot showers, or the hot sun. This may cause the blood vessels to dilate and cause more bleeding and bruising.

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