Injectable dermal fillers are gaining popularity for a good reason! The Restylane family of fillers (Restylane, Restylane Lyft and Restylane Silk) and the Juvederm family of fillers (Juvederm XC, Juvederm Ultra XC, Juvederm Ultra Plus XC, Juvederm Voluma XC) are all hyaluronic acid dermal fillers.
Injectable dermal fillers are an effective anti-aging treatment that can be performed in less than 30 minutes! The ease of treatment and minimal downtime, combined with the low cost, have ensured dermal fillers are here to stay. Dermal fillers are much less expensive and invasive that a traditional facelift.
Dermal fillers are injected directly into wrinkled skin. Instantly the filler adds volume and fullness and reduces the prominence of the folds and wrinkles. Dermal Fillers are safe and effective treatments to reduce the appearance of lines and folds, as well as add volume to desired areas, such as the lips or cheeks. Dermal fillers are made of hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic Acid (HA) is naturally occuring in the body. HA attracts and binds water, which creates more fullness in the area that was treated.
A traditional facelift (a rhytidectomy) requires anesthesia and downtime. A facelift is used to treat deep facial creases and folds, redistribute facial fat pockets, and wrinkles. Full facelifts require incisions from the temple to the curve of the ear, then back to the nape of the neck. Surgeons then pull back the skin and pull on the deeper layers of tissue and muscle below the skin, removing excess skin in the process.
A facelift will tighten the skin, but for most areas, such as nasolabial folds or volume loss in the cheeks and lips, dermal filler are the best option. A facelift can not correct lost volume the same way dermal fillers can. When the skin is pulled too tight the face can appear warped and unnatural. Most patients prefer natural improvements from dermal fillers rather the drastic taut look of a full facelift.