Your face begins to age right around the end of your 20s and continues to look progressively older over the next few decades. Your skin loses collagen and becomes less firm, gravity causes your skin to sag and lose volume, and you start to see wrinkles develop around your eyes, nose, and mouth.
There are many anti-aging treatments available for patients, both surgical and nonsurgical. One of the most popular nonsurgical treatments is the use of dermal fillers at my Boston practice, such as Restylane®, RADIESSE®, or JUVÉDERM®.
In 2019, over 2.7 million injections of fillers were performed, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Dermal fillers are one of the safest and most popular nonsurgical anti-aging treatments, and it’s not hard to see why.
Replacing Structural Loss
One of the major reasons your skin starts to look older as you age is that it loses some of its key structural components, like collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid. Dermal fillers can either replace or simulate these components to restore your face to a younger appearance.
For example, hyaluronic acid hydrates your skin and keeps it tight. When you have enough hyaluronic acid in your skin, your face retains its contours and volume without having any lines or wrinkles. JUVÉDERM and Restylane are synthetic forms of this acid that will rehydrate your skin, reducing or eliminating wrinkles and giving your skin a firmer look.
Restoring Volume
Thanks to gravity and protein/fiber loss, the face loses volume and definition with aging. Dermal fillers like RADIESSE contain calcium hydroxylapatite, or tiny micro-spheres of calcium, which act like a liquid form of facial implants. When injected, RADIESSE gives your face back some of its volume in the jaw and cheekbones while smoothing out some of the deeper lines. The dermal filler can also be used to replace volume in hands, as you can see in my patient’s before-and-after photos.
Reducing Lines and Wrinkles
Lines and wrinkles are among the earliest age indicators that appear on the face. The good news is that just about every dermal filler available is capable of reducing or eliminating their presence. Some fillers work by increasing volume or boosting the presence of hyaluronic acid, as explained previously. Other compounds, like BOTOX®, a neurotoxin, work by attacking the muscles that create the lines on your face. Regardless of the type of product used to combat wrinkles, dermal fillers are very effective at treatment and prevention.
Smaller Cost, Longer Treatment Intervals, and Zero Down Time
Dermal fillers are also a much cheaper alternative to surgical anti-aging options.
Dermal fillers can be reapplied as needed. Most patients need a treatment every 12 months or so, but the time period between treatments can range from six months to up to two years. Your personal rate of treatment will depend on your age as well as your skin type and its needs.
There is also zero downtime involved with getting dermal fillers. You just go to your doctor’s office and 20 to 30 minutes later, you’re all set! You can get the treatment during your lunch break and go right back to work. You may have a small amount of swelling or numbness at the treated area, but this will dissipate over the next several hours.
Be sure to check out our related blog post to learn the dos and don’ts of dermal fillers.
Curious? Call Us Today to Learn More!
Dr. Davidson is considered one of the top dermal filler doctors in Massachusetts and offers the widest range of dermal filler options. You can schedule a consultation at our office in Boston to discuss which treatment will give you the best results and give you the opportunity to learn more about our many surgical and nonsurgical procedures.
Dr. Christopher Davidson is a board-certified surgeon with the American Board of Plastic Surgery and has been practicing for over 10 years. He is also a graduate of Harvard Medical School and trained at The Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the Beth Israel-Deaconess Hospital. Dr. Davidson’s goal is always to provide his patients with the best and most natural-looking results.
To schedule an appointment, contact us today by calling (781) 237-7700, or by requesting a consultation using our contact form online.