Dermal Fillers
What are Dermal Fillers?
Dermal fillers, also known as “injectables” or “soft-tissue fillers,” do just what their name suggests, they fill in the area under the skin. They are designed to effectively reduce the appearance of unwanted wrinkles, contour, create volume, and to revitalise the skin. Dermal fillers are based on Hyaluronic acid which is a substance that naturally exists in your body.
Dermal Filler Treatments
At Frontalis Clinic, we offer a number of treatments using high quality injectable fillers:
- Lip Enhancement – thin lips or sagging corners
- Cheek Encancement – loss of volume in cheeks
- Tear Troughs – hollowness under eyes
- Eyebrows – droopy/sagging Eyebrows
- Marionette lines
- Naso-labial folds (laughter lines)
- Mouth corners – sagging corners
- Chin – smooth Chin Wrinkles
- Temples – increased volume to hollow temples
- Brow – smoothing creases between brows (glabella lines)
- Jawline – strengthening of undefined or sagging jawline
- Ear Lobe – adding volume to ear lobes
Dermal fillers are based on Hyaluronic acid which is a substance that naturally exists in your body.
At Frontalis Clinic, we use only the highest quality synthetic Hyaluronic acid, injected by Ruth, our trained and experienced aesthetic Nurse.
What Results can I expect?
There are a lot of things you can expect from dermal filler treatment There are also a lot of things not to expect. So to be sure you get the most out of your treatments, and to help you prepare yourself (and your skin) for the changes to come, let’s talk about what you can, and cannot expect from a dermal filler.
- You CAN expect your skin to feel instantly smoother, fuller, plumper! Dermal fillers, such as Juvéderm are made from hyaluronic acid which actually ‘fill’ in wrinkles, and leave skin looking plumped up and youthful.
- You CAN expect dermal fillers to help soften and fill loss of volume in areas such as the nasolabial fold (the two creases that frame the mouth when you smile), between the eyebrows, and vertical lines on the chin. Fillers are also very effective at plumping up thin lips.
- You CAN expect to see results immediately. And, you can expect very little down-time and almost zero side effects, such as redness or irritation.
- You can NOT expect dermal fillers to last forever. Eventually, the filler is absorbed into the skin, requiring repeat treatment.
- You can NOT expect dermal fillers to lift up seriously sagging skin on the face. Although dermal fillers are great for adding volume and fullness to the skin, they are not an ideal solution for significantly lifting up skin, such as a dropping forehead or sagging chin. A better approach to this particular skin concern would be a PDO Thread Lift.
The picture below shows the typical example of a patient with Juvéderm® Voluma inject into the cheeks to create volume.
FAQs
How long will the effects of the treatment last?
The length of the results depends on the quality of the filler used and the quantity injected. At Frontalis, we use only high-quality fillers like Restylane® and Juvéderm® that typically last around 12-18 months. To maintain optimum filler results you should repeat the injections at the midpoint of the filler treatment duration i.e. overlap treatments by 6-9 months. After the third injection, you are likely to find the results lasting even longer.
Remember of course you are also aging and losing volume over time and may need more filler to maintain the desired look.
What types of fillers do you use?
At Frontalis Clinic, we use only the highest quality synthetic Hyaluronic acid, injected by Ruth, our trained and experienced aesthetic Nurse.
Juvederm® Volbella
Launched in Paris Juvederm® Volbella® is specifically designed to enhance lip volume and define lip contours, with a completely natural look and feel. The filler has a smooth, liquid consistency for a smoother look and the addition of lidocaine anaesthetic makes the treatment even more comfortable in an otherwise uncomfortable area.
Juvederm® Voluma
Juvederm® Voluma is a much thicker hyaluronic acid gel which has been made by altering the cross-linking technique used in Ultra to create a more viscous result. Voluma can be used for recontouring and restoring the face in the case of age-related volume loss. Designed for deep volume restoration to re-contour the face in areas such as the cheek bone and chin regions.
Juvederm® Volift
This revolutionary dermal filler is produced using VYCROSS™ technology. This creates an ultra-smooth gel for natural appearance with minimal swelling and bruising. It is best used for smoothing nasolabial folds and facial contours.
Juvederm® Ultra
This filler contains non-animal hyaluronic acid with the addition of 0.3% lidocaine which is a local anaesthetic to make you feel comfortable both during and after the treatment.
There are actually four different formulations for Juvéderm® ULTRA available;
Juvederm® Ultra
Ultra is a highly cross-linked formulation which is used for the subtle correction of medium facial lines, in particular those around the corners of the eyes and those very close to the surface of the skin. It can also be used to around the lips to enhance natural lip contour.
Juvederm® Ultra 3
Ultra 3 is another highly cross-linked formulation but is instead used for more versatility in contouring and volumising anything from moderate to medium facial lines and skin depressions, in areas such as the nasolabial folds. It can be used subtly in lips to enhance lip contour, increase volume and maintain a youthful smile.
Juvederm® Ultra 4
Ultra 4 is a highly cross-linked robust formulation used for volumising and correction of medium to deep folds and wrinkles, including adding volume in the cheeks and chin improving contour to the face.
Juvederm® Ultra Smile
The newest arrival to the Juvéderm® ULTRA family the Juvéderm® Ultra Smile is based on the Ultra 3 product but it is specifically targeted for use in the lips. It works by providing fuller but softer and natural looking lips and smooths fine lines to fully enhance the mouth area for a fresh new look.
Restylane® Refyne
Restylane Refyne (Emervel Classic) provides a medium lifting effect, and is commonly used to treat moderate wrinkles and lines – for example nose to mouth lines (nasolabial folds). It contains local anaesthetic lidocaine for improved comfort during your treatment.
Do you use needles or cannulas?
Traditionally, dermal fillers have been injected using needles, and this is still the most common technique we use for our patients. However, recently at Frontalis, we have started using a blunt tipped cannula very successfully for the injection of dermal fillers.
When using a traditional needle, the sharp tip of the needle penetrates through the skin and down to the depth where the filler is injected. In contrast to this, a cannula has a blunt tip, and therefore cannot pierce the skin. A needle is therefore still required to puncture the skin, serving as an entry point for the cannula to pass through and into the facial tissue. A significant advantage to this technique is that the blunt tipped cannula can re-enter the same entry point again without having to make another needle puncture.
Because the cannula is blunt, it carries less risk as it passes through the tissue. Needles, being sharp, can inadvertently penetrate into a vein or artery, causing significant bruising or swelling, or even intravascular injection (injection of filler into the artery or vein). The blunt tip of a cannula tends to push veins or arteries aside as they are passed through the body. Furthermore, the practitioner is able to feel resistance from structures that a cannula pass through, allowing them to judge when and how to apply pressure or manipulate the direction of the cannula. Finally, cannulae tend to be longer than most needles and therefore reach more areas with fewer entry points into the skin.
To summarise the advantages of the cannula for dermal fillers:
- Cannulae are blunt, which mean that they are less likely to pierce a through a vein or artery. This results in less swelling, bruising and intravascular injection of filler.
- The practitioner has more feel about what structures are being passed by the tip of the cannula.
- Cannulae are longer, allowing for fewer injections and entry points through the skin.
- Cannulae penetrate the same entry point multiple times.
Book a treatment with Frontalis
Ruth Parsons, RGN, Dip HE, INP (Independent Nurse Prescriber) is the principal and founder of Frontalis. A lifelong native of Bristol, Ruth is a Registered Nurse with 13 years’ experience in Acute Medicine, A&E, general nursing, and as a GP Practice Nurse. Ruth has also spent four years’ working as a Surgical Nurse within cosmetic surgery and has qualified as an Aesthetician specialising in muscle relaxing injections, dermal fillers and other skin rejuvenation techniques.
Dermal Fillers (Lips) - Before and After
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1 Week After
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Dermal Fillers (Cheeks) - Before and After
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Dermal Fillers (Tear Troughs) - Before and After
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Further Information
Did you know?…….that as well as smoothing fines line and wrinkles, dermal fillers can be used to re-contour the face, for example, create a stronger jawline, raise eyebrow arches, or even straighten a bumpy nose. This non-surgical option is fast becoming the most popular way to change the shape of facial features without having to go through painful surgery.
Watch a non-surgical rhinoplasty being performed live on Good Morning with Phillip and Holly.