What are Dermal Fillers?
The plump appearance of healthy skin is due to hyaluronic acid. Babies feel so nice because their skin is full of hyaluronic acid. As you age, levels of natural hyaluronic acid in the skin decrease with time, sun exposure and other environmental factors. In fact, one can define ageing skin as the loss of hyaluronic acid. The result? Lines, furrows and wrinkles.
Benefits of Dermal Fillers
We use for adding volume to the lips or the face. Its many benefits include:
- Long history of safety and success
- No allergy testing necessary
- Natural, long lasting, but not permanent
- Restores volume and fullness instantly
- Smoothes wrinkles and folds
- Provides luscious lips
-
Before Side View After
-
Before Front View After
How Dermal Fillers Work
All young smooth skin has one thing in common: hyaluronic acid. Found in all skin tissue and identical from species to species, this building block of sorts fills out the space between collagen and elastin fibers in the skin, holding in water and maintaining the skin’s volume. With age, levels of hyaluronic acid in the skin decrease and so we end up with furrows, wrinkles, and often thinner lips. By injecting hyaluronic acid into the skin, we can mimic the effects of natural hyaluronic acid and produce the look and feel of hydrated skin. By filling depressions in the skin, wrinkles and folds are considerably softened and/or eliminated. While they are both injectables, dermal fillers work very differently than BOTOX® Cosmetic, which targets a different kind of wrinkle.
What to Expect
The hyaluronic acid is injected directly into the skin in tiny amounts using an ultra fine needle. If a patient wishes, we also offer local anaesthetic blocks to make the entire procedure painless. This is particularly effective for lip enhancement. Many of our Vancouver patients have had painful experiences with lip injections due to inadequate local anaesthetic agents – there is no need to feel any pain. The procedure is convenient and results are instantaneous.
Each procedure is customized. Most patients choose to have a follow-up treatment between 4 and 6 months after the initial treatment. As the gel breaks down, water takes its place. When totally absorbed, the gel disappears unnoticed from the body.
How to Minimize Bruising
Unfortunately, a small minority of patients will get a small bruise following a dermal filler injection. We will use a tiny needle. Although every effort is undertaken to reduce the chance of bruising, it is possible to receive a bruise from an injection. Bruising can be covered with makeup. Please ask us about makeup suggestions.
By following these instructions, you will reduce the chance of bruising.
- Avoid aspirin (ASA) and vitamin E for 7 days prior to your appointment. ASA thins the blood. Vitamin E also can result in more bruising.
- Avoid ibuprofen, anti-inflammatory drugs (ex. diclofenac, naproxen), for 3 days prior to your appointment. Paracetamol is fine, and does not increase bruising.
- Avoid herbal medications like ginko biloba for 3 days prior to your appointment.
- Avoid alcohol for 24 hours prior to your appointment.
- Eat 2 kiwi fruit per day for 2 days prior to your appointment. Kiwi fruit contains bromelain, which helps reduce bruising.
- If you are on blood thinners, or have any bruising problems, please notify the doctor prior to your treatment.
- Avoid scheduling filler injections immediately prior to important social engagements!