Hyaluronic acid dermal fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm are a fast and effective way to smooth and tone the skin of your face. But there’s a lot of confusion about dermal fillers, from the way they’re used to potential side effects and everything in between.
Let’s take a deeper look at Juvederm and Restylane and find out why you might choose dermal fillers for a sexier, more confident you.
Dermafiller treatment mechanisms
The changes that the body undergoes as we age are many. These include loss of dermal collagen, hyaluronic acid, and fat. All these substances that are lost causes the skin to lose its turgor.
Fillers that are naturally occurring and synthetic are injected to those specific areas to plump up and improve the appearance. Some fillers are used to add volume and others are used to fill in wrinkles.
Dermal fillers are injected at various depths of the skin. Fillers like VOLUMA, LYFT, and Radiesse are injected deep areas like the nasolabial folds. Other fillers like Juvederm and SILK are injected into superficial areas like the wrinkles around the lips and wrinkles in the glabella region.
Dermal Filler Treatment Techniques
Linear Threading
Full length of the filler needle is inserted into the target area and the filler is injected. While the gel is being injected the aesthetic professional will will pull the needle slowly backwards so the get is spread lengthwise.
Cross Hatching
This technique starts of with a linear threading technique. After the initial threading line is complete the, a new threading line is create perpendicular to the original threading line. At the end of the technique a “hash tag” is pattern is completed.
Fanning
This technique starts of just like the linear threading technique. However, the syringe is not removed completely. It simply changes direction to create a new threading line.
Serial Puncture
With this technique, multiple injections are placed along the length of the target area. At the end of the treatment, the multiple gel deposits will form a continuous line.
Hyaluronic filler Indications & Contraindications
Indications:
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Lip augmentation
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Nasolabial folds
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Rhytids at the corners of the mouth
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Marionette lines
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Shadows
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Volume replacement
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Facial shaping
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Lipodystrophy
Contraindications:
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Pregnancy
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Lactation
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Persistent lumping
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Product sensitivity
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Breast augmentation
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Implantation into bone, tendons, ligaments, and muscle
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Acute or chronic skin disease in the area of injection
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Abnormal clotting times
Dermal Fillers for Nasolabial Folds
Patients will start off in an upright position before treating for nasolabial folds. The best results for nasolabial folds will come from using a serial puncture injection technique. Observe the nasolabial fold line and find the most distal end of the line.
This is where the health professional will begin to inject. The health professional will inject a wheal of gel, withdraw the syringe, and proceed to massage the wheal. This process is repeated along the nasolabial fold lines.
Lip Augmentation Techniques
Lip augmentation is a common procedure among patients of all ages. The request for lip augmentation can be for lips that pout or lips that are simply filler. One of the most important steps that the health professional must do is to analyze the patients lips in conjunction with the proportions to the face.
Patients will typically have a lower lip that is larger than the upper lip. The outcome of the procedure should not give patients a larger upper lip. This can cause the proportions to be off. It is very important that this is communicated to patients as they may not, initially, understand the concept.
During the analysis, the lips should be seen with a line that transects the upper lip. This allows the health professional to perform an analysis of the medial section which is also known as Cupid’s bow. During the analysis, the health professional will be able to determine the amount of dermal filler in order to raise the area.
Another important area of typical asymmetry in the lips are the lateral edges of the lips. When performing lip augmentation procedures, this lateral edges might appear asymmetrical. Health professionals should consider that the asymmetry was already present and the lip augmentation procedure made it more noticeable.
Health professionals should keep in mind that having lips that are too large may increase the depth of the nasolabial fold. Larger lips may make the patient’s nose appear bigger. Finally, lips augmentation is recommended to be done in several appointments.
The actual treatment of the lip is done by using the linear threading or serial puncture technique. The needle is inserted into the vermillion border of the lip at a 10 degree angle. The filler is injected into the lip at the same time the needle is being withdrawn. The outcome is that you get a nice even line across the lip. If lumps or gaps are present than massage and more filler will be needed.
Marionette Lines Technique
The treatment of the marionette lines and typically cannot be treated just on their own. Many health professional will recommend patients that marionette line will need to be treated in conjunction with nasolabial folds.
The most common approach to treat the marionette lines is to isolate a triangle mapping using the lower lip line and focusing in the corner of the triangle toward the jaw line.
Once the health professional identifies the triangle the filler may be injected into the area to provide lift and make the lines less prominent.
Acne Scar Technique
Treating acne scars with dermal filler is a specialized technique and can be challenge for a starting injector. Health professionals must consider that treating scar tissue if difficult because the tissue is less responsive.
Typically a thicker needle is used but the risk is that there is more bleeding and the increase risk of overfilling. Furthermore, injectors will not be able to treat ice pick scars. The only acne scars that can be treated will be rolling scars.
Furthermore, this treatment may not be right for everyone as correction will always be sub par due to the nature of the tissue.