Everything about your body changes over time, and there is nowhere that it’s more apparent than your skin.
Many physical, environmental, and hormonal changes affect your skin as you age. Eventually, these changes affect its fullness and firmness in places like your cheeks. When the structure of your skin weakens, through loss of important proteins like collagen and elastin, it becomes easier for cheeks to sag and wrinkle.
A popular solution for restoring the shape in your cheeks and other areas is dermal fillers, with 2.6 million people getting these injections as recently as 2018.
Residents of the Tucson, Tempe, and Yuma, Arizona, areas looking for dermal filler treatments can get expert help with our experienced team at Peach Skin & Laser. We bring you the latest techniques and technology to help you look your best.
To understand why dermal fillers are so popular, let’s look at the reasons why your skin changes over time, how dermal fillers work, and what you can expect from the procedure.
Why skin changes over time
Collagen and elastin are proteins your body makes that are responsible for the structure, firmness, and elasticity of your skin.
As you age, your body produces less of both proteins. So your cheeks, for example, lose their ability to retain firmness and fullness because they are missing important proteins for keeping them that way.
Age is a common factor in most changes in your skin, but overexposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun can speed up that process. Other things that can damage your skin over time include smoking, obesity, and even the repetition of daily facial movements.
How cheek fillers help
Dermal fillers are a type of injectable used just under the skin for cosmetic purposes. Cheek fillers are a type of dermal filler that uses hyaluronic acid or polylactic acid to restore volume and lift your cheeks, such as Juvederm®, Restylane®, and Sculptra®.
This can help make your cheeks appear more defined and fill in wrinkles, making you look younger and healthier. If you’re a healthy nonsmoker and you don’t have a history of chronic conditions, cheek fillers are the solution for you.
Understanding the procedure
For at least two weeks before getting cheek fillers, you should avoid blood thinning medications like aspirin to avoid any bleeding complications. Discuss prescription blood thinners with your specialist before getting cheek fillers.
The procedure starts with a local anesthetic being applied as you recline in a sterile environment. In some cases, the injection may have a numbing agent to reduce discomfort. Next, you will be injected in the targeted areas, which can take up to 20 minutes. You should see immediate results, but it will take a couple of days for the filler to settle in position.
You can go back to your regular activities afterward, but you will want to avoid sleeping on your cheeks and strenuous exercise for at least two days after treatment.
Your cheeks may lose their shape over time for a number of reasons, but cheek fillers can help you get volume back and reduce wrinkles. If you’re ready to try cheek fillers, contact Peach Skin & Laser today to get started.