While Botox is the most popular cosmetic procedure in the world, with 5.4 million procedures performed last year in the United States alone, facial fillers have become very trendy in recent years. Products like Juvederm, Sculptra, and Artefill are continuing to redefine how we think about wrinkles. Each product has unique benefits that are worth considering.
All of these products work by being injected into the face over the course of about 15 minutes. The benefit of injectable treatments is that there is no downtime, as patients can usually return to their routine immediately after the procedure. Typically, the only side effects are what you might expect for an injection, such as redness, bruising, or stinging, which pass soon afterwards.
Botox is best suited to treating forehead lines, frown lines between the eyebrows, crow’s feet, lines between the upper lip and nose (perioral wrinkles), and wrinkles on the neck. All of these areas can be treated through targeted injections that relax certain muscles and allow others to pull the skin tighter than before.
Facial fillers are best used on smile lines and wrinkles below the mouth. However, they can often be used for other wrinkles and creases on the face, as well as for augmenting lips and filling out hollow cheeks.
Some fillers, such as Restylane, Elevess, Perlane, and Juvederm, use hyaluronic acid for striking results that last up to 6 months. All are highly effective on smile lines and other facial wrinkles, although each is formulated differently and suited to unique purposes. For example, Juvederm is especially well-suited to filling out lips, while Perlane contains no animal proteins whatsoever.
Other fillers last much longer than Botox and hyaluronic acid-based fillers. Sculptra lasts for up to two years and works by replacing lost collagen. Artefill, however, lasts longer than most (if not all) other facial fillers. It provides permanent support thanks to special microspheres that are injected along with the collagen and provide a framework for new collagen deposits. The microspheres are not absorbed into the skin, so that they may provide lasting support for a number of years.
Each product has unique benefits that are best suited to different patient needs, desires, and timeframes, so it’s always important to discuss your needs with a qualified plastic surgeon to find the injectable treatment that’s right for you.