Injectable fillers are treatments based on hyaluronic acid. This is a naturally occurring substance that is already found in your skin. These fillers are a favourite method for reducing the effects of aging, correcting scars, adjusting facial contouring and fullness, enlarging lips, and for increasing overall youthfulness.
Many injectable filler treatments are on the market, for example the Restylane® range. The different formulas differ in their concentrations of hyaluronic acid, linkings, and viscosity. Your physician will recommend the precise formula according to these parameters.
Injectable fillers are applied to the lips for enlargement or adjustment of shape, and they can correct wrinkles around the mouth, on the forehead, or on the glabella (the space between the eyelids). It is also possible to use them to fill out facial features and adjust facial contours. Applied to larger areas, they are also used for rejuvenating the neck, décolletage, and hands.
The first step is an evaluation and consultation with your physician to determine whether your specific situation is suitable to treatment with an injectable filler. Your doctor can then recommend the precise formula that is most appropriate for you.
In the week before treatment with an injectable filler, patients should avoid large doses of vitamin C, anti-inflammatory medications, and blood-thinners. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, autoimmune conditions, and acute skin infections are all contraindicated. For treatment of the lips, patients may also not be suffering from cold sores or any infections of the mouth, such as canker sores.
Injectable fillers are applied into surface, intermediate, or deep skin layers with thin needles that are nearly painless. When being applied to the lips or other more sensitive locations, it is possible to numb the spot with an anaesthetic cream or to choose a formula which itself contains an anaesthetic agent. Your doctor can also use a classic anaesthetic injection.
Swelling or mild bruising may occur after treatment with Restylane®, and should disappear within two to three days. In the initial hours after treatment it is necessary to refrain from any larger facial movements and expressions. It is also not advised to visit saunas or to tan for a week after treatment.
Results are not permanent. They normally last for six to twelve months, six in case of application to the lips. However, it is possible to reapply Restylane® anytime.
