Dermal fillers are small injections of gel which contain hyaluronic acid to help combat the effects of aging and skin damage. Dermal fillers restore lost volume to your face, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, fill hollows, give rise to sunken cheeks and help highlight and contour the facial appearance.
What are dermal fillers made of?
Dermal fillers are based on hyaluronic acid, which is a substance that naturally exists in the body. Hyaluronic acid can be found in the connective tissue around the eyes, in some cartilage, in joint fluids and in the skin.
Dermal fillers boost the skin’s supply of hyaluronic acid giving a natural, softer look and instantly diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Hyaluronic acid, known as hyaluronan, is a clear, gel like substance. Its main function is to retain water to keep your tissues well lubricated and moist. It can also help speed up the healing of wounds and relieve joint pain in people with osteoarthritis.
How do dermal fillers work?
Hyaluronic acid is injected into the skin. It inflates and cushions the skin to support, define and create facial contour, whilst volumising and restoring elasticity. It also restores and holds water to the surface of the skin to maintain more moisture, alleviating dry skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
What are the benefits of dermal fillers?
Dermal fillers have many benefits including:
· Reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
· Add volume and plumps the skin
· Add rise to sunken cheeks
· Highlight and contour the face
· Give lips a fuller look
· Revitalise skin
· Help lock moisture back into the skin
· Help reduce the appearance of tired eyes
· Help fill hollows
· Genital enhancement
· Increases or decreases of sensual stimulation
· Filling in sunken temporal or on the back of hands
· Breast enlargement
· Buttock enlargement
· Earlobe rejuvenation
· Eczema and wound healing
· Premature ejaculation
Please ask the practitioner what areas they can treat to aid in the above benefits.
How effective are Dermal fillers?
Dermal fillers are injected in small, managed doses, just beneath the skin’s surface into the desired area to be treated.
The results will depend on the technique used for the procedure, the product used and the desired outcome the client wants to achieve.
The injections rarely lead to complications and once bruising and swelling has gone down results can be seen immediately.
The treatment shouldn’t radically change the appearance of someone’s face and the goal is for the client to look and feel better.
If the correct aftercare advice is followed the results are very effective.
How long does it last?
Dermal filler results depend on each individual. Typically dermal filler will last for 4 – 12 months some even longer.
This can vary depending upon the following;
· How often the client has treatments
· The age of the client
· If the client has followed the aftercare advice given
· How fast the client’s body metabolises the product and breaks it down
· What brand was used
· What technique/ method was used
· How much product was used
· If the client has passively or actively rubbed/ massaged the treated area causing damage to the product
Who can have the treatment?
Dermal fillers are suitable for anyone between the ages of 18 years and 60 years and have no contra – indications to the treatments.
Who can’t have the treatment?
Unfortunately there may be instances where the client will not be able to have the treatment, either permanently or temporarily. This will include if the client has any of the following:
· Cancer / having treatment for cancer/ have had cancer treatment within the last 12 months
· Pregnant women/ breast feeding
· Tumours/ unusual lumps and bumps
· Neuromuscular disorders/ disorders of the nervous system
· Antibiotics
· Allergies/ anaphylaxis seizures / epilepsy
· Recent operations / fractures/ recent scar tissue or prone to keloid scarring
· Haemophilia (unable to form blood clots)
· Skin diseases/ skin disorders
· Inflammation
· Bruising/ swelling
· Warts, cuts, abrasions in the area to be treated
· Viral infections/ infections
· Serve asthmatic
· Hyper sensitivity
· Auto immune diseases
· Recent laser/ chemical peels
· Haemophilia
· Rheumatoid arthritis
· Polymyositis (inflammatory disease causing muscle weakness)
· Dermatomyositis (long term inflammatory disease affecting skin and muscles)
· Lupus enthematosus (affects immune system, skin, joints, kidneys and organs)
· Scleroderma (affects skins, connective tissue and internal organs)
Exacerbation of chronic diseases (pulmonary)
What are the possible side effects?
As with anything Dermal fillers can also have side effects.
These include:
· Brusing
· Odeama (swelling)
· Erythema (redness)
· Blood spots
· Bleeding
· Asymmetry
· Over- correction
· Needle marks
· Pain and discomfort – usually minor
· Feeling faint due to the sight or through of needles
· Nausia / flu like symptoms (rare)
· Vaso – vagal (fainting)
· Allergy
· Anaphylaxis
· Tyndall effect – a blue bump under the skin
· Granulomas, lumps and bumps
· Infection
· Scars
· Blisters/ cysts – can trigger cold sores or fever blisters
· Vascular occlusion/ skin necrosis
· Under correction
· Migration of filler – moves to another site of the face
· Discolouration
· Hypertrophic scarring
· Numbness
· Inflammation
· Vison loss
It is important to follow the aftercare advice the practitioner provides for optimum results following the dermal filler treatment.
The aftercare includes:
· Needle entry points can be treated with antibiotic ointments
· Avoid strenuous physical activity for 24 hours
· Do not use sunbeds or go in the sun for 24 hours
· Use spf 50
· Use over the counter medication for any pain relief
· All other medications can be resumed 4 hours after the treatment procedure
· Use cold compress to help with pain and swelling for 24 – 42 hours after the treatment
· Avoid massaging or putting too much pressure on the treated area for 24 hours
· Attend follow up between 14 – 20 days if needed
· Return once lines begin to appear and product wears off
· Seek medical assistance immediately if allergic reaction occurs, persistent redness or shooting pains occur or there is persistent swelling (after 7 days)
What is the treatment procedure?
The practitioner will ask you to complete all relevant legal paperwork and consultation forms. The practitioner will also access the area to be treated, take before photos and numb the the area, then precede with the injections.
All aftercare will be provided and the client will be assessed before being discharged.
What do I do before the treatment to help with results?
Before the treatment, make sure you are eligible for the treatment, paid your deposit, do not have any facial treatments, go on sunbed or be in direct contact with sun, have no heat treatments, avoid exercising and drinking alcohol.
Please note certain antibiotics and medication may influence the results of the treatment and it would be advised to wait a week after the course of medication has finished for best results.
Please note small needles will be used as part of the procedure and all pain management will be taken into account. However, if you want to use numbing cream the practitioner will NOT administer this prior to the treatment and you can get this yourself from pharmacies, apply this to the treatment areas yourself 30 minutes before the treatment. Ask the practitioner what would be recommended if you want to consider using numbing cream.
What are the treatment areas?
There are a number of treatment areas, with the most common areas to be treated are:
· Lips, this can be treated with dermal filler to add volume and create shape.
· Nasolabial Folds (nose to mouth lines).
· Marionette Lines (mouth to chin lines).
· Cheeks.
· Jawline.
· Chin..