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Injectable Fillers

The use of injectable fillers to improve facial skin texture has increased enormously in recent years - and it's easy to see why.

Fillers offer tangible results quickly and are cheaper than surgery. Also, the downtime after treatment is limited to a few days rather than weeks.

There are now more than 70 types of cosmetic fillers on the market aimed at evening out furrows or adding volume to lips. Technology is advancing all the time.

Indeed, the latest fillers, including Restylane Vital and Teosyal, don't just plump the skin but, it's claimed, also improve texture by helping the skin retain moisture.

What is it?

There are four basic types of fillers. Temporary or absorbable fillers are usually made from hyaluronic acid or collagen and can last for up to a year. Semi-permanent fillers are a mix of hyaluronic acid or collagen and a silicone derivative - it's claimed that these last up to two years.

Then there are permanent or non-absorbable fillers, such as liquid silicone or Gortex, and a process called cell harvesting. Otherwise known as Isolagen, cell harvesting involves taking a small piece of your skin and using it to cultivate new cells. These cells are then injected back into your skin to plump it up.

Temporary fillers containing hyaluronic acid are the most low-risk type. Hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in skin and cartilage and is less likely to cause an allergic reaction than artificial chemicals.

All new fillers are investigated by the EU and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has more stringent safety criteria. So if you're unsure about a filler, it's worth checking to see whether it's been approved by the FDA.

What can it do for you?

In your thirties and forties, fillers can make a big difference to the skin. They can plump out lines and wrinkles, add fullness to lips and cheeks, fill in scars, add volume to sunken areas of the face and fill out lines on the hands.

After the age of about 45, fillers are often used alongside other procedures - cosmetic surgery, peels or laser resurfacing - to refresh and rejuvenate the face.

But fillers won't actually get rid of lines and furrows and can't help with sagging skin or jowls, for which a facelift may be the best solution.

The procedure

Before treatment, the skin is numbed with a cream containing a local anaesthetic (if you're having filler in your lips, local anaesthetic is injected into your gums).

The filler is administered via injections, a process that takes about 30 minutes. One syringe is enough to treat a localised area such as the mouth, while two syringes are recommended for multiple areas. Unfortunately, treatment isn't painless.

As a general rule, the thicker the filler, the fatter the needle. Some patients describe the deep injections to the cheeks, chin and lips as having the same 'ouch factor' as a bee sting.

Recovery time

You may experience a few days of slight swelling and discomfort before things return to normal.

In the case of hyaluronic acidbased fillers, most patients get a bit of swelling because hyaluronic acid attracts water, but it only lasts a few days and can be covered with make-up.

What can go wrong?

The only side effect of temporary hyaluronic acid fillers is a low-grade allergy that amounts to a bit of redness for three to four weeks, but this only occurs once in every 5,000 patients.

Semi-permanent fillers are slightly more risky, with about five per cent of patients suffering an allergic reaction in the form of severe swelling.

Permanent fillers are the most risky, as they can lead to problems if the filler migrates to another area, causing lumps and bumps where you don't want them.

If this happens, the only real option is to cut the filler out. And even if you don't have this problem, when you're older and skin around the filler droops, it's going to look unnatural.

Before having any substance injected into your skin, make sure you find out how experienced the cosmetic doctor administering it is.

How long does it last?

Temporary fillers will usually last for up to a year before being broken down inside the body.

Semi-permanent fillers, including Isolagen, can last up to two years, while permanent fillers will last for 10 years or more.

 


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