Soft tissue fillers are FDA approved flexible substances that can be injected into the skin to improve the appearance of lines and wrinkles, shape lips, fill hollows, improve scars and elevate deep folds.  The result is a smoother, more youthful appearance with minimal downtime and maximum safety.  No surgery is involved: fillers are placed in the skin with a small needle.

Two types of fillers are used in our office. One is Hyaluronic Acid.  This substance is normally part of the support system of the skin and is located between collagen fibers.  Since there is already some in your skin, it is well accepted and does not induce allergic reactions.  We use the brand, Juvederm, the most widely used Hyaluronic Acid Filler in America today. It is soft, flows smoothly into the skin and is temporarily moldable to allow minor adjustments during the treatment session, for the very best look.

We also offer Radiesse. Radiesse is used for greater volume replacement such as the cheeks. It is a normal substance in your body called Calcium Hydroxyapatite. The body still treats it as its own, even though it is not usually found in the skin.

These products can be used very subtly. You can still look like yourself, only smoother and younger. We are not after the puffed up unnatural Hollywood look.   

With the aging process, collagen, hyaluronic acid and elastic tissue break down, taking away facial volume.  The fat layer also decreases and drops down from the areas it used to shape.  Juvederm and Radiesse can fill in the volume that has been lost.  They can be used to fill specific folds (nasolabial and marionette lines) or can be used more extensively to bring back an overall youthful shape to the face.  It has been shown that, in addition to physically filling the space, they trigger new collagen formation, adding to the correction with some of your own collagen.  

Unlike creams and lotions, you don’t have to wait for the results.  Immediately upon injection, fillers restore fullness to smooth out the signs of aging.  The natural, youthful results last nine months to more than a year in many patients.  

There is a small amount of anesthetic in the Juvederm and Radiesse already. Small needles are used, but there are still some pricks and feelings of pressure or pain. Many of our patients choose to pre-treat with an anesthetic cream.  For more complete numbness, Lidocaine can be injected by the doctor. We always block the nerves for the more sensitive areas, such as the lips.

There is immediate filling of the treated areas.  You can see a difference as soon as the procedure is finished. There usually is some pinkness and swelling at that time.  There also can be bruising, though this can be reduced to some degree by avoiding blood-thinning medications and supplements for a week before treatment and by going home afterwards to use ice.  The swelling sometimes is present more than one day and if there is bruising, it can take a week or more to resolve.  Infection is very rare and has not occurred in our patients.