BOTOX® Cosmetic isn't the only under-an-hour "fix" for smoother skin, and sometimes it might not even be the best approach. Injectable fillers can smooth and refresh skin from the inside out almost as quickly, with subtly different results that sometimes last much longer.
The Real Cause of "Old-Looking" Skin
Over the years, repeated facial expressions cause "dynamic wrinkles," folds that appear when you smile or frown. At the same time, sun damage, loss of facial fat, and age-related changes in your tissue chemistry cause skin to thin out and sag, creating always-visible "static" wrinkles.
Injectable Fillers' 3 Skin-Smoothing Steps
There is a good reason so many doctors are calling injectable filler treatments "liquid facelifts" – while BOTOX deals with one specific wrinkle type in one specific way, injectables are far more versatile. You have a few different options for the type of injectable, but almost all of them help freshen your appearance in three important ways:
• Filling out facial folds – Static wrinkles often multiply and worsen dynamic wrinkles by adding to their length and depth. Injectable fillers applied to areas like the naso-labial folds and "brow furrows" can very slightly plump up the deeper levels of skin to correct static wrinkles and help lessen the appearance of dynamic wrinkles slightly in the process.
• Replacing lost volume in the upper face – Age and weight changes can cause the fat pockets in the upper and mid-cheeks disappear or collect in "jowls" near the mouth, creating unhealthy-looking hollow areas below the eyes and cheekbones. Injectables can restore this volume, helping to lift loose skin and soften the face for a much firmer, younger look.
• Fortifying thin skin – JUVÉDERM® Injectable Gel and a few other facial fillers have been proven to help nearby tissues produce more collagen – the protein that supports skin from the inside. This gives skin a much firmer, younger feel and helps erase wrinkles, but the best part is that this effect may continue even after the filler has otherwise "worn off."
Some injectables can also be used to enhance soft-tissue areas like the lips, nosetip, earlobes, and even nipples.
Which Injectable Works Best?
Only your doctor can recommend one as "right" for your skin, but in general most doctors and patients prefer fillers made of biocompatible substances such as calcium-hydroxylapatite (RADIESSE® wrinkle filler), hyaluronic acid (JUVÉDERM, Restylane®, Perlane®), or collagen. Their more natural formulations are part of the reason these fillers will disappear slowly in 6 months to a year following the procedure, but because they integrate well with your tissues, the right biocompatible filler can produce results that look completely natural.
The Real Cause of "Old-Looking" Skin
Over the years, repeated facial expressions cause "dynamic wrinkles," folds that appear when you smile or frown. At the same time, sun damage, loss of facial fat, and age-related changes in your tissue chemistry cause skin to thin out and sag, creating always-visible "static" wrinkles.
Injectable Fillers' 3 Skin-Smoothing Steps
There is a good reason so many doctors are calling injectable filler treatments "liquid facelifts" – while BOTOX deals with one specific wrinkle type in one specific way, injectables are far more versatile. You have a few different options for the type of injectable, but almost all of them help freshen your appearance in three important ways:
• Filling out facial folds – Static wrinkles often multiply and worsen dynamic wrinkles by adding to their length and depth. Injectable fillers applied to areas like the naso-labial folds and "brow furrows" can very slightly plump up the deeper levels of skin to correct static wrinkles and help lessen the appearance of dynamic wrinkles slightly in the process.
• Replacing lost volume in the upper face – Age and weight changes can cause the fat pockets in the upper and mid-cheeks disappear or collect in "jowls" near the mouth, creating unhealthy-looking hollow areas below the eyes and cheekbones. Injectables can restore this volume, helping to lift loose skin and soften the face for a much firmer, younger look.
• Fortifying thin skin – JUVÉDERM® Injectable Gel and a few other facial fillers have been proven to help nearby tissues produce more collagen – the protein that supports skin from the inside. This gives skin a much firmer, younger feel and helps erase wrinkles, but the best part is that this effect may continue even after the filler has otherwise "worn off."
Some injectables can also be used to enhance soft-tissue areas like the lips, nosetip, earlobes, and even nipples.
Which Injectable Works Best?
Only your doctor can recommend one as "right" for your skin, but in general most doctors and patients prefer fillers made of biocompatible substances such as calcium-hydroxylapatite (RADIESSE® wrinkle filler), hyaluronic acid (JUVÉDERM, Restylane®, Perlane®), or collagen. Their more natural formulations are part of the reason these fillers will disappear slowly in 6 months to a year following the procedure, but because they integrate well with your tissues, the right biocompatible filler can produce results that look completely natural.
