Kybella®

Common indications for dermal fillers include:

• Deepening of the folds around the mouth (nasolabial folds)
• Deepening of folds that run from the corners of the mouth toward the chin (marionette lines)
• Downturn of the corners of mouth that creates a permanent frown or unhappy look
• Deepening of the hollow in front of the jowls
• Fine lines around the mouth (smoker’s lines)
• Scars that have created depressions as they have healed
• Creases in the brow and forehead
• Acne scarring
• Hollowness and shadowing under the eyes
• Volume loss at the cheeks and cheekbones
• Sinking in at the temples
• Lip augmentation (lip injections)/lip enhancement

There are 2 main reasons why dermal fillers may be known as “collagen injections,” even though they contain no collagen.

• Injectables designed to add volume to the face were primarily collagen-based in years past. The active ingredient in these injections is derived either from human skin or from large, domesticated animals, such as cows and pigs. Bovine and porcine collagen require that patients get allergy testing, so when hyaluronic acid-based fillers arrived, patients gravitated toward them due to their ease of use, as well as their longer-lasting results.
• Dermal fillers serve as a stand-in for collagen, temporarily providing the same benefits as the valuable protein after it diminishes in the skin. Some fillers essentially replace collagen for a time where it is needed. Other fillers physically stimulate the growth of new collagen in addition to providing volume.

As an abundant protein in the body and the skin, in particular, collagen serves to provide support where structural stability is needed, making structures both strong and elastic as necessary. In the skin, collagen creates a framework for other vital components and keeps tissues lifted into youthful contours.

Our bodies naturally make collagen, though the protein breaks down over time and can be damaged and destroyed by ultraviolet radiation, toxins and pollutants, and other elements. When we are young, collagen is quickly replaced, so our skin maintains its structure well. As we get older, however, collagen production tapers off, so the protein grows increasingly scarce in our skin. Its absence leads to problems from small-scale fine lines and wrinkles to large-scale facial contour shifts as once-rounded areas flatten and sag.

Hyaluronic acid’s role in healthy skin is to keep it moist, as it retains water very well. It also works to fill space, keeping contours round. Like collagen, hyaluronic acid levels in the skin drop over time. As skin dries out and loses its filler, wrinkles form, laxity increases, and structure diminishes.

A third element, elastin, allows the skin to stay pliant and resilient, moving back into its proper place after being pulled by muscles while forming expressions. In this way, its role as a structural support is closely related to collagen. As elastin diminishes, skin loses its ability to stretch and move with ease. Wrinkles begin to develop, then stay and become increasingly pronounced.

The collective loss of collagen, hyaluronic acid, and elastin intensifies the signs of aging.

BOTOX® Cosmetic and fillers are often combined to make subtle enhancements to your face. Their collective, temporary effects have been referred to as a “liquid facelift.” BOTOX can improve wrinkles caused by movement of the facial muscles, while fillers can enhance a wider variety of areas of the face by increasing volume and thereby eradicating wrinkles, shadows, creases, and depressions of the face.

Because dermal fillers focus on adding volume to the face, patients who want to revitalize their skin by addressing uneven pigmentation that has developed over time due to the natural aging process and sun exposure can choose skin resurfacing via lasers, a chemical peel, dermaplaning, or microneedling. These treatments complement fillers by removing the outermost layers and reducing the appearance of irregularities in coloring, as well as fine lines and some scarring.

The lift from a JUVÉDERM VOLUMA treatment may inspire some patients to improve other contours on their face. Ultherapy® uses ultrasound therapy to tighten sagging tissues on the face and neck, while the injectable KYBELLA® ruptures unwanted fat cells that cause a double chin and obscure a defined jawline. A surgical facelift is also available for men and women seeking long-term results in their efforts to maintain youthful facial contours.

Our core objective is always to provide a safe, comfortable surgical experience that aspires to restore your appearance and aims to produce natural results.

Did you know you earn points and save money by joining the Allē rewards program? It’s free to register, and every time our office treats you with JUVÉDERM, BOTOX, or any other Allergan product, you’ll earn points for savings on future treatments or purchases.