Injectable fillers, also called dermal fillers, can be used to add volume, reduce wrinkles, and improve the contouring of your face and lips.

Hyaluronic acid is the most popular filler ingredient, but dermal fillers can also be made of collagen, calcium hydroxylapatite, poly-L-lactic acid, polymethyl methacrylate, or fat harvested from your own body.

Hyaluronic acid is a natural component of the skin that provides hydration to maintain elasticity and firmness. Over time, your skin’s ability to produce hyaluronic acid decreases, which contributes to the development of fine lines and wrinkles, and changes the contours of your lips and face. When injected into the dermis, hyaluronic acid helps to hydrate, smooth wrinkles and provide a natural plumping effect.

The results of dermal fillers are almost instantaneous, providing you with instant gratification. Immediately post-injection, you will see more fullness or smoother skin. The fullest expression of the fillers is seen within two weeks.

The fillers we use at PhysiMed MediSpa generally last about a year, but the timespan is affected by the type of dermal filler used, the location where it is being injected, as well as how quickly your body metabolizes it.

During your initial visit, we will first discuss your facial structure and the best type of filler to achieve the results that you are looking for. Once we have decided on a plan of action and which dermal filler to use, we will clean the area to be injected and apply a topical anesthetic, if needed.

We will then carefully inject the filler with a needle or blunted cannula and then gently massage the area with our fingers to distribute it in the shape that we are trying to mold before continuing with more injections, for even and symmetrical distribution. Each injection only takes a few moments, and the entire procedure is about 20 to 30 minutes, unless you are having a more extensive treatments.

There is usually no down time after injections with dermal fillers. This is why we equate this procedure with instant gratification. However, occasionally, there may be some swelling or tenderness afterward which usually go away within 24 to 48 hours using ice packs.

Anyone can benefit from dermal fillers. Young people may want to add more volume to certain parts of their face to accentuate features such as their cheeks or lips. A more mature person may be more concerned with their wrinkles or skin laxity.

Dermal fillers can be injected to plump lips, smooth wrinkles and folds, fill in the under-eye hollows known as tear troughs, add volume to cheeks, and reduce the appearance of pitted acne scars. Fillers can be injected on the back of the hands to make them appear more full and restore youthfulness. Patients looking for a non-permanent, non-surgical nose job can have their noses reshaped with fillers.

Injectables are quick, relatively painless, and safe. They’re noninvasive, so they require little to no downtime.

Hyaluronic acid fillers are nearly identical to what’s produced in our bodies, so it dissolves more naturally over time than other ingredients.

Additionally, hyaluronic acid fillers can be easily reversed with hyaluronidase, an enzyme that breaks down the hyaluronic acid contained in the filler, if you don’t like your results. Side effects are rare but may include redness at the injection site, allergic reactions, bumps, bruising, or asymmetry. Unintentionally injecting filler into a blood vessel can lead to more serious complications which can be reversed using hyaluronidase.

If you have an infection on the face or close to the injection site, it can spread and cause other complications. You should wait until the infection has healed before getting fillers.

To maintain your appearance and improved looks, you’ll have to come back on a yearly basis to be reinjected. Generally, hyaluronic acid fillers last about a year before your body metabolizes it.

Nothing can replace dermal fillers for their instant results and gratification. However, when dealing with sagging skin and wrinkles, certain lasers like the Fotona laser as well as Morpheus8, using micro-needling with radiofrequency, can do a tremendous job in helping you look younger in a more natural and gradual way.