Dermal Fillers

With age, you notice that the areas that were once plump and defined are now hollow, flattened, and dull. This is natural because, as you get older, your skin does not produce as much collagen and elastin. We lose about 1% of collagen per year after 30, which results in loss of structure and support for our skin. Surgery and implants can turn the clock back, but thanks to technology, there is a less invasive way to restore youthful contours: dermal fillers.

These injectable treatments are designed to improve your facial harmony and offer balanced results. Rather than drastically changing your appearance, dermal fillers refine and refresh your natural appearance. At Vibrant Health & Beauty, we offer dermal filler treatments to patients seeking to restore lost facial volume.

What Are Dermal Fillers?

Dermal fillers are gel-like injectables that aim to smooth out deep lines and restore lost volume. Most modern fillers are made based on hyaluronic acid (HA), a substance that naturally occurs in the body. It’s a powerful humectant that’s capable of binding to water 1,000 times its size, offering a plumping effect and intense hydration.

Dermal fillers can be used to address different skin concerns, such as cheek or midface volume loss, nasolabial folds, marionette lines, lip thinning, and dryness. These products come in various thickness levels and formulas, all of which are meant to handle different concerns.

Below are the filler options offered by our providers at Vibrant Health & Beauty:

JUVÉDERM®

We offer the entire line of JUVÉDERM® fillers, which are a gold standard for smooth and long-lasting results. These fillers are formulated with a hyaluronic acid base mixed with lidocaine, the gel-like structure offering volume and hydration.

  • JUVÉDERM® Ultra: A soft formula frequently used for lip augmentation
  • JUVÉDERM® Ultra Plus: A thicker formula used for deeper wrinkles or a higher lip plumping effect
  • JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA®: A heavyweight formula meant to add volume in areas like the chin and cheeks
  • JUVÉDERM® VOLLURE®: Medium thickness formula that’s ideal for addressing deep nasolabial folds
  • JUVÉDERM® VOLBELLA®: An ultra-thin formula used to address vertical lip lines or add a subtle sheen to your lips
  • JUVÉDERM® VOLUX®: The thickest JUVÉDERM® formula that aims to create a better, firmer contour to the jawline

We also offer the SKINVIVE™ by JUVÉDERM® filler, which is the thinnest formula. When administered through the top skin layers, it improves hydration and texture. It’s the type of injectable that one gets for the glow rather than the volume.

REVANCE®

Revance® fillers are also based on HA technology, but they use an RHA (Resilient Hyaluronic Acid) formula. While JUVÉDERM® was made for structure, Revance® was created for adaptability and animation. This filler was made to recoil and stretch along with facial movement, making it ideal for expressive individuals.

At our clinic, we offer the following options:

  • Redensity™: An ultra-light formula meant to address dynamic lines around the lips without creating bulk.
  • RHA® 3: Medium-thickness, versatile formula used for moderate to severe wrinkles in the lower face area and lip augmentation.
  • RHA® 4: Thicker formula used for cheeks and deep folds.

Each filler has unique properties made for specific facial areas. This is why our providers can customize them for natural-looking results.

The Art Behind Dermal Filler Administration

Dermal fillers require both artistic understanding and medical understanding of your facial structure. Proper technique, product selection, and placement are essential to offer optimal results. Here’s what patients can expect from the procedure:

  • Personalized Consultation: All treatments start with a comprehensive consultation, where we determine your goals and skin type.
  • Customized Treatment Planning: We choose one or more types of fillers, depending on the concern you want to address. Our specialists may combine different filler consistencies to offer natural-looking rejuvenation.
  • Comfortable In-Office Experience: We perform the treatment in a calm and private clinical setting, where we use high-quality and authentic products. Our advanced injection techniques offer smooth and long-lasting results.

At Vibrant Health & Beauty, we use a compounded numbing cream to ensure that patients are comfortable before treatment. We also have Pro-Nox (patient-controlled laughing gas) available as an add-on to help with patient comfort/nerves.

Benefits of Dermal Fillers

Dermal fillers offer facial rejuvenation without the need for lengthy recovery or surgery. Some of their most notable benefits include the following:

  • Restoration of lost volume in areas like the cheeks
  • Augmentation capabilities in areas like the lips
  • Improved contour for the jawline, chin, or cheeks
  • Immediate volume after the treatment
  • Minimal potential for downtime
  • Natural results that build on your facial structure

Dermal fillers also come in different formulations that are highly customizable. This means they can be mixed and matched during the same appointment, based on your anatomy.

Ideal Candidate for Dermal Fillers

Dermal fillers are approved by the FDA for individuals over the age of 22 who want to improve their facial contour without surgery. You may be an ideal candidate if you meet the following criteria:

  • You experienced volume loss due to aging in areas such as the lips or cheeks
  • Your lips are naturally thin, and you want to increase their size
  • You have moderate to deep wrinkles in the lower half of the face
  • You have jowls caused by structural loss in the jawline area
  • You don’t want to get an implant or go through surgical measures

Patients should be in good overall health and have realistic expectations about the procedure. An appointment with our providers will help determine if you are a good candidate.

Recovery & Aftercare

Dermal fillers have minimal potential for downtime, but patients can expect some side effects after the first few days. This includes mild redness and swelling, along with tenderness and occasional bruising. These should resolve within the next few days, as the fillers settle. There are tricks to help decrease swelling. We recommend avoiding alcohol 24 hours before and taking Pepcid AC immediately before your appointment.

Most patients can return to their routine immediately, but should try to avoid direct UV exposure, heavy lifting, and activities that cause sweating. The skin is still sensitive in the first 24 hours, and this can worsen the swelling or cause complications. Keep the skin clean, avoid massaging the treated area, and sleep with the head slightly elevated on the first night.

What Results to Expect

Results from dermal fillers are nearly immediate, thanks to the gel-like consistency. That said, the effect may be concealed by the swelling on the first days. The HA also needs a couple of days to bind to the moisture, which is why the final results take one to two weeks to show.

The outcome depends on the filler used. Thinner formulas last for about six months, whereas medium-thickness ones can last for one year. Thicker options are the most difficult to expel by the body, which is why they can last up to two years.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

We offer personalized consultations to ensure the results are up to your expectations. However, dissolving filler is an option if needed. We only offer HA-based fillers that can be dissolved with hyaluronidase if desired.

You may not want to get an active dermal filler if you have an active cold sore, infection, or inflammatory skin issue. Fillers can worsen the condition, so it’s best to wait until the flare passes.

Yes, you can combine fillers with neuromodulators like BOTOX® Cosmetic during the same appointment. This is a common plan that offers comprehensive rejuvenation.

You can wear makeup on your skin, as long as you avoid the injection site. That said, you should avoid applying it during the first 24 hours after injections to allow the injection sites to close. Makeup may be applied after this time. For lip filler, we recommend not applying any previously used lip products. Lip filler patients will be given a Youthful Lip Replenisher at their appointment and are encouraged to use this while healing from injections.