Dermal fillers/Hyaluronic and Poly-L-Lactic Acid

If you want immediate, non-surgical, in-office improvement of facial lines or acne scars, soft tissue fillers are the treatments of choice. Natural aging, sun exposure, cigarette smoking, and dynamic facial movements all contribute to the wearing down of the collagen layers. Facial lines and wrinkles are the result.

Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance found in all mammals that helps to hydrate and add volume to your skin. Hyaluronic acid filling agents such as Restylane, Perlane, and Juvederm are injected under a wrinkle line or scar to elevate it giving an even, more youthful contour to the face.

Restylane was the first dermal filler made of nonanimal based hyaluronic acid. It is in the form of a crystal clear gel that is biodegradable and fully biocompatible with human hyaluronic acid. The hyaluronic acid in the human body provides volume and fullness to the skin. Hyaluronic acid based fillers serve to “float” the skin cells rather than fill in vacant wrinkles, thus making it suitable for larger folds of skin around the mouth and cheeks. These fillers can also be placed into the lips to create a fuller, more youthful look. No allergy testing is required prior to treatment and Restylane and Juvederm offer long lasting results. Studies have shown the correction of wrinkles and folds generally last for about six months, but we have many patients who report the effects of Restylane and Juvederm lasting up to 18 months!

Poly-L-Lactic Acid
Sculptra is a synthetic injectable material known as “poly-L-lactic acid.” Injection below the surface in the area of fat loss provides a gradual increase in skin thickness. No allergy testing is required prior to treatment. There will be immediate swelling in the tissue from the injections and the water used to dilute. The swelling will disappear in a few days as the water is absorbed by the body. Visible improvement in appearance will occur after the first few treatments with Sculptra, but the results can last up to two years.