Dermal Fillers

What are dermal fillers?

You might have heard about Restylane or Juvederm. Most dermal fillers are made out of Hyaluronic Acid. This is a natural substance in the body found in all of your joints and in your skin. Each filler is made to have different properties for different uses. For instance, some fillers are very soft and silky and are made specifically for the lips, which should be, well, soft and silky. Others are made to be stiff and firm– think adding to the cheekbones. They come as a gel in a pre-filled syringe, and can be used to fill volume in the body (mostly the face) where it has been lost. So it can be placed into a wrinkle to smooth it out, or it can be placed next to the cheek bones to give them more prominence.

Dermal Fillers Seattle and KIrkland

What are the benefits of dermal fillers?

As we age, our faces naturally lose subcutaneous fat. The skin also stretches, adding to this loss of facial volume. Other factors that affect the facial skin include sun exposure, heredity, and lifestyle.

Dermal fillers, such as Restylane, Juvederm and Voluma help to diminish facial lines and restore volume and fullness in the face. Fillers can be used to enhance the cheeks and shallow contours, soften facial creases and wrinkles and improve the appearance of recessed scars. 

Fillers are most often used to:

  • Build the cheeks 
  • Fill lost volume and lift the lower face
  • Plump the lips
  • Fill the hollows under the eyes (tear troughs)

How long do dermal fillers last?

Once fillers have been placed in or under the skin, the body starts to break them down. How long this takes depends on where the filler is located and how much blood flow there is to that area. The lips have a lot of blood flow, and fillers in the lips last only about 6 months. Filler placed next to the cheekbones lasts a lot longer, generally about a year. Filler placed in the lower face, like in the nasolabial folds or marionette lines are somewhere in between, around 8-10 months.

There is a lot of hype about Voluma lasting a longer time. This is just hype. The company that makes Voluma did a trial where the average patient received 6.9 syringes of filler initially and got 1-2 more as a “touch-up” months later. Under these conditions, the filler was shown to have effects that were appreciable in most people at 2 years. However, in real life, very few people ever receive that much filler– that is a ton! That would also be ridiculously expensive! We generally use 1-3 syringes at a time for the cheeks, not 7! In real use, all the fillers last about the same amount of time. 

How do dermal fillers work?

Dermal fillers are a gel that literally fill a space up. If the lips are thinned out, the gel can be added to plump them. A small line of filler can be placed in an individual wrinkle to fill the space that has become a crease. Fillers can be used to fill hollows in the face that have developed with age, adding back the volume that the fat pads used to occupy before they faded away. Fillers work simply by adding volume to a space that has diminished with age.

How much do dermal fillers cost?

Most offices charge for filler by the syringe, and fillers range from $600 to $1500/syringe. At Glow Medispa, most of our fillers are $700 per syringe.

Current Pricing:

Dermal TreatmentPricing
Restylane L, Refyne, Defyne, Lyft, Kysse, Contour$700
Juvederm Ultra, Ultra Plus, Vollure$700
Juvederm Voluma, Volux$900
Restylane Eyelight$400

What to expect after getting fillers?

Hyaluronic Acid (HA) fillers are hydrophilic– this means they like to absorb water. All HA fillers swell a little bit– some more than others. After receiving dermal fillers, you can expect some swelling for about 1-3 days. Some people will experience bruising, which takes at least a few days to resolve (the bigger the bruise the longer that takes). The areas of injection can be a little bit sore for a day or two, with occasional redness. Sometimes the filler can feel a little bit lumpy at first, but that tends to even out within 1-2 weeks. Infection is a risk, but is rare. The amazing thing about fillers is that you will see results immediately. Boom. 

How deep do the injections go?

Where the injections go depends on what we are trying to accomplish. Filler is sometimes placed very superficially, just beneath the skin. Restylane Refyne is particularly well-suited for using tiny amounts to fill tiny lines– like the lip lines. Filler can also be placed deep, just on top of the cheek bones. And it can also be used to fill those hollows, often just deep to the skin. The most important thing about filler placement is to make sure it is where you want it, and it is in a safe spot.

What dermal fillers do we use?

At Glow Medispa, we are always evaluating new products, and we add some to our lineup of tools all the time, while removing others as products improve. We use a wide range of dermal fillers as part of our overall set of tools to address these issues. Allergan makes the Juvederm family of fillers including Juvederm Ultra and Ultra Plus, and Voluma. Galderma makes the Restylane family of fillers including Restylane L, Restylane Lyft, Refyne, Defyne, Kiss and Contour. The newer Restylanes (Refyne, Defyne, Kiss and Contour) are designed to be flexible, allowing normal facial expression. 

Our Recommended Products

AreaProducts
CheeksRestylane Lyft, Juvederm Voluma, Restylane Contour
LipsRestylane Kiss, Restylane Refyne, Juvederm Ultra,
Juvederm Ultra Plus
Mid and Lower FaceRestylane Defyne, Restylane Refyne, Vollure, Volux
Fine lines, Lip LinesRestylane Refyne
Tear TroughsRestylane L, Eyelight

At Glow, we use only Hyaluronic Acid (HA) fillers. Why? HA is a naturally occurring substance that is found throughout your body, and is a natural choice for adding volume. HA can be broken down with an enzyme called hyaluronidase. This is rarely needed, but it is critical to know HA fillers are reversible if a problem arises. With artificial fillers, there is no option to reverse it. Your body does process the HA over time, so results are not permanent. However, we feel strongly that the risk of more permanent fillers is not worth taking.

Is there downtime?

Fillers tend to swell. This will last from a few hours to a few days. The swelling is usually the most prominent the morning after the treatment. This will slowly resolve with time. If there is any bruising, this can take days to weeks to resolve. Most often there is very little downtime, but this will vary.

When will I see results?

Results are immediate. Hwoever, the filler needs to "settle" and smooth out. Swelling resolves over a few days.

Will I look natural?

This is a great question! Results depend on the injector's skill and artistry. When filler is used conservatively, results can be very natural looking. When ov er-used, this can lead to looking over-stuffed. At Glow Medispa we are very conservative with filler, and our aim is to make you lokk naturally beautiful.

Are fillers safe?

Fillers have been used safely for over 20 years and they have a very long safety record in the hands of a trained expert.

Who should not get a filler?

You should not have a filler treatment if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, if you are allergic to any component of the filler, or if you are on blood thinners or immunosuppressants. You should avoid dermal filler if you have certain autoimmune diseases or if you suffer severe scarring or pigmentation disorder.

Are dermal filler injections painful?

Most fillers contain a local anesthetic that makes the injection fairly comfortable. The skin or lips may be numbed with anesthetic prior to injection. Overall, dermal filler injections are very well tolerated.

have more questions?

Dermal fillers are just some of many tools we use to address the signs of aging. If you are interested in learning more, please schedule a consultation to find out whether you might be a good candidate.

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