Since the approval of Restylane in 2003, dermal fillers have become one of the most popular treatments in the war on wrinkles and lost volume – and it’s easy to see why. Administered correctly by a qualified practitioner, dermal fillers can restore volume, change your face shape, restore a youthful appearance and smooth skin.
Used in conjunction with other treatments such as Botox and non-surgical thread lifts such as Silhouette Soft, dermal fillers make up the largest proportion of treatments administered in today’s aesthetic medical market. In fact, the popularity of minimally invasive procedures has become less of a taboo and more commonplace as an increasing number of men and women strive to rejuvenate, sculpt and augment their faces.
WHAT ARE DERMAL FILLERS?
After the age of 25, our bodies stop producing as much collagen and elastin, which both contribute to a youthful appearance. Dermal fillers are injections of gel made from hyaluronic acid that fill in wrinkles, smooth the skin and add volume to soft tissue. They can be injected around the eyes, cheeks, mouth jawline and in the lips.
Dermal fillers last for up to 18 months, depending on how your body reacts and which brand of dermal filler is used. There are temporary side effects including swelling, bruising, tenderness and redness. However, these side effects are usually mild to moderate and didn’t last long.
There are several leading Hyaluronic Acid filler brands and at Synergy Giffnock we use Juvederm and Ellanse which we believe to be exceptional quality with proven results.
WHAT CAN DERMAL FILLERS DO FOR ME?
- Skin: Improved hydration, elasticity, tone and texture.
- Forehead: Smoothing lines, improving contour.
- Temples: Restores sunken temples.
- Cheeks: Lifts, sculpts and restores lost volume.
- Under eyes: Smoothing lines, improved eye bags.
- Chin: Sculpting and augmenting.
- Neck: Reduced lines and wrinkles.
- Lips: Improved contour, fuller lips and a more youthful lip shape.
- Naso-labial folds: plumped, less obvious lines.
OVERFILLING WITH DERMAL FILLERS
The procedure is quick and easy, and although this is a good thing it can sometimes mean that more filler can be put into your face per procedure. It’s common to inject 1-2mls per procedure, in a gradual approach. However, some professionals will inject up to 10ml per procedure.
Too much filler or filler injected incorrection can result in people looking strange or misshapen. It’s important that the professional injecting the filler understands that it’s better to place less and add more as needed so that the changes to your face are gradual and natural.
However, filler can be addictive. People are realise how effective it is, and become addicted to the sensation of looking youthful and getting complements on how they look. But there will always be a point where you could start to worse after a critical point is reached.
Everyone has an optimum amount of filler that will give the best result. However, put in too much and you could experience one of the following:
PILLOW FACE
This is a result of over filling the cheeks and undereye area. It’s very common and something that we see in many celebrities who started off looking youthful and plumped, and ended up with puffy, unnatural cheeks. The pursuit of ‘apple cheeks’ has also contributed to the syndrome. Overfilling the undereye area and cheeks can obliterate the natural lid-cheek junction and the whole mid face becomes blended with eyes appearing smaller.
MALE FEMINIZED FACE
When men have too much fillers in the cheeks can result in a feminizaton of the male face, making them look puffy, less chisled and bloated.
NOSE
Non-surgical nasal augmentation with fillers is a great alternative to invasive surgery. A great nose will be straight with well-proportioned angles, a well-defined tip, and good front to back projection. There can be a tendency to do too much with fillers and this can eradicate the nasofrontal angle between the forehead and nose, resulting in a broad nose bridge.
FOREHEAD
Fillers can make your forehead rounder, fuller and more youthful. You could end up with a bloated appearance with no natural contour on the eyebrow ridge. Natural temples need to be slightly concave, but often these can be over filled.
CHIN
An over-pointed v shaped chin can look incredibly unnatural whereas a well-defined chin can help you to appear youthful. However, too much filler can give you a sharp chin with an unnatural point.
HIGH CHEEKBONES
There has been a rise in popularity of contouring with make-up, so it was a natural progression for dermal filler to help people to create a more contoured appearance. Correctly administered, dermal fillers can shape the cheekbones giving them more structure and definition. Too much filler and they can end up looking like Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent character.
HOW TO ENSURE YOU DON’T HAVE TOO MUCH
The answer is simple – make sure you use a practitioner who understands that there is a fine line between too little and too much, and knows when to stop. No one should be able to tell that you have had a procedure, but should complement you on how refreshed and youthful you appear as if you’re rested or been on a relaxing holiday!
It’s important to respect the natural contours and anatomical landmarks in our face, and not obliterate folds and wrinkles. Clients also need to trust that the practitioner knows best – as they are qualified and experienced in delivering dermal fillers. In addition, sculpting with facial fillers takes skill otherwise you could appear distorted.
REVERSING THE EFFECTS OF TOO MUCH FILLER
Fillers used today last anything from six months to two years and so if you have too much filler you can wait for it to dissipate. Alternatively, they can be dissolved with hyaluronidase injections. However certain collagen stimulating fillers such as Ellanse are non-dissolvable and so you’ll need to wait several years for it to disappear.
At Synergy Giffnock we strongly believe that the most important thing you can do is to find a practitioner that is experienced and skilled in delivering results with dermal filler. Less can be more, and it’s better to take it slow and get the results you’re looking for than to appear over-filled. Once they are in, you can’t as easily get them out.
Dr. Judy Todd is registered medical professional who understands the anatomy of the face and knows the areas to avoid. In our view it’s important that you either use a qualified, experienced professional for your fillers or avoid them altogether.