Injectables and Dermal Fillers
What are dermal fillers?
Dermal fillers help to diminish facial lines and restore volume and fullness in the face.
As we age, our faces naturally lose subcutaneous fat. The facial muscles are then working closer to the skin surface, so smile lines and crow’s feet become more apparent.
The facial skin also stretches a bit, adding to this loss of facial volume. Other factors that affect the facial skin include sun exposure, heredity, and lifestyle.
Dermal fillers can be very helpful in those with early signs of aging, or as a value-added part of facial rejuvenation surgery.
Dermal Filler Uses:
Dermal Filler Uses:
- Plump thin lips
- Enhance shallow contours
- Soften facial creases and wrinkles
- Improve the appearance of recessed scars
What is botulinum toxin (Botox®) used for?
Botulinum toxin is a purified substance that’s derived from bacteria. Commonly known types of botulinum toxin type A injections include Botox and Dysport.
Injections of botulinum toxin blocks muscular nerve signals, which then weakens the muscle so it can’t contract. The end result is diminished unwanted facial wrinkles.
Botox Can Smooth:
Botox Can Smooth:
- Crow’s feet
- Forehead furrows
- Frown lines
- Skin bands on the neck
Botox®
BOTOX® Cosmetic is an injection that smoothes the deep, persistent lines and wrinkles that develop over time.
JUVÉDERM®
Each product in the JUVÉDERM® collection of fillers adds volume to a different area of the face to lift cheeks, smooth parentheses lines, or plump the lips.
- JUVÉDERM VOLUMA® XC
- JUVÉDERM® Ultra XC
- JUVÉDERM VOLBELLA® XC
Kybella®
KYBELLA® is a prescription medicine used in adults to improve the appearance and profile of moderate to severe fat below the chin (submental fat), also called
“double chin.”
Restylane®
Restylane® is a safe and natural dermal filler that restores volume and fullness to the skin to correct facial wrinkles and folds caused by weakened collagen
Injectable Tissue Replacement (ITR)
Our ITR treatment is a new cosmetic facial treatment which utilizes the healing power of your own blood and fat and combines it with the techniques of other dermal fillers. This allows your own bodies’ PRP to be used as a filler in desired areas with great results.
Fat transfer is a process where excess fat is removed from areas of your body like the thighs, hips, or buttocks, and then purified and injected into other areas for rejuvenation and cosmetic purposes. The process also goes by other names, such as fat grafting, fat injections, and autologous fat transfer.
Dr. J focuses on fat transfer to the face. Facial fat transfer works to create a more youthful appearance with volumization. When you look closely at the faces of children, teens, and young people alike, a common feature you will notice is fullness. It is Dr. J’s goal to replace as much of the volume as possible as safely as possible while still retaining a natural look to the face.
The fat is transferred to areas like the region below the eyes, the tear troughs, the temples, the forehead, the nasolabial folds, the cheeks, and the jawline. Along with volumization, this treatment can also improve the appearance of facial wrinkles.
The process of PRP fat transfer consists of four steps:
1. Fat extraction through liposuction
2. Centrifugation, processing, and purification of fat
3. Combination of the fat with PRP
4. Re-injection of purified fat into the face
PLATELET RICH PLASMA (PRP) FACIAL FAT TRANSFER
There are different types of facial fat transfer procedures. One of the most recent procedures is fat injections with platelet rich plasma (PRP). Dr. J will often combine PRP with the fat before transfer.
One of the issues with a traditional fat-transfer procedure without PRP is that some amount of the re-injected fat will be reabsorbed by the body, resulting in a fair amount of uncertainty regarding results.
PRP technology has helped eliminate most of this uncertainty, as it employs the patient’s own blood cells, which contain growth factors and stem cells. All of these components work together to help produce results that last longer while improving the quality of surrounding tissue and skin.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A FACIAL FAT TRANSFER?
The biggest benefit of undergoing a facial fat transfer is that it helps a patient look years younger through the addition of volume. It helps improve the skin’s texture and look and also helps lift the facial structure. A facial fat transfer helps address signs of aging such as bags under the eyes, dark circles, sunken cheeks, wrinkles, and a constantly tired look.
The facial fat transfer procedure is simple, safe, and minimally invasive. When fat is harvested from a person and transferred into a different part of that same person’s body, it is called an autologous process. This process helps reduce the chances of allergic reactions and graft rejection, as it is from the same body.
HOW IS A FACIAL FAT TRANSFER CONDUCTED?
This procedure is commonly conducted under local anesthesia. Fat is harvested from areas like the patient’s thighs, hips, abdomen, or buttocks using cannulae. These areas are referred to as the “donor sites.”
The harvested fat is then processed in a centrifuge, purified, combined with PRP, and then injected into the desired areas of the patient’s face. The areas that receive the fat are called “recipient sites.” If the procedure is conducted properly, most of the fat will settle well and the patient’s face will appear fuller and more youthful.
You can learn more about our PRP service here.