Many people wish for a more youthful appearance and seek ways to turn back the clock when it comes to facial aging. A dermatologist in Sterling Heights can help patients reduce visible aging effects and can explain the many anti-aging treatment options now available. For many patients, facial anti-aging treatment options will include injectable fillers and some non-invasive treatment options.
While injectable fillers are just some of the anti-aging procedures available in Sterling Heights, they tend to be widely recognized and well-known ways to reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and the volume loss that comes with aging facial skin. But because of the wide variety of injectable treatments available, understanding the options can be confusing. Those interested should take a closer look at some of the more popular injectable options available
Neurotoxin Injectables
Neurotoxins paralyze the muscle contractions that create wrinkles. These injectables contain botulinum toxin type A, made from a protein that is extracted from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. This substance was originally used to control motor disorders and involuntary muscle spasms by immobilizing targeted muscles. Similarly, neurotoxin injectables relax the muscles in the face and soften the skin for a more relaxed and youthful appearance.
Neurotoxic injectable treatments can be administered during a brief office visit. Using a fine needle, a trained physician will inject the treatment into specific facial muscles that are causing lines and wrinkles. Treatments require no anesthetic and recovery is immediate, allowing patients to resume normal daily activities immediately after treatment. The effects of neurotoxin injectables typically last up to four months, although some patients have reported results lasting up to thirteen months, depending on the type of neurotoxin used in the treatment. For optimum results, neurotoxin injectables (Botox) are often recommended in conjunction with other types of skin rejuvenation.
Volumizing Fillers
As individuals age, their cheeks can lose volume and their skin may begin to sag. Injectable volumizing fillers are used to restore lost volume to the skin. They can provide fullness to cheeks and correct and smooth smile lines from nasolabial folds that stretch from the nose to the corners of the mouth. Although the materials used to create these fillers vary, all are safe, non-surgical treatments that are performed during a brief office visit, and provide instant contour and lift.
Many volumizing fillers contain hyaluronic acid derived from naturally-occurring complex sugar. Hyaluronic acid dissolves naturally with time and is integrated into body tissues; as it is not derived from animals and there is no risk of an allergic reaction, so no pre-testing of patients’ skin is required. Some hyaluronic acid fillers also contain Lidocaine to improve comfort during treatment, which is a local anesthetic used to reduce the sting of injections.
Another type of volumizing filler consists of a synthetic material known as poly-L-lactic acid. Poly-L-lactic acid is a safe, synthetic, biodegradable alpha hydroxy acid that gradually replaces lost collagen in the face, and can help correct sunken cheeks, contour deficiencies, hollow eyes, and folds and wrinkles. Poly-L-lactic acid has been used for many years in dissolvable stitches and soft tissue implants and is absorbed naturally by the body. It can achieve significant and natural-looking results that last from two to five years and is considered to be the longest-lasting volumizing filler.
Line and Wrinkle Fillers
Many popular types of injectables work by temporarily filling in facial creases, wrinkles, and folds. These injectables replenish lost volume in the skin to lift and support tissues. The outcome is a younger, smoother look with fewer lines and wrinkles. The results obtained from these non-surgical procedures are both immediate and long-lasting, but vary from product to product.
Smooth-consistency hyaluronic acid gel fillers restore volume to the skin and treat moderate facial wrinkles and folds. Smooth-consistency fillers are easily injected into the skin and produce immediate, natural-looking results, with some treatment variations including Lidocaine to improve comfort and reduce the sting of injections. Results of smooth-consistency hyaluronic acid gel fillers are expected to last nine months to one year.
Another hyaluronic acid gel treatment with the smallest type of filler particles is used to target wrinkles and lines around the mouth and lip areas. While aging causes the lips to show signs of thinning, loss of shape, and vertical lines, small-particle hyaluronic acid gel fillers counteract these effects by providing increased volume and smoothness to the lip area while achieving natural-looking results that last up to six months.
Some hyaluronic acid gels specifically target moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, especially nasolabial folds that stretch from the nose to the corners of the mouth. The gel particles in these treatments are larger than those in smoother-consistency gels, making them ideal for treating deeper folds in the skin. Several variations of these treatments also include Lidocaine to reduce the sting of injections. Results from these gels are immediate and generally last up to six months.
Synthetic injectable fillers have also been FDA-approved to reduce moderate to severe wrinkles, folds, and creases around the nose and mouth. Some synthetic injectable fillers are made from a substance called calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA), which stimulates the production of collagen to smooth age-related lines and wrinkles. Synthetic injectable fillers are longer-lasting alternatives to injectable collagen and other dermal fillers and are especially effective for filling and correcting smile lines, nasolabial folds, marionette lines from the corners of the mouth to the chin, and other lines and wrinkles around the nose and mouth. Synthetic fillers can also be used to elevate eyebrows and to lift depressed scars. One or two of these filler treatments create a natural look that lasts up to a year or more.
Consult with a Dermatologist in Sterling Heights
Injectable treatments are ideal for patients who seek a younger and more refreshed look. Both men and women can experience the beneficial physical and emotional effects of an improved appearance. A dermatologist who specializes in anti-aging procedures in Sterling Heights can help select the best injectable treatment options for each patient and can recommend additional treatments to address each individual’s anti-aging needs. Interested patients should set up a consultation appointment with a Sterling Heights dermatologist to discuss treatment options, costs, and benefits to get one step closer to achieving phenomenal individualized results.