The role of dermal fillers is not just to augment lips or smooth your under-eye area but also to improve the signs of aging and enhance one’s overall appearance. Genetics, sun, and environmental damage like pollution, coupled with the intrinsic aging process, cause us to lose volume in our faces. This helps lead to sagging skin, sunken cheeks, and wrinkles and folds. Additionally, sitting in front of our computers leads to wrinkles in our necks, otherwise known as “tech neck.” Dermal fillers safely restore volume to hollowed areas of the face and help soften face and neck lines. Dr. Melda Isaac and Dr. Daniel Yanes, dermatologists in Washington, D.C., are expert injectors who strategically place fillers to enhance their patients’ facial contours and features.
Dozens of dermal fillers are available. Some are general workhorses that add attractive fullness in several areas; others are specifically designed for a particular area, such as the lips or cheeks. Before you rush into choosing a filler, let’s review some of the most effective dermal filler brands and what they can do.
Remember, all dermal fillers made of hyaluronic acid (HA), including JUVÉDERM, Restylane, Belotero, and RHA products, are reversible with an injection of hyaluronidase.
The JUVÉDERM family of fillers is widely popular and comes in different consistencies to target volume loss in the cheeks, lips, and mid-face. These fillers are made with synthetic hyaluronic acid (HA), mimicking a substance that occurs in the body naturally, so the results have a natural look and feel. Some JUVÉDERM fillers can last up to 18 months.
These JUVÉDERM fillers can improve moderate to severe lines on your face, such as nasolabial folds and marionette lines. Their consistency works great for deeper facial lines and gives your face a natural-looking rejuvenation. JUVÉDERM VOLLURE™ XC is a more flexible filler that is best used in areas where there is facial expression, such as nasolabial folds and marionette lines.
You can use this JUVÉDERM filler for lip augmentation and fine lines around the lips. JUVÉDERM VOLBELLA® XC is also approved for restoring the eye area or tear troughs. The lower concentration of HA in this filler makes it perfect for the lip area.
JUVÉDERM VOLUMA effectively restores volume and structure to your mid-face. Use it to add volume to sunken cheeks and to achieve better facial contouring.
JUVÉDERM VOLUX is similar to Voluma in its power to restore volume, but with more punch to define the jawline and chin regions.
Restylane is another family of fillers made with HA that combats the signs of aging and volume loss in the face and hands. Certain Restylane fillers are also used for lip augmentation and to smooth lines around the lips while other address contours and deeper folds. Your results can last anywhere from 6 to 12 months, depending on the filler you choose.
This filler treats frown lines, lip lines, sagging cheeks, and hollows in the temple area. It can also help soften and fill in moderate nasolabial folds as well as provide fullness to the lips.
Restylane Lyft has a thicker consistency than other Restylane fillers, so it’s better suited for deep wrinkles and nasolabial folds. You can also restore volume to your cheeks with Restylane Lyft.
This filler is perfect for hydrating and enhancing lips and lip lines. It provides both structure and plumping qualities.
Restylane Contour is specifically designed for cheeks to build both support and flexibility to move naturally as you make facial expressions.
Restylane Refyne is designed and formulated to address lines in areas of high facial expression, like laugh lines or nasolabial folds
Also indicated for moderate to deep nasolabial folds, Defyne can also be used for the chin and jawline where more structure is desired.
One of the latest brands to come onto the U.S. market is the RHA Collection. The beauty of these hyaluronic acid fillers is that they move and adapt to facial movements, creating soft, natural-looking results. This is especially helpful in areas like the lips and cheek where facial expressions are made.
This lightweight filler smooths perioral lines, also known as smoker’s lines or lipstick lines. It is a favorite for around the eyes, tear troughs and fine horizontal neck lines.
Slightly more concentrated than Redensity, RHA 2 can correct deeper perioral lines and deeper neck lines. It can also be a great choice for crows’ feet or lines around eyes.
Give a youthful fullness to your cheeks and treat dynamic folds such as nasolabial lines with RHA 3 filler.
Lift, define, and restore volume to the cheeks and address deeper dynamic wrinkles with RHA 4. This concentrated filler is a workhorse for overall rejuvenation when lifting is required.
Belotero is a thin, multifunctional, effective hyaluronic acid filler designed to reduce the appearance of fine lines, lip lines, under-eye shadows, and shallow acne scars. Belotero does not cause the skin to look discolored or bumpy even when it is placed close to the skin surface.
Sculptra differs from hyaluronic acid fillers in that it’s made from poly-L-lactic acid, which is a collagen booster. This filler stimulates collagen production in the body to combat volume loss in the face. You can use Sculptra for smile lines, nasolabial folds, marionette lines, under-eye bags, and the back of the hands.
Sculptra can also be combined with BOTOX® Cosmetic to address dynamic wrinkles. To learn about more benefits of Sculptra and other dermal fillers, read this related blog.
Made of CaHA (calcium hydroxyapatite), Radiesse stimulates both collagen and elastin production in the skin. Its CaHA microspheres restore volume and create attractive fullness over time as the body produces more collagen. The right candidates for Radiesse can enjoy long-lasting results.
Both Radiesse and Sculptra can be safely used off of the face in the hands, neck, arms, legs, and buttocks, to reduce the appearance of crepey skin and improve body contours and cellulite.
Bellafill is a semi-permanent filler made of biocompatible polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microspheres. It smooths deeper wrinkles and folds and can even improve the appearance of acne scars.
Dermal fillers can enhance your lips, face, and neck to easily restore volume loss, creating the subtle facial rejuvenation seen in these before and after photos. To learn more about dermal fillers and their benefits, request a consultation or call MI Skin Dermatology in Washington D.C. at (202) 393-7546 to schedule an appointment.