Dermal Fillers AT DERMACARE MEDICAL AESTHETICS

The natural aging process can negatively affect our appearance in many ways, especially when it comes to how our features seem to shift with time. Volume loss in bone and fat, weakening connective tissues, and consistent facial movement tugging on then creasing the skin all lead to visible changes to our face. Sunken cheeks, hollow eyes or under-eye circles, and fine lines and wrinkles can all contribute to an aged look that doesn’t reflect our actual age or vitality. 

However, Dermacare Medical Aesthetics has an answer to these aging concerns. With the careful placement of dermal and jawline filler in San Diego, our patients can see substantial improvements in these unwanted aging signs and have the convenience they want. Most treatments Dermacare offers can fit quickly into your budget and lifestyle and often involve little to no downtime.

There is a wide range of options to choose from when considering dermal and facial fillers at Dermacare Medical Aesthetics. While most fillers provide the immediate benefits of restoring lost volume, different injectable treatments have unique characteristics and lifespans, making selecting the most appropriate products for your needs difficult without expert consultation. Dr. Jeff Birchall and our team of trained injectors can help patients choose the ideal fillers for their concerns with thoughtful, expert advice based on combined years of experience in aesthetic medicine.
 
 

Candidates for Dermal Fillers

An ideal candidate for dermal fillers is someone who has noticed fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging, especially in the lower area of the face. The gel-like formula aims to add volume to your features, making the treatment effective in case of loss of plumpness. If your cheeks have lost their structure due to aging or weight loss, or you want to add more volume to your lips, dermal fillers are an appropriate option.

Other candidates might consider dermal fillers when their facial contours are shallow leaving them with a desire to look sharper. The treatment can also be used to address recessed scars, as the collagen-induction properties of the filler raise the pit. Patients should be in good health, non-smokers, and without known allergies to any ingredients. A consultation with our providers will help determine whether or not you are a good candidate for the treatment.

 
 

How Dermal Fillers Work

Dermal fillers come in different types, depending on the results that you want to obtain. Dermacare proudly offers the safest and most effective injectable filler treatments on the market, addressing every area of the face.

1. Hyaluronic Acid Fillers

Many fillers are formulated using hyaluronic acid, a compound naturally produced by the body. It’s a hydrophilic (“water-loving”) molecule with the ability to attract and store moisture. It creates a sustained plumping effect, replenishing your body’s natural store of hyaluronic acid. The surrounding skin can also experience a boost of hydration, improving as a direct result of treatment. Some research indicates that hyaluronic acid fillers can stimulate collagen production, helping the skin rejuvenate itself from the inside out. Results from a hyaluronic acid-based filler can be seen immediately and typically last six months to one year.

• BELOTERO® BALANCE 

BELOTERO®’s very smooth consistency allows it to penetrate deeply into the skin layers for enhanced rejuvenation, and it is designed to integrate into facial skin tissue. This soft, cohesive gel injectable provides patients with natural and subtle-looking improvements. It is especially suitable for the delicate tissues of the eyes and mouth while being sufficiently versatile to also address moderate nasolabial folds. Patients will enjoy immediate results from their BELOTERO® treatment, lasting four to six months.

• JUVÉDERM® — Ultra XC, Ultra Plus XC & Voluma XC

JUVÉDERM® offers several hyaluronic-acid-based fillers to treat many of the most common aging concerns affecting the face. This family of dermal filler injectables includes formulations that range in thickness to address different parts of the aging face. Thicker consistencies are used to improve deeper wrinkles and folds effectively. In contrast, finer-consistency fillers are used to treat more delicate areas and symptoms, such as the skin of the lips and surrounding the eyes. The manufacturer’s proprietary cross-linking technology boosts the effects of hyaluronic acid, giving patients even more benefits while ensuring they continue to look natural, healthy, and like themselves. Depending on which Juvederm® product is selected, you may enjoy your results for six months up to over a year.

• Restylane®, Restylane® Silk & Restylane® Lyft

Like JUVÉDERM®, Restylane® offers many hyaluronic-acid-based formulations to treat mild, moderate, and more severe facial wrinkles and lines appearing in the face, such as marionette lines and laugh lines. Restylane® Silk can be very effective in treating the finer lines around the lips, while Restylane® Lift can significantly improve volume loss in the cheeks and on the backs of the hands. Our providers can help patients determine whether JUVÉDERM® or Restylane® will be a better option for their needs based on a full examination of their areas of concern. Patients who have Restylane® can enjoy results lasting from nine to 12 months.

2. Collagen Stimulators

Collagen stimulators are sometimes dubbed “permanent fillers” as they stimulate the production of collagen and elastin in the deeper layers of the skin in the long run. Collagen and elastin help support the skin’s underlying structures, giving it the elasticity and tone that is the hallmark of healthy, youthful, and vibrant skin. Results from dermal and jawline filler in San Diego tend to be longer lasting, creating a rejuvenated look that can last over a year in just one treatment. However, unlike traditional volume-adding fillers, this type of filler does not create an immediate plumping effect. Results appear subtly and naturally over time, with optimal outcomes often seen a few months after the initial treatment.

• Bellafill®

Bellafill® is an ideal treatment for patients concerned with deep nasolabial folds (the folds between the nose and mouth), prominent smile lines, and the appearance of pitted acne scars. Bellafill® is a highly effective treatment, and the only dermal filler approved by the FDA to be effective for safely rejuvenating treated areas for up to five years. The formula uses a combination of a smooth collagen gel, which provides instantaneous results, and a suspension of tiny polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microspheres, which provide a base for your body’s natural collagen production to develop, delivering natural-looking, long-term results.

For patients who have had good experiences with dermal fillers before and wish to reduce their number of yearly appointments, Bellafill® could be the right fit.

• Radiesse®

RADIESSE® uses calcium hydroxyapatite rather than hyaluronic acid to rejuvenate treated skin. The compound, naturally found in bones and teeth, helps support the internal structures of the skin, smoothing the skin and improving skin tone while also immediately restoring lost volume. RADIESSE® also stimulates collagen and elastin production where it is introduced to achieve continued, natural rejuvenation. Rejuvenation from RADIESSE® can last anywhere from 12 to 15 months.

• Sculptra® Aesthetic

Sculptra® uses Poly-L-lactic acid to treat the aging signs that trouble patients most, with lasting results. The active ingredient in Sculptra® helps spur natural collagen and elastin production in the body for subtle yet visible results, including smoother skin with better tone and hydration. Sculptra® treats the entire facial area, with results lasting up to two years.

3. Permanent Fillers

A true “permanent filler” is facial fat grafting. These injections are a natural alternative to man-made fillers. Made from purified fat taken from a donor site on the patient’s own body (most often the abdomen or hips), these injections can be safely used across different parts of the face. While the body absorbs some fat cells, the remaining cells that take root will naturally replace the lost fat on the face for good.

• Natural Fat Transfers

Natural-fat transfers offer patients who don’t want to use synthetic fillers another natural alternative to improve their facial aging concerns. Fat carefully drawn from other areas of the body can be safely injected into a patient’s concern areas in the lips and face for very natural, long-lasting, and permanent results. Treated areas can often feel more natural because body fat has been used to restore lost volume. Patients can enjoy a comfortable procedure, minimal downtime, and permanent results with a natural fat transfer.
 
 

Complementary Treatments to Dermal Fillers

At Dermacare Medical Aesthetics, we offer complementary injectable treatments that can improve your dermal filler results. It is important to note that neuromodulator treatments, like BOTOX® Cosmetic and Dysport®, differ from facial fillers. They work in a completely different way. By safely inhibiting the muscle movements that create dynamic wrinkles, unwanted lines are smoothed out, and patients can enjoy smoother skin with a more relaxed appearance.

At Dermacare Medical Aesthetics, we offer the following treatments as adjacent beauty procedures:

• BOTOX® Cosmetic

One of the oldest and most well-known wrinkle-fighting treatments is BOTOX® Cosmetic. This neuromodulator can improve “dynamic wrinkles” produced by repeated muscle movements that stress the skin, leaving unwanted lines and furrows. BOTOX® Cosmetic can improve the appearance of wrinkles, slow their progression, and help prevent new wrinkles from forming. Patients can maintain their results through periodic touch-ups.

• Dysport®

Like BOTOX® Cosmetic, Dysport® is a neuromodulator that achieves patient results by inhibiting the movements of wrinkle-causing muscles. For some patients, Dysport® can be a better option than BOTOX® since it can diffuse more easily once injected and has a quicker onset; however, BOTOX® lasts slightly longer. During your in-person consultation, our providers can help you select the best neuromodulator for your concerns.

• XEOMIN®

XEOMIN® is a botulinum toxin type A injection used to reduce the appearance of facial wrinkles and treat certain muscle conditions. It works by blocking the nerve signals that cause muscle contractions, leading to smoother skin. XEOMIN® is used for glabellar lines (frown lines between the eyebrows), with results lasting about 3 to 4 months. It is also used to treat conditions like cervical dystonia, blepharospasm (involuntary eyelid twitching), and spasticity. Unlike Botox® and Dysport®, XEOMIN® is “naked,” meaning it contains no additives or complexing proteins, which may reduce the likelihood of developing resistance over time.

• KYBELLA®

Even as fat vanishes from the mid-face and up, pockets of fat can form around the jawline and under the chin as we age, creating jowls and a double chin. For stubborn pockets of fat like these, no amount of dieting or exercise can safely and permanently shift them without affecting what fat remains in other parts of the face. The targeted treatment, KYBELLA®, uses deoxycholic acid, which is a naturally occurring substance in the body, to dissolve stubborn fat. A careful map will be drawn over the desired treatment area, and the injection will be delivered at the exact level of submental fat, providing even and noticeable results. As the treated fat cells burst and are naturally removed by the body’s lymphatic system over the weeks following a KYBELLA® treatment, the result is a more well-defined and youthful chin and jawline.