Is That Really You In The Mirror?

(and what you can do about it!)

Changing some of the most obvious signs of facial aging has never been easier, faster or more affordable. Today's dermal fillers offer a fast, easy solution for dramatically reducing wrinkles, enhancing lips and cheeks, and reducing facial lines.

Dermal fillers are usually used to treat what are referred to as static wrinkles. Static wrinkles are lines that occur as a result of sagging or loss of elasticity and moisture retention. These fillers go by a wide variety of trade names as we'll see when we look at what the most common dermal fillers are made of and what they're best suited for.

Considerations: Different Types of Dermal Fillers

Dermal fillers help large numbers of people seeking to greatly reduce or eliminate two very common signs of aging - fine lines and wrinkles. Dermal fillers work to get rid of the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles through injectable treatments. When selecting the right product for you, several factors should be considered:

• The consistency of the filler in question.

• Whether skin testing is required beforehand.

• Treatment cost (& number of treatments required).

• Longevity of results offered by a particular treatment.

With any of these products, there is really no downtime, but you may experience some temporary redness in the injection area. The cost of your treatment will be based on the number of injections required, ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars for most dermal fillers.

Common Products: What They're Made

Hyaluronic acid, calcium hydroxyl apatite and various forms of collagen are commonly found in dermal fillers. Juvederm, Restylane and Perlane are made of hyaluronic acid, while Radiesse is made of calcium hydroxyl apatite. Evolence is made of porcine (pig) collagen, Cosmoplast and Cosmoderm are made of human collagen and Artefill contains bovine (cow) collagen. Talk to a skincare professional to learn more about these consistencies and to determine which is right for you.Most dermal fillers dont require skin testing, although Artefill requires testing before treatment. The possibility of a hypersensitivity to bovine collagen used in Artefill requires the skin to be tested.

Not all dermal fillers are available or appropriate for use in all areas of the face. Juvederm, Restylane and Perlane may be used in the lips, nasolabial folds, around the mouth or in the cheeks. Radiesse, on the other hand, may be used in the nasolabial folds, around the mouth, cheeks, temples, but not in the lips. Sculptra is used to provide generalized facial volume in the cheeks, chin and temples, while Cosmoplast and Cosmoderm may treat the nasolabial folds, lips and fine lines. Depending on your particular needs, the recommendations may vary.

I hope you found this information helpful and thanks for taking the time to read it!

** All product/trade names used in this article are either trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective manufacturers. **