Fillers Unfiltered
More Natural Looking, Longer Lasting Injectables
Like it or loathe it, the selfie trend is here to stay, and with it an increase in facial cosmetic procedures such as Botox, Juvederm, and even surgery. Who hasn’t had a day when they wished they could swipe Instagram’s “Clarendon” filter over their actual appearance? Clearly, some are taking it too far, but in our practice, the goal is natural appearing results. New injectable products such as the wrinkle filler Volbella are making it easier to augment reality without looking artificial.
No More Trout Pout with Lip Fillers
Over-volumizing the lips gave rise to the unfortunate terms “duck lips” and “trout pout,” so the new fillers approved for lips are welcome. We are particularly excited about Volbella®, the first filler approved by the FDA for lips and perioral lines, popularly called “smoker” lines. Volbella is made with new technology that allows it to be used more like an internal lip gloss than a plumper, and it can last up to a year. Like Juvederm and Voluma, Volbella is made from Hyaluronic Acid (HA), a natural material that retains moisture. Voluma works best for volume restoration in the midface, Juvederm for deep wrinkles, and Volbella for shallow lines and lips. This enables us to comprehensively treat signs of aging tailored to the patient’s individual condition.
Making Sense of Options for Facial Rejuvenation
Just as there are dozens of filters to enhance your Snapchat image, the options for facial rejuvenation are increasing. Restylane® has the new fillers Refyne and Defyne, also based on HA but promising greater elasticity. Botox is still the best for wrinkles caused by hyperactive muscles of expression in the upper face. Selecting the best option or combination of products requires skill and experience. One reason to see a plastic surgeon for injectables is that they have the full range of options at their disposal including surgery and non-invasive skin tightening technologies. Over-done injectables by practitioners without other options in their toolbox can sometimes give a more unnatural result than surgery. It is said that less is more, but sometimes the opposite is true, and relying too much on fillers can leave you – well – unfulfilled, no matter how you filter it.
