Laugh Lines

Injectable Fillers
If you would like to restore facial contours, reduce the appearance of nasolabial folds (NLFs) and marionette lines or enhance the lip area, injections with soft tissue fillers such as Juvéderm®, Restylane®, Radiesse® or one's own fat may be right for you.   After a filler procedure, improved appearance is visible almost immediately and the results last from 6-months to several years depending on the type of filler used, the treatment site and individual patient factors.

Injectable fillers can:
•     Soften facial creases and wrinkles
•    Enhance shallow contours
•    Plump thin lips
•    Improve dark circles and hollows under the eyes
•    Rejuvenate the hands

Procedure
A pharmaceutical grade filler substance or your own fat is carefully injected below the skin surface to fill hollow areas and creases, or plump the lips or the back of the hands. If fat transfer is preferred, it is typically harvested from the inner thigh or abdomen area and re-injected into the desired location.

Your Results
The results of injectable fillers are immediate.  The procedure produces results lasting between 6-months to several years or more based on the filler used, the treatment site and individual patient factors.

Side Effects
After the procedure, minor pain, swelling and/or bruising may appear at the injection sites.   With some fillers, a slightly "over-filled" appearance may be initially present, but these conditions will resolve within a few hours, or at most a few days.

Types of Fillers
Hyaluronic Acid is a natural substance found in our bodies. Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers such as Juvéderm® and Restylane® are soft, malleable products that offer a natural look and feel with minimal pain thanks to the addition of lidocaine to the product.  Also, there is less bruising and downtime associated with HA fillers. They are well suited to plump thin lips and fill facial creases such as nasolabial folds. They may also be appropriate for some surface wrinkles and concave scars. The results of HA fillers may last 6 months or longer.  For more information on Juvéderm, go to www.juvederm.com. For more information on Restylane, go to www.restylaneusa.com.

Radiesse® is another filler that contains calcium hydroxylapetite, a mineral-like compound found naturally in human bones, suspended in a gel-like formulation. It is the heaviest of facial fillers and is recommended to fill deeper creases such as nasolabial folds, marionette lines and frown lines, as well as to enhance fullness of the cheeks and other facial contours.   For more information on Radiess, go to www.radiesse.com.

Human fat, harvested from your own body, can be re-injected to enhance facial fullness, fill deep creases and to build up shallow contours. Fat injection requires a more extensive procedure than other injectable fillers because it uses liposuction techniques to extract the fat prior to injection.