Filler Injection in Westminster, California
Fillers
Class: Volumizer
Cosmetic uses: Fat injections can restore volume to the face and lips as well as other areas on the body.
Mode of action: Fat fillers are injected during a process called autologous fat transplantation or microlipoinjection. This is done as a two-step procedure. First, your doctor must harvest the fat from another area on your body where it is plentiful. It can be repurposed after liposuction or harvested with a small needle. The fat is then sterilized, processed and re-injected to fill in folds and restore volume to areas where it is lacking.
Results: Fat grafting results may appear gradually. It can take several weeks to see visible contour changes. Improvements last from three to six months.
Side Effects may include:
- Bruising
- Swelling
- Redness
- Fatty bumps under the skin
Fat grafting results are less predictable than those seen with off-the-shelf fillers. Some doctors overinject to compensate for the lack of predictability.
There is no risk of allergic reactions with fat because it is taken from your own body.
There may be pain at the site where the fat is taken from as well as where it is re-injected. Pain is subjective, and some people just report minor discomfort on day one.
Juvederm
Product line: Juvederm, Juvederm Ultra, Juvederm Ultra Plus and Juvederm Voluma.
Class: Hyaluronic acid-based soft tissue or dermal filler.
Approved cosmetic uses: Moderate-to-severe facial wrinkles and folds such as smile lines (the parentheses around your nose and mouth), marionette lines (the vertical wrinkles at the corner of your mouth) and vertical lip lines.
Mode of Action: Juvederm and all of its iterations fill facial folds with hyaluronic acid, a substance that occurs naturally in all mammals. Our body’s natural stores of hyaluronic acid dwindle as we age.
Results: Juvederm results should be visible immediately, and may last up to one year.
Possible Side Effects:
- Redness
- Pain/tenderness
- Firmness
- Swelling
- Lumps/bumps
- Bruising
- Itching
- Discoloration
- Infection
These are mild or moderate in nature, and tend to last seven days or less.
Note: Juvederm XC is made with lidocaine to take the sting out of the injections. Your doctor may choose to numb the treatment area as well. (Pain, however, is subjective.)
Popularity: Hyaluronic acid-based fillers are second to injections of neurotoxins like Botox in popularity. In 2012, there were 1,423,705 such injections performed, according to American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
Radiesse
Class: Semi-permanent soft tissue filler
Radiesse Mode of action: Radiesse is composed of calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) microspheres which are suspended in a gel. This filler volumizes in two ways: There is an immediate volumizing effect, and also a delayed improvement over time because the active ingredient in Radiesse helps the body produce more of the skin’s main structural protein (collagen). The gel is eventually absorbed and your body metabolizes the CaHA microspheres, leaving only your collagen behind.
Radiesse Approved Cosmetic Uses: Radiesse is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the correction of moderate-to-severe facial wrinkles and folds.
Radiesse Results: Some results are immediate, while others appear gradually. Radiesse results last for about nine to 18 months.
Radiesse Side Effects:
Possible side effects include:
- Bruising
- Redness
- Swelling
- Pain
- Tenderness
- Itching