• Home
• Medispa
• Fillers

Fillers

What makes a youthful face? It may be hard to describe, but it is easy to see. The underlying structure of the face gives it the appearance of youthful face as illustrated below by Galderma.

Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance in your skin that helps provide fullness and elasticity. Hyaluronic acid diminishes as we age, causing skin to lose volume while increasing the chances for wrinkles and folds to appear. A common misconception about facial aging involves the role of gravity. The real culprit is deflation (loss of volume and structure) rather than descent (drooping or sagging). Restylane hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers are increasingly popular due to their ability to add volume and decrease wrinkles with a single treatment.

Dermal fillers are injected into the skin in tiny amounts using an ultrafine needle. Our skilled registered nurse injectors may massage your skin gently to optimize contouring of the gel. This treatment works in two ways. Once injected into the mid to deep dermis (middle layer of skin), the dermal filler gel adds volume and fullness, which smooths out facial wrinkles and folds. Then the gel integrates into dermal tissue, attracts and binds to water molecules, and helps to maintain volume.

When expertly injected, filler should look natural because filler techniques have gotten better. For example, let’s talk about the smile lines around the mouth. Previously, filler was often injected into the nasolabial folds, or laugh lines, to literally fill the wrinkles themselves. Now the goal is to plump and lift in other parts of the face for a more natural-looking result. Injecting filler near the cheekbone lifts the face and reduces the look of smile lines in the process.

HYALURONIC ACID FILLERS

The most popular category of wrinkle fillers is hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers. HA fillers in the Restylane® family are used to:

• Provide natural-looking results by smoothing away facial wrinkles and folds and adding volume to lips (Restylane®)
• Provide subtle lip enhancement and smooth the lines around them (Restylane Kysse® and Restylane Silk®)
• Add fullness to the cheeks, midface area, and the back of the hands which can result in a more natural-looking, youthful appearance (Restylane Lyft®)
• Provide natural-looking results to laugh lines with flexibility that allows you to maintain your natural expressions (Restylane Refyne® & Restylane Defyne®)

Types of Restylane®

While the bulk of filler is made with hyaluronic acid, different particle sizes will deliver different results. Restylane Lyft has large particle sizes like bricks of a foundation. Those large particles have the heft to “rebuild” thinned cheekbones, while a smaller particle size, as in Restylane Silk, works better for addressing fine lines and plumping lips. The most natural-looking results may require more than one weight of filler. A personal consultation with an experienced nurse injector will give you the best treatment options.

RESTYLANE: Restylane is a clear gel formulation of hyaluronic acid that is specifically formulated to act like your body’s own naturally produced hyaluronic acid, helping to visibly correct moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, including the lines that run from your nose toward the corners of your mouth (nasolabial folds) and the lines that run from the corners of your mouth toward the chin (marionette lines). Restylane is FDA-approved for lip enhancement in patients over the age of 21 and is uniquely formulated to give your lips fullness and definition.

RESTYLANE DEFYNE: As we age, our skin loses elasticity and the lines that run from the sides of the nose toward the corners of the mouth (nasolabial folds) and the lines that run from the corners of your mouth toward the chin (marionette lines) become more pronounced. Restylane Defyne is crafted with XpresHAn TechnologyTM to correct these deepened lines. The unique cross-linking of the gel in Restylane Defyne is also designed to help support your facial expressions for natural-looking results that help maintain your natural movement.

RESTYLANE KYSSE: Restylane Kysse is the newest FDA-approved hyaluronic acid (HA) lip filler designed to enhance lip volume and minimize the appearance of fine lines above the upper lip. Expect natural-looking, full, softer and more kissable lips, improved texture and lip color, and results that can last up to 1 year.

RESTYLANE LYFT: Over time, natural fat begins to deteriorate, resulting in sagging skin, more prominent wrinkles and a reduction of volume. Restylane Lyft is an injectable hyaluronic acid gel used to correct volume loss and treat wrinkles in the face and hands. Through nonsurgical injections, Restylane Lyft is specifically designed to add fullness to the cheeks, midface area, and the back of the hands to help complete your aesthetic look for face and hands.

RESTYLANE REFYNE: As skin loses elasticity with age, the lines that run from the sides of your nose toward the corners of your mouth (nasolabial folds) and the lines that run from the corners of your mouth toward the chin (marionette lines) appear more noticeable. Restylane Refyne is a specifically formulated hyaluronic acid dermal filler made with XpresHAn TechnologyTM that helps correct these lines for a more natural look to your face. The unique cross-linking of the gel in Restylane Refyne is also designed to help support your natural expression for real-life results that help maintain natural movement when you’re smiling, frowning and even puckering up.

RESTYLANE SILK: The lips and the lines around the mouth, like other areas of the face, show signs of aging as you get older. This often results in lip thinning, lost shape and an increase in vertical lines above the lip. Restylane Silk is designed specifically to provide natural-looking results in these particular areas by using smaller, smoother hyaluronic acid particles than those used in other Restylane® products.

How Long Will Results Last?

The amount of time that filler lasts depends on the product, the location, and the individual. The most natural-looking results may require more than one type of filler. Over time, the hyaluronic acid fillers are naturally broken down by the body, so touch-ups are needed once or twice a year to maintain the look. This is good news if you just want to try filler because the effects fade away without any long-term risks.

Some research shows that repeated injections may help stimulate the body’s own natural production of collagen. That will help reduce the number of lines and wrinkles. There is also some evidence that less filler is needed over time to achieve the same look.

Consultation and Pricing

Complimentary filler consultations at available at the Renaissance Medispa. Our experienced and talented nurse injectors can determine if you are a candidate for a procedure and assess your face for Restylane fillers. With so many options, an individual consultation is required to get a price quote and a treatment plan for all budget levels.

The fillers are priced from $600 – $650 per syringe so let the injectors guide you to the products most appropriate for you. There is a discount for additional same day syringes. Join ASPIRE Galderma Rewards and earn points toward treatment certificates. Sign up for free today, and you’ll receive a $20 treatment certificate.

Before Treatment

• Avoid using aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (such as ibuprofen), St. John’s wort or high doses of vitamin E supplements. These agents may increase bruising and bleeding at the injection site.
• Tell us if you have previously suffered from facial cold sores. We may prescribe a medication to minimize recurrence.
• In order to get the best results from fillers, we strongly recommend the purchase of Alastin® TriHex Transition Duo $245 to prep your face for the procedure, support healing, and maintain the outcome. It is available at a 20% discount with a filler purchase. The TriHex Transition Duo includes a full-size Regenerating Skin Nectar® for use pre- and post-procedure and a transition-size Restorative Skin Complex for ongoing skin maintenance, in an easy-to-use Duo pack. Both products leverage ALASTIN’s breakthrough TriHex Technology® which maximizes the skin’s natural ability to repair itself and to produce new collagen and elastin both before and after anti-aging treatments.
• Do not get filler right before a teeth cleaning or other dental treatment. These procedures require pressure and stretching of the face that could potentially misplace fillers. Waiting at least a few days, or preferably a week, is ideal.

After Treatment

• Use cold compresses to reduce swelling.
• Avoid exposure to intense heat (sun lamp or sunbathing) or cold.
• Reduce the risk of facial cold sore recurrence that could be caused by needle punctures. Some medications may minimize the likelihood of an outbreak.
• Avoid taking aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (such as ibuprofen), St. John’s wort or high doses of vitamin E supplements. These agents may increase bruising and bleeding at the injection site.
• If you have a treatment in the back of your hands, avoid heavy or strenuous use of your hands immediately following treatment.
• After treatment, you might have some swelling, redness, pain, bruising, headache, tenderness, lump formation, itching at the injection site and impaired hand function. These are typically mild in severity and normally last less than 7 days in nasolabial folds and less than 14–18 days in lips. Swelling may be more likely in patients under 36 years, and bruising may be more likely in patients over 35 years.

Possible Side Effects

• The most commonly observed side effects are swelling, redness, pain, bruising, headache, tenderness, lump formation, itching at the injection site, and impaired hand function. These are typically mild in severity and typically resolve in less than 7 days in nasolabial folds and less than 14 days in lips. Serious but rare side effects include delayed onset infections, recurrence of herpetic eruptions, and superficial necrosis at the injection site.
• One of the risks with using this product is unintentional injection into a blood vessel. The chances of this happening are very small, but if it does happen, the complications can be serious, and may be permanent. These complications, which have been reported for facial injections, can include vision abnormalities, blindness, stroke, temporary scabs, or permanent scarring of the skin.
• As with all skin injection procedures, there is a risk of infection.

A great deal of artistry, skill, and attention to detail are required when working with the subtleties of dermal fillers. The skilled injectors at the Renaissance Medispa assure you results and safety you would expect from cosmetic and aesthetic healthcare professionals. Their expertise in dermal fillers is helping women and men from places such as Milwaukee, Appleton, Green Bay and Marquette perfect their personal Renaissance. Schedule your complimentary filler consultation today by calling (920) 233-1540.

COLLAGEN STIMULATOR

Sculptra® Aesthetic is a collagen stimulator. It is made from polylactic acid, instead of hyaluronic acid. This material has been safely used for years to make dissolvable stitches that are absorbed by the skin. This process stimulates the growth of collagen to restore facial volume.

Once the swelling from the fluid that the Sculptra is dissolved in disappears in a few days, the collagen stimulation process begins. The polylactic acid initiates the formation of sheets of collagen under the skin. The process takes approximately 8 weeks, providing patients with a real change that is so gradual that it is invisible to those around them. Your friends and family will notice that you look better, but they won’t be able to know why.

Sculptra is not filling the area below your skin with a material, but is instead generating your own collagen to grow. The impact can last for at least two years. Sculptra is a unique product in the filler industry. Learn more about it on the Sculptra webpage.

DERMAL FAT GRAFTING

Dermal fat grafting is a completely different method of adding volume to your face. It involves taking fat from your own body, such as the thighs, buttocks, or stomach, and using it for fine lines and creases on the face. The first step involves the removal of a strip of skin with the underlying fat still attached. The outer skin layer (epidermis) is removed and the lower skin layer (dermis) is retained with the fat. The second step involves the insertion or transplantation to another location on the same patient’s body. There will be scars in both the donor and the recipient sites. Although dermal fat grafting is not commonly used, it can be an option for some people. An $100 cosmetic consultation with a surgeon is required before fat grafting can be considered a viable alternative to HA fillers.

Risks for these injections are similar to other wrinkle fillers, including bruising, redness, and swelling at the site of the injection. Dermal fat grafting for the face generally costs $4400-$5100. Call us today at (920) 233-1540 for a consultation with one of our plastic surgeons if this option appeals to you.

The face of your youth is just a call away. When it comes to perfecting their personal Renaissance through spa and laser services, Wisconsin residents trust the Renaissance Medispa at Fox Valley Plastic Surgery. Contact us at (920) 233-1540 to schedule your VISIA skin analysis.  Your $50 Visia fee can be applied toward a same day Medispa purchase.