Dermal Fillers. What You Need to Know

​Dermal Fillers | What You Need to Know

Dermal fillers are substances injected into the skin to increase volume and fullness and help you achieve a more youthful appearance. There are many different types of fillers in the market. Here's what you need to know in order to make the best choice for yourself.

Hyaluronic Acid Wrinkle Fillers

These are the most common type of fillers. They work by attracting water to the tissue beneath the skin thus smoothening fine lines and wrinkles. Repeated treatment could increase the body's own natural collagen production further enhancing the effect. As a bonus, the acid is found naturally in the body, which means there's little risk of an allergic reaction, unlike other fillers. Hyaluronic acid fillers usually fade away after some time. It can take anywhere from a few months to two years.

One such filler is Belotero Balance. This treatment allows for immediate results. During the treatment, your doctor injects Belotero gel into the treatment site in small injections for a more natural look. The treatment usually lasts 6 months or more depending on the severity of the wrinkles.

Other alternatives include:

Hylaform Juvederm Prevelle Silk

Synthetic Fillers

These fillers contain substances that aren't naturally produced in the body. They, therefore, elicit an allergic reaction with side effects such as redness, bruising or swelling at the site of the treatment. Less common side effects include nodules or bumps under the skin that might require surgery to remove.

With synthetic fillers, you'll see benefits that last longer. Some even offer semi-permanent filling of fine lines and creases. However, always ensure you have a qualified specialist inject such fillers as they may be harmful if improperly injected.

Synthetic wrinkle fillers include:

•Bellafill •Radiesse •Silicone

Collagen Wrinkle Fillers

Collagen fillers were first made using a form of collagen extracted from animals, commonly cows. The filler worked well to give a natural-looking fill but the results did not last long. Most of these fillers began to break down one month after the treatment. Furthermore, these fillers required allergy testing before the treatment as they had a high rate of allergic reaction. This is because they came directly from an animal source.

The processing method has now improved which helps lower the risk of an allergic reaction. New forms of synthetic collagen have also made these injections safer and available to a wider range of people. Despite these fillers still having a shorter life as compared to others, the results are the most natural looking.

With collagen fillers, there's some risk of allergic reactions but it's mostly for those obtained from animals. You could also experience some bruising and redness at the site of the injection.

Examples of collagen filler injections include:

•Cosmoderm •Fibrel •Zyderm •Zyplast

Autologous Wrinkle Fillers

The fillers in this category mostly use fat. A doctor removes your own fat surgically from your thighs, buttocks, or stomach, treats it, then injects it to the lines and creases. Here, you'll need two procedure which can all be done in one visit. One to remove the fat and one to inject it. The effects are stellar and are able to last for many years though you'll need a series of injections for a more permanent result.

Another type of autologous wrinkle filler is plasma injections or the 'vampire lift'. Here, blood is extracted from your arm, treated, then injected into the face to give an impression of fullness. The effects can last for up to 12-18 months.

Calcium hydroxylapatite, a mineral-like compound found in bones, is also used as a filler. This is the heaviest of dermal fillers but has a very natural look with rare side effects. It is mostly used for deeper lines and wrinkles and persists in tissues for longer periods.