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The Pros and Cons of Skin Fillers - Wrinkle Fillers - Facial Fillers

As we get older, our skin structure begins to change. The youthful complexion we once had as young children now begins to take on a different shape, texture, and appearance. As our bodies naturally start to decrease the production of collagen (which acts as a building-block for youthful skin), we start to see the development of fine lines and wrinkles. Aside from using skin care products (like Retinol treatments, exfoliating scrubs, and skin peels), there are other anti-aging treatments available. That’s where skin fillers come into play.

The Pros & Cons of Skin Fillers

Otherwise known as wrinkle fillers or facial fillers, a range of injectable skin fillers are now readily available from Dermatology and Plastic Surgery offices. Three different types of skin fillers are Restalyne (a hyaluronic acid wrinkle filler), Radiesse (a synthetic skin filler), and Cosmoplast (a collagen-based skin filler). While each of these skin fillers have been FDA-approved for safety, there are potential side effects and risks associated with each wrinkle-filling treatment. In addition, each of these skin fillers serves a slightly different purpose; some are meant to prevent future wrinkles from developing (as they minimize the movement of the muscles lying underneath the skin’s surface), while others act as temporary fillers (plumping up the appearance of the skin). Featured here are the pros and cons of these popular anti-wrinkle treatments.

Restalyne

Pros: 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 instantly, visibly reduce moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds or add fullness to your lips. The Restylane family of products includes Restylane®, Restylane-L®, Perlane®, and Perlane-L®. These products can be used to add volume and fullness to the skin to correct moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as the lines from your nose to the corners of your mouth (nasolabial folds). In a clinical study treating the lines from the nose to the corners of the mouth (laugh lines), Restylane maintained improvement for up to 18 months after initial treatment, when each line received a follow-up treatment at 4.5 or nine months.”

Cons: “After (this skin filler) treatment, you might have some swelling, redness, pain, bruising, or tenderness. These are typically mild in severity and normally last less than 7 days in nasolabial folds and less than 14 days in lips. Swelling may be more likely in patients under 36 years, and bruising may be more likely in patients over 35 years. Rarely, the doctor may inject into a blood vessel, which can damage the skin. Although rare, red or swollen small bumps may occur. If you have had facial cold sores before, an injection can cause an outbreak.”

Radiesse

Pros: “Radiesse® Volumizing Skin Filler is FDA-approved for subdermal implantation for the correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds. The best solution for erasing lines and folds is to replace lost structure with immediate volume. Radiesse works immediately so the results are instant. Once injected, Radiesse adds the volume and lift needed to diminish the signs of aging. What makes Radiesse truly unique is the ability of the product to act as a scaffold under the skin, providing structure and stimulating your own natural collagen to grow. The production of natural collagen continues for several months, which extends beyond the initial effect of Radiesse. Best of all, the natural results are clinically proven to last a year or more in many patients, which means more value from each treatment and long-lasting results.”

Cons: “After injection, patients may experience redness, bruising, swelling or other local side effects. Most side effects of treatment resolve within a few days. More rare side effects may include swelling that lasts longer, unevenness or firmness in the area injected.”

Cosmoderm / Cosmoplast

Pros: “Cosmoderm® and Cosmoplast® skin fillers are injected into the collagen layer just below the surface of the skin, and are used to fill in unwanted lines and wrinkles and restore the border of the lip. Treatment results are immediate and may last anywhere from three to six months, depending on the area being treated and the amount of collagen used to achieve optimal correction.” These are the first FDA-approved dermal fillers that do not require a pre-treatment skin test. These skin fillers can be “particularly effective at smoothing delicate frown and smile lines, as well as the fine creases around the eyes.”

Cons: “Without ongoing treatments, the injected collagen is gradually absorbed by the body and your face returns to its original appearance of the skin surface. Injectable collagen should be used with caution in people who have asthma, hay fever, eczema, or have a history of multiple allergies.”

[Image Credit: Shutterstock]

Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only. Consult with a Doctor before doing any treatment.


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  1. There are pros and cons for everything. Skin fillers are something on which we have to check the compatibility also. So it is recommended to consult with the professionals properly. Thank for the post.

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