subject: Dermal Fillers Reviewed: Dr Lycka Reviews The Latest Facial Wrinkle Fillers [print this page] Hi! This is DrHi! This is Dr. Barry Lycka, host and founder of yourcosmeticdoctor.tv. I'm so glad to be writing articles for you about some of the newest advances in the world of beauty and cosmetic surgery.
Well, today we're going to talk about something that everybody has asked me - 'What are dermal fillers' and 'What are the different fillers used for' ?
Well, first let me tell you about dermal fillers and how they have developed. Dermal fillers are things that we put in to the face to fill in wrinkles. But more importantly, they help to rebuild the structure of the face. So as we get older and things start to fall down, sag and you lose volume, we can actually build them up and make things better. That's the amazing thing about fillers for wrinkle reduction. And they can do it naturally in such a way that they don't do any harm.
Now, in summary, there are short-acting wrinkle fillers and long-acting wrinkle fillers and on the other hand, there are natural fillers and fillers that are synthetic. So let's go through those.
The first filler for wrinkles that was developed years ago was something called 'collagen.' Collagen was a breakthrough product in those days, but it had a couple of deficiencies. One is that it came from bovine products so, 1 out of about 20 people were allergic to it. So, they had to have an allergy skin test. The problem with that is that it delayed treatment. The second thing about collagen is that it broke down very rapidly in the body. So, the collagen wasn't available for a long period of time. Now, that was a big disadvantage. A person would maybe get two or three months benefit out of it and then they had to be treated again. Now that's not a big thing but it added time, cost and inconvenience to the treatment.
Well, the next set of injectable wrinkle fillers that were invented were HLA or Hyaluronic Products.
The first ones were Restylane tm and Perlane tm. What we found is that they were softer. They were gentler and longer lasting. We found that they last for six months to a year and, that was pretty good.
Now, there are other ones in this group as well. Some of my favorites are still Restylane tm and Perlane tm but I also use Juvederm tm which is made by Allergan the makers of Botox. And something called TEOSYAL tm which is a Swiss product. And I've had some very, very good results with this.
The benefit of some of these products is that they are longer lasting. Voluma tm for example, which is one of the Juvederm products will last for a year and a half to two years and it builds structure more than the other ones. It's made out of low molecular weight hyaluronic acid. So, it stays for a longer period of time. So do some of the TEOSYAL products.
Now, I still like using some of the softer products in the areas around the lips and things like that but these are breakthrough wrinkle filling products that make people look better.
And then on the other hand, we have wrinkle fillers such as Sculptra tm.
Sculptra is a product made out of materials that last a very, very long time. And just recently, I had Dr. Danny Vleggaar, from Geneva, Switzerland come to visit my Edmonton office to spend an afternoon with me and show me some of the newest and best techniques for injecting it.
It was wonderful. Now, we were already doing good work. Now, we're doing great work as a result of that.
And lastly, there's a dermal filler called Radiesse by a company called Merz which is a German company that makes this wonderful product. What it does is add structure and form to the skin that lasts for years.
Now, there are a couple of products I'd really like you to stay away from. I'm not a big fan of some of the older, longer lasting products that used to cause lumps or bumps in the skin. Talk to your doctor about that, they'll know them well. Also, if you would like to talk to me, come on in, or pick up the phone. I'd love to chat with you.
I look forward to connecting with you and if you have any questions for me on dermal fillers, and would like further advice on dermal fillers as wrinkle treatments, please contact me via any of the methods listed in the 'About the author' box below, ask your question, and I will be back with an answer for you !
And keep looking out for more articles featuring cosmetic surgery & skin care advice and the latest in cosmetic procedures, cellulite treatment and anti-aging treatments.
