Introduction

Fillers have become an excellent treatment to shape and rejuvenate the face. They have the advantage of being quick to apply and their price is much lower than that of plastic surgery operations. In addition, they are also less invasive, have no risk of scarring, and the results are seen quite quickly.

All this has made fillers one of the most popular treatments in aesthetic medicine, increasingly attracting the curiosity of women and men looking for a quick and painless solution to enhance their beauty.

What is a facial filler?

It is a treatment against the signs of facial aging, since the skin of the face and neck show more pronounced the passage of time, it is an area that suffers a decrease in the thickness of the skin, and a reduction in the hydration and collagen production, which leads to a loss of elasticity, firmness, and volume. The visible consequences are a greater sagging of the skin over the years, and the appearance of wrinkles such as crow’s feet, marionette lines, or the barcode. Likewise, a thinning and loss of volume in the lips are also usually appreciated.

It is a non-surgical treatment that is applied by injection, being commonly composed of hyaluronic acid, calcium hydroxyapatite, or autologous fillers (from other parts of the patient’s body). With these filters, it is possible to rejuvenate the complexion and regain lost elasticity and tone.

Hyaluronic acid and botulinum toxin are the two elements without which non-surgical facial rejuvenation treatments today cannot be understood, as they are essential in three-dimensional facial remodeling treatments.

Fillers are used mainly for aesthetics but are very versatile and p been used for many different purposes:

Fill shallow and deep wrinkles
Shape the nose and hide the bridge (rhinoplasty or non-surgical rhinoplasty)
Increase the volume of the lips
Increase the volume of the cheekbones
Fill in sunken dark circles
Shape or increase the chin
Shaping the contour of the jaw
Correct facial atrophies and asymmetries
Contouring of face profiles
Rejuvenates hands
Fill in deep scars
Fill in acne scars

What are the most used filler brands?

The quality of the product and its certification is as important as the experience of the doctor. Also, for this reason, it is essential to refer only to specialized doctors and surgeons, able to select only the best products for their patients. Here are some of the main brands that have received the European CE certification or the US FDA certification :

Belotero
Juvederm
Prevelle
Restylane
Bellafill
Radiesse
Sculptra
Cosmoderm
Redensity II

How do I know if I am a candidate for a facial filler?

Anyone who wants to feel younger without resorting to surgical treatments can be a candidate for a facial filler. The only impediments that may exist to performing a facial filler treatment are having a surgical intervention in the area in the four months before the filler or corrective treatment, including plastic surgery, in the four weeks before the facial filler.

Nor should the facial filler treatment be performed if you are allergic to any of the products to be used or if the area to be treated is inflamed at that time or if you have a serious active autoimmune disease.

The main types of fillers

The most popular fillers are those that can be incorporated based on hyaluronic acid, but there are other types as well. Let’s see below what are the different types of fillings available:

Filled with hyaluronic acid. They are the most widespread and the most popular. They are resorbable fillers, which therefore have a limited duration and their effect is temporary, for this reason, they are preferred over others and are considered safer. Hyaluronic acid is a biocompatible substance, already present in nature in the human body, so it does not create allergy or rejection problems. In addition, the fact that the body fully reabsorbs means that, if you are not satisfied with the result, you will have to wait only a few months to return exactly as it was before the treatment. The results have a variable subjective duration, which generally ranges from 4 to 12 months.
Filled with polylactic acid: Polylactic acid is a polymer, but like hyaluronic acid, it is biocompatible, degrades naturally, and does not usually produce allergic effects. It stimulates the production of collagen by the body’s cells and thus improves the appearance of the skin. It has the property of inducing a thickening of the dermis because it stimulates fibroblasts and the production of collagen. For this reason, it is essentially used to remove facial wrinkles, especially in the perioral region and on the cheeks, including genieno nasal wrinkles. The result does not begin to become visible until a month after the treatment but lasts up to two years.
Filled with calcium hydroxyapatite: It is a substance naturally present in bones, so it is biocompatible and does not cause allergies. This filler is marketed by the Radiesse company and can be used primarily for deep facial wrinkles, and nasolabial folds and to correct lipoatrophy. This is also a resorbable but long-lasting filler (12-18 months). Unlike the other fillers, it is not recommended to use them to increase the volume of the lips.
Permanent fillers: These fillers are not absorbable. Many specialists advise against the use of these fillers due to the adverse reactions they can cause. Side effects can be significant. One of the best-known substances that make up this filler is liquid silicone, a substance that has been banned in Spain due to its consequences. The most serious side effect is that the injected product must be denser to last for years and, precisely because of its density, it can easily migrate to other areas of the body to the point that the presence of the product becomes visible even outside, forming nodules, granulomas. or fibroids. On the other hand, the tissue itself changes over the years, but the permanent implant does not change, which generates aesthetic imbalances.

How do I choose my doctor?

Despite not being an aggressive or invasive treatment, it is always important to give ourselves the necessary time to look for the specialist who will provide us with the necessary security. Rushing can be bad advice.

A good start is to look for specialists on the SECURE website, which guarantees that they have the qualifications and accreditation to practice in Spain. It is also advisable to consult patient opinions and documents in which we have reference to the professional quality of the doctor.

What is the first appointment with the surgeon/doctor like?

The first appointment is for the examination of the specialist, who will analyze the area to be treated, the quality of the skin, and also, will analyze the patient’s clinical history to eliminate the possibility of diseases that may pose a difficulty or a problem.

Likewise, the patient will be explained the need or not to use anesthesia, which in any case will be local, and will detail which fillers are the most appropriate for their case and if there are any contraindications.

How to prepare for facial filler?

To prepare the skin before the treatment, it is advisable to avoid exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays and not to consume alcoholic beverages on the day of treatment or the day before. It is advisable to avoid bruising in the area to be treated and not to consume aspirin or drugs of similar composition.

It may be convenient to apply retinol creams in the area during the two weeks before the treatment, to close the pores and reduce the oiliness of the skin, which will allow better adhesion of the injected acid. On the same day of the intervention, it is advisable to clean the treated area to avoid irritation.

How is facial filler done?

It is a painless treatment that does not require anesthesia, although, in the case of sensitive skin, it is possible to use local anesthesia or anesthetic creams. Small needles or fine cannulas are used, which help prevent bruising. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, so it is not necessary to go to an operating room. The session usually lasts between 20 and 30 minutes.

The doctor, after disinfecting the skin of the area to be treated, performs one or more microinjections in the affected area. It is generally not a painful treatment, but as a precautionary measure, small percentages of local anesthetic (0.3% lidocaine) are injected with the filler. After the injection, the doctor will perform a massage that ends the session.

What are the advantages of facial filler?

Hyaluronic acid is found naturally in our simply body’s natural production of this substance by the body decreases over the years, as discussed in the so no allergies or intolerances develop, nor skin reactions. With successful treatment, an improvement in expression is achieved without losing an iota of naturalness and achieving very satisfactory results. There is no recovery period for facial filler treatments.

Hyaluronic acid also stimulates the natural production of collagen and hydrates the skin, so patients often continue to look more rejuvenated even after the acid is absorbed by the body.

How is the recovery of facial filler?

One of the great advantages of facial fillers is that there is no need for a recovery period from the treatment. The treated area may be reddened or slightly swollen for a few hours after the session, but the skin is redone quickly and in a few days very satisfactory results can be seen, all, because there are usually no side effects and the products used, do not generate rejection due to part of the body, something that the EAM Hospital Clinic places special emphasis on.

Results of facial filler

The results are very satisfactory; A very rejuvenated and healthier appearance is achieved quickly, which improves the patient’s self-esteem and well-being, fundamental elements in aesthetic medicine treatments. The results are not permanent, but can easily be extended to a year or more, As mentioned above, even after absorption of the acid by the body, the patient maintains an improved appearance compared to what he had before the facial filler treatment.

Complications or possible side effects

Most of the fillers are composed entirely of substances of natural origin, so they do not usually cause any side effects. As it is not a surgical treatment, complications of any kind are not frequent. Possible redness and swelling of the treated area immediately after treatment only last for a few hours.

If permanent or semi-permanent fillers were chosen, the risks would be greater, since they are substances that play with the factor that the body requires more time to process them and if there are any side effects it may be as permanent as the treatment itself.

Frequent questions

I want to know if cross-linked carboxymethylcellulose is safe for nasolabial folds or is there an increased risk of infections? The only safe fillers that currently exist are hyaluronic acid and calcium hydroxyapatite.
How long should I wait to get more Radiesse or other filler for these grooves after 15 days? They can put the Radiesse on you at any time, although you must know that you will see the tightening effect after a month.
How long does it take for facial fillers to reabsorb? Depending on the type of hyaluronic used the duration will vary enormously. From a couple of months to 24 months
With my nose twisted to one side, can permanent facial fillers help me? Permanent filler products are not recommended in any case, as they cause many long-term complications. In the case of the nose, in which the filling is very superficial, because the skin is very thin, even less: it is looking for problems that are difficult to solve. If the aesthetic problem of the nose can be corrected with rhinomolding, always use temporary material (hyaluronic acid). If not, you have to go to a rhinoplasty.
Why can a facial filler near the eye cause allergies? There is the possibility of side effects and complications with the hyaluronic acid treatment, the most common are edema, redness, bruising, Tyndall effect, (whitish coloration of the skin), we must use a good quality product, with a good technique, with the preparation of the skin, in a small quantity and at a low speed, the edema usually disappears in the following days, I suggest you discuss it with your aesthetic doctor.
What filler is the best to be able to thicken the cheekbones? To give volume to the cheekbones without surgery, in my opinion, the implant that is most compatible with the body should be used because any granuloma will be very visible and difficult to treat and can cause sequelae and deformations. Currently, with the great variety and good hyaluronic acids, it is faster, more comfortable, cheaper, and easier for the patient.
I have been radiesse on cheekbones for 1 year. Is there any contraindication to doing a laser treatment in the area? there is no problem or contraindication since after a year the Radiesse will have almost completely disappeared, leaving only the new collagen formed, and lasers of any type do not interfere with this, even more, they can help to enhance the result.
Even if it was less time since you had it, you could undergo the laser treatment without a problem.
When do you see the results of radiesse? You have to make a personalized assessment, there is certain flaccidity that cannot be corrected with treatments and sometimes when the skin is not very thin either.