Q: What can I do to give my face a more youthful look without undergoing surgery?

More and more patients are turning to physicians to help them achieve a more youthful appearance. One of the cornerstones of modern facial rejuvenation is the use of dermal fillers. With the correct dermal filling agent, folds can be softened, lines and wrinkles made much less noticeable, and the face sculpted to give a much more youthful appearance.

All human beings have in their skin a naturally hydrating substance called hyaluronic acid. As we age, hyaluronic acid is lost from the skin. This results in facial wrinkles and deepening folds, and contributes to the jowly look that appears on the face with the natural aging process.

Dermal fillers that contain hyaluronic acid replace the hyaluronic acid that the skin has lost. Two commonly used dermal fillers that contain hyaluronic acid are Juvederm and Restylane. These dermal fillers are injected under the skin in a short office procedure that has no downtime. The procedure has become much more comfortable recently by formulating the hyaluronic acid gel with lidocaine, a commonly used anesthetic. These dermal fillers provide completely natural looking facial rejuvenation in an extremely safe manner. Wrinkles and folds are softened, the skin is smoothed, the lost volume is restored, and the cheeks are elevated. The results generally last for eight to twelve months.

In addition to the loss of hyaluronic acid, the skin also loses collagen during the aging process. Therefore dermal fillers that contain collagen can also be used for facial rejuvenation. Cosmoderm is a commonly used collagen-based dermal filler. Cosmoderm is unique in that it is the dermal filler that can be safely placed closest to the skin surface. For that reason, it is often used to soften the fine etched-in lines in the skin. Cosmoderm is often used in combination with dermal fillers containing hyaluronic acid.

Many other types of dermal fillers are also available, such as Sculptra and Radiesse. What is most important is to select the correct dermal filler based on each patient’s unique facial appearance.

We welcome all patients to our office who would like to achieve a more youthful facial appearance in an extremely safe and non-surgical manner. Dermal fillers, when properly used, play a major role in accomplishing this.