Aging is a natural process that all women and men who live to a ripe mature age will experience. Even though aging is also associated with wisdom and experience, it is not easy to convince oneself that the wrinkles and sagging skin are actually a wonderful sign of the wisdom acquired through life experience. In the past the only treatment option for aging skin and body involved invasive surgery that often results in an extreme change of facial expression and proportions and requires substantial recovery time.
The aesthetic industry has evolved in the past years offering many viable alternatives to the knife. Dermal fillers have become a common treatment for aging skin, and wrinkles. Contrary to face lift results which induce tight, flattened pulled skin, derma fillers, when injected correctly, will result in a natural fuller look (When done poorly the outcome can include lumps and granules or even out of proportion facial contour).
Derma fillers are minimally invasive treatments and most can be performed during a lunch break with minimal recovery time. Common side effects include bruising, swelling, pain and at times, allergic reaction. Results are temporary, lasting 6-18 months, depends on the filler and the individual being treated.
It is very important to carefully select the treating physician, a good question to ask a physician would be how many times he has performed a certain procedure with a certain dermal filler, make sure he is very familiar with it (Not sure what to suggest as an acceptance number in the answer to this question. I personally would probably feel better with an answer of above 50 times).
There are different types of dermal fillers out there, some are synthetic some natural.
Early dermal fillers were of synthetic origin (silicon) or natural source (bovine- cow) collagen and fat.
Bovine (cow) collagen was the first approved dermal filler in the United States in the early 1980’s. The leading brand of bovine collagen were Zyderm ® and Zyplast.
It was considered the gold standard and all other dermal implants were measured compared to its effectiveness. Results can last 3-18 months, although many recipients report that a repeat treatment is usually required at 3-5 months.
Human collagen was introduced to the aesthetic market in the late 1990. The leading brand was Cosmoderm and Cosmoplast (manufactured by the same company). Cosmoderm is used for treatment of superficial wrinkles, Cosmoplast for deeper wrinkles.
Natural hyaluronic acid is a very popular derma filler due to the low allergy rate and the good results it provides (Restylane, Perlane, Juvederm and Prevelle Silk). Hyaluronic acid is a naturally accruing component in the skin and composes a large percentage of the extracellular matrix. Hyaluronic acid in the epithel is linked with collagen production and increased skin hydration, enabling fuller smoother looking skin. In 2003 the FDA approved the use of hyaluronic acid (Restylane) as derma filler for the temporary treatment of wrinkles.
There are quite a few available dermal filler brands available, listed below are a few popular brands with explanations about their way of action, and advantages.
Restylane – Produced in Sweden, the first hyaluronic acid filler made of non animal source. It is used around the eyes, lips and nasolabial area (folds around the nose and mouth). It is claimed to last 6 months but there are reported incidents extended durations of the treatment effect (up to18 months).
Perlane – Manufactured by same company that produces Restylane in Sweden. Consists of hyaluronic acid but larger molecules than Restylane, therefore is more suitable for deeper wrinkles. It also seems to have a longer efficacy period even though the FDA has approved it as a dermal filler for 6 months.
Radiesse – Contains calcium hydroxylapatite which are small calcium spheres in a gel base. The injection of the filler actually serves to “plump” the injected area and also induce generation of new collagen that is layered on the sphere structures. The allergy rate to this filler is very low and the manufacture claims that the small calcium spheres and the gel will actually disintegrate but the newly generated collagen will be significant enough to sustain the treatment effects. Radiesse is also suitable for treatment of HIV patients suffering from facial lipoatrophy (diminishing of facial fat), a condition induced by HIV treatment drugs.
Evolence – Made of Porcine collagen (pork) which is very similar to human collagen therefore it is a good dermal filler as allergy rate to it are very low, in addition the side effects are minor.
Prevelle silk – Hyaluronic acid combined with Lidocane (a local anasthsia agent). Combining the filler with lidocane enables treatment of sensitive areas (like the lips) with very little discomfort.
Juvederm – Hyaluronic acid filler manufactured by allergen (same company that produces Botox). It is especially suitable for larger filler “jobs” and correction of irregularities and deep wrinkles.
Some customers prefer combination of various treatments for targeting the aging skin and body. If you are looking into combining dermal fillers with other skin tightening methods make sure to enable about a month or even longer (follow the manufacture’s specific instructions) to enable the filler to complete its course of action before indulging in other anti ageing treatments.
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Popular Dermal Fillers
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010Radio Frequency in medicine
Thursday, February 25th, 2010Radiofrequency (RF) energy is a useful method for generating heat, which can be used to cut, coagulate or induce metabolic processes in the body target tissue.
Radio frequency technology has been deployed in medicine for over 80 years. The first surgical procedure using ablative radiofrequency electro-surgery technique was performed in 1926 by Dr Cushing using a mono polar radiofrequency ablative device invented by W.T Bovine of Harvard University. The use of Radio frequency has since been introduced to many other fields and applications in medicine. It is used for safe tissue shrinkage in cases of malignant and non malignant tumors, for reduction of obstructive tissue in cases of sleep apnea, treatment of cardiac arrhythmia by targeting and destroying cardiac tissue that is the source of the arrhythmia. (more…)
Anti aging review – Treat your skin to diamonds …
Monday, November 16th, 2009No, this is not a heading for a jewelry review it is all about antiaging treatment; Dermolissage by EnDouceur is a breakthrough diamond Microdermabrasion system for wrinkles reduction. It is equipped with wrinkles treatment heads that exfoliate the top layer of the skin while delivering potent topical cosmeceuticals at controlled intensities. These infused topical solutions revitalize the skin and actively help treat the aging skin. According to EnDouceur, normally the large protein molecules in these anti aging solutions, will not penetrate the Epidermis; however, this technology can achieve deep infusion of these large molecule solutions, vitamins and beneficial ingredients since it causes our natural skin barrier to “break up” (mechanically with the movement of the diamond head) while concurrently bringing the flow of topical solution in contact, under negative pressure, with the “broken” skin layers.
Sleeping causes wrinkles?
Sunday, November 8th, 2009Sleeping with the face on a pillow will induce temporary wrinkles. As we age, these wrinkles are more prominent and can become permanent. If you are lucky enough to sleep 8 hours a night you spend a 1/3 of your life sleeping. Therefore, at age 40, you will have slept 13 years.
Combining Lymphatic Drainage Massage with TriPollar treatments
Sunday, November 1st, 2009
Pollogen’s Clincal Applications Specialist report from the field
It is always good to meet professionals that are using our TriPollar® technology in their practice; I learn many working tips from them that can be relayed to our customers to enhance the results of treatment with TriPollar for skin tightening, cellulite reduction and body contouring. In the last TriPollar workshop held in Japan I witnessed the amazing results of combining treatments with the TopJen device (TriPollar RF) with manual lymphatic drainage massage. First the practitioner performed a TopJen™ treatment according to the TopJen device treatment protocol. The treatment was concluded with a 5 – 10 minutes manual lymphatic drainage massage of the treated area. Below are photos of combination treatment results (TriPollar followed by manual lymphatic massage) on the right waist. (more…)
