Understand Dermal Fillers And Its Types In One Simple Read
Your life draws lines on your face. Some wear those wrinkles with pride, while others want to postpone the aging process. It is only natural for people to want to maintain their youthful appearance for as long as possible.
Wrinkles happen because the collagen metabolism slows down. Another factor in this process is the lack of tone in your facial muscles. Your muscles crease the skin while you talk, frown, smile, or grimace in any way. Your collagen reserves make sure your skin can take it.
After a while, the muscles are not so quick to get back to their original positions, and your skin is not so efficient in ironing those creases again. That’s how the wrinkles become ‘permanent.’ Throw in the sun exposure to this equation, and you have the perfect recipe for expedite aging.
For you to fix those wrinkles, you need to paralyze those muscles and give that collagen a boost. Botox injections are the best way to deal with the muscles, while dermal fillers aid your collagen reserves.
These treatments are efficient, and only specialized doctors can perform them. There are, however, some downsides to them.
- The effects are long lasting, but not permanent.
- There are known side effects to both Botox and dermal fillers.
Types of Dermal Fillers
‘Dermal fillers’ is an umbrella term for different types of chemicals with different uses and effects. You can roughly classify dermal fillers into those that originate from organic sources and those that are produced in labs.
You may be surprised to learn that the organic sources are actually cows, people, or even yourself!
Bovine collagen is used to reduce the smiling wrinkles around your lips and nose. The effects last around three months, give or take a month. Be careful with it because there are people who are allergic to it.
Human collagen is far less likely to cause allergic reactions, and that is why it is used for filling wrinkles and lips.
That collagen can also be sourced from your own fat reserves and then it is called autologous fat. There is no reliable data about how much do the effects of autologous fat last, but it is expected for them to be very durable.
Artificially produced dermal fillers are usually derivatives of hyaluronic acid and Calcium hydroxylapatite.
Hyaluronic acid derivatives are artificial fillers that are made to be similar to the substances that you have in your dermis. They are used to fill those little wrinkles. Sometimes, they are also used to add volume to your lips.
You can expect the effects to last 4 to 6 months. If you don’t like the results, you can even reverse them! That and the lack of serious side effects makes this type of dermal filler is one of the most popular choices.
Calcium hydroxylapatite is injected deeply into your skin, into the subdermal areas. If the injection is too shallow, it can cause lumps. The primary purpose of this substance is to boost the soft tissue, which then irons out the wrinkles.
What Can Go Wrong?
While both Botox and dermal fillers are safe when they are being used by a certified professional, there are some risks involved. Most of these risks are short-lived and mild. There are, however, rare occasions when things get complicated. Here is what can go wrong with dermal fillers:
Allergic reactions – this can mean redness, some swelling and uncomfortable feeling in that area of your face. These reactions are treated with over-the-counter antihistamines. Severe medical reactions involve anaphylactic shock, which has to be treated by medical staff immediately.
Infections – On rare occasions, bacteria can enter the body through a break in the skin from the injection. These infections can cause inflammation and redness. Mild cases are treated with antibiotics. Harsh reactions can include an abscess which has to be drained. An abscess requires complicated and lengthy treatment.
Blood vessel blocking – this is the rarest and the most dangerous of occurrences. It happens when the injection accidentally hits a vein or artery. The result is vascular occlusion, which is painful and frightening.
It can cause changes in the color of your skin, necrosis, ischemia, and even blindness in some cases. It is necessary to react instantly when this occurs because the consequences can be dire.
The complications are infrequent when using dermal fillers. That is because only licensed professionals are allowed to perform these procedures. That is why you should always be extra careful when choosing a professional to inject you with dermal fillers. Only the best ones can come near your face with a syringe.
