Dermal Filler Treatment at LAB Skin Clinic, Neutral Bay
Receiving dermal filler treatment with LAB Skin Clinic, in Neutral Bay, can help you replace the volume that your skin has lost as part of the ageing process.
As you grow older, a number of changes occur in the face:
- You begin to lose the fat pads in your face which otherwise help to keep your skin looking plump and youthful.
- Your facial bones begin to change, causing your cheekbones to sag and your eye orbit to widen.
- The collagen and elastin in your skin fade, causing laxity.
The good news is that dermal fillers are ideal for replacing this lost volume, thus giving your face a more youthful appearance.
Typical fillers can last anywhere between 6 and 24-months, depending on the type of dermal filler being used and the amount injected (which varies from case to case).
How do dermal fillers work?
The easiest way to imagine how dermal fillers work is by picturing a valley with a dried-out river bed running through it. Now imagine that the dermal filler is being placed into the river bed in order to raise it until it is equal to the top of the valley, making it almost perfectly flat. Now, it is no longer a valley, but an open plain.
The deep lines and folds that form in your face over time are just like that valley, and our dermal fillers can be placed under the lines and folds in order to volumise the skin and reduce the visibility of said lines and folds.
When dermal fillers are carefully injected under your skin, they attract water – which is why they sometimes swell. This in turn produces a lifting effect, making your skin look healthier in just days after the treatment.
Then, over time, the dermal filler will be broken down naturally by the body, which is when additional injections will be required.
What areas can be targeted with dermal filler treatments?
What can dermal fillers be used to treat? Here are some examples of the ways in which they can give you a more youthful, natural appearance:
Volumise Lips
One of the most common uses for dermal fillers today is plumping of the lips. While lip filler treatments have received a bad reputation over the years (largely due to botched jobs with inequitable, unlicensed cosmetic treatments), dermal fillers can actually be used to provide very subtle enhancements of the lips, creating a natural shape and evening-out the texture to create greater symmetry.
Plump Cheeks
The cheeks are an area that often experience a significant amount of volume loss with age, even more so for those who take part in high-impact exercises such as running or sky diving.
When expertly injected into the cheeks however, fillers restore volume and promote a youthful aesthetic without paralysing the face, as it often associated with Botox and other similar treatments.
This creates a more energised appearance without needing invasive surgeries that come with significant recovery periods.
Fill Forehead Lines
Contrary to Botox (which temporarily paralyses muscles in order to eliminate the movements that cause certain dynamic wrinkles), dermal fillers can reduce static lines that are visible even when the face is resting.
The dermal injections do this by filling in the lines with a naturally occurring component of the skin: hyaluronic acid.
Reshape the Chin and Nose
Dermal filler injections are often used as non-surgical procedures to reshape certain areas of the face, like the nose, jawline, and chin.
Such treatments can effortlessly improve your side profile and reduce the appearance of a sagging neck, with as little discomfort (and downtime) as possible.
Clear Marionette Lines and Nasolabial Folds
The lines that appear at each corner of the mouth (aka marionette lines) grow rapidly as we age, making one look older are tired. Fortunately, fillers can be used to replace the loss in volume, thus instantly taking years off your face and restoring a youthful balance.
Similarly, nasolabial folds (aka smile lines), which are seen forming between the sides of the nose and the corners of the mouth, can also be corrected using the same treatment.
Reduce the visible Appearance of Scars
Whether through injury or teen acne, scars on the face can create indents and an uneven texture that are particularly unpleasant on the face. Even if nobody else notices them (which is often the case), we understand how anxious and self-conscious they can make people feel.
Luckily, dermal fillers can also be used to reduce the appearance of scars, even out the surrounding skin texture, and fill you with confidence once more.
Eliminating scars and the other facial imperfections that appear over time can easily and subtly be handled with our dermal filler treatments, thus providing you with even greater self-confidence.
What ingredients are in dermal filler injections?
The most commonly used fillers are made up of a soft gel that consists of hyaluronic acid.
Hyaluronic acid
Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance in the body, found in our skin. It aids in hydration and adds volume. It is also broken down naturally by our own bodies – which is why such fillers are required semi-regularly.
The most common fillers that use hyaluronic acid include:
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Restylane
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Juvederm
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Voluma
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Belotero
calcium hydroxylapatite
There are other filler types, such as Radiesse for example, that are made up of synthetic calcium hydroxylapatite microspheres; these are suspended inside an aqueous gel and used as an alternative.
Calcium hydroxylapatite is a natural mineral that is found inside human bone. These microspheres are designed to stimulate the production of your own collagen (to add strength and structure to your skin cells). Eventually, your body breaks the CH down, and leaves only the new collagen that your body has produced.
poly-l-lactic acid
Sculptra is a dermal filler that is made up of a synthetic lactic acid named poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA). Lactic acid is another naturally occurring substance that our muscles produce after exercise – stimulating long lasting collagen production.
NOTE: We do not use collagen or permanent dermal fillers at LAB Skin Clinic as we consider them to be unsafe.
What does dermal filler look like?
Dermal fillers are clear and gelatinous. They can vary from very thin (flowing easily from the tip of the needle like water), and thicker, (which appears firmer).
As a rule of thumb, the thicker the dermal filler the longer it is likely to last, and the more lift it should provide. Of course, while this is the desired outcome, we always take extra care when placing thicker dermal fillers under the skin so as to prevent the appearance of lumps and bumps under the skin.
- Licenced cosmetic physicians tend to favour thicker dermal fillers when targeting cheeks, marionette lines, chins, and the jowl area.
- Thinner fillers on the other hand, are ideal for fine lines that appear around the mouth and in the lips where a smoother spread is preferred, without over-inflating.
How much dermal filler will I need?
The amount of dermal filler required largely depends on the extent of the volume lost in your face, the depth of the lines being targeted, and your skin type.
Here at LAB Skin Clinic, we ensure that you always get the desired look because we go that extra mile to understand the nature of your skin and what your personal goals are.
Do injectable dermal fillers hurt?
Injectable treatments sound painful, particularly if you are afraid of needles, however, most patients only experience a very mild amount of discomfort.
At LAB Skin Clinic, we only uses approved fillers containing lidocaine, which is designed to help minimise discomfort significantly.
In some cases we will apply a topical anaesthetic to the target area before the treatment begins in order to make the experience as comfortable as possible.
Is there any downtime required for injectable treatments?
When we inject dermal fillers, we do so with expert precision. As such, there is absolutely no down time required at all. In fact, you can return to most day to day activities immediately afterward if you wish.
In any case, to be on the safe side, we always suggest to our patients that they take the day off and allow enough time to properly recover, absent any unnecessary strain.
Is dermal filler good for your skin?
A common question that people ask is whether dermal fillers are actually any good for your skin. Here’s everything you need to know…
Dermal fillers are perfect for plumbing thin lips, enhancing shallow contours in the face, softening facial creases and wrinkles, and improving the aesthetic appearance of visible scars and the shadows that form under lower eyelids.
If you are looking for a softer and more youthful appearance, then dermal fillers are precisely what you have been looking for.
However, it isn’t without its risks. In fact, when used improperly, or over-used, fillers can have multiple negative and long-lasting consequences.
For those who do not properly use filler, or seek out cheaper treatment from unlicensed ‘professionals’, it may result in speeding up the skin’s natural aging process, thus resulting in older looking skin – or worse.
Another big risk is using fillers that have been purchased online. They may be unapproved and contain a variety of different nonsterile substances (e.g., hair gel). When injected beneath the skin, these illicitly obtained fillers can cause all manner of allergic reactions, infections, and the ultimate death of your skin cells.
In considering patient safety and best practise we caution that the influx of illegal imports of fake injectable products puts consumers at risk. Anyone can simply jump online and order prescription medicine from overseas and have it delivered to their door. Always check to ensure your practitioner has suitable qualifications, experience and uses authentic product sourced from reputable suppliers here in Australia.
Similarly, as mentioned above, if the injection technique is substandard (often when seeking out cheap treatment), it can lead to swelling, uneven lumpiness, and more serious issues such as embolism – leading to blindness.
But it’s not all doom and gloom!
Dermal fillers are perfectly safe and highly effective in the right hands
Assuming that you are careful and seek out treatment from a reputable provider, you shouldn’t run into any problems.
You should never be afraid to ask about training, certification, and client referrals.
With the appropriate research, preparation, and communication between you and your cosmetic psysician, dermal fillers can and do achieve the most beautiful, natural, and perfectly safe results.
What are the risks involved with dermal fillers? (Potential risks and side effects)
Even with the most reputable and well-established cosmetic physician, there are still certain risks that you must be aware of. You must decide if the risks and potential complications (no matter how unlikely) are worth it.
We will talk you through all of these potential risks and side effects in great detail before you make any commitments. In any case, here are some of the potential risks involved (typically when a low-quality or unapproved filler is administered by an novice):
- Acne-like skin eruptions
- Asymmetry
- Seeping from the injection site
- Bruising
- Damage to the skin resulting in a wound and possible scarring
- Infection
- Lumps
- Palpability of the filler under the surface of the skin
- Skin necrosis (ulceration or loss of skin from disruption of blood flow)
- Skin rash
- Itchiness
- Swelling
In the very rarest of cases, when being administered by an unlicensed practitioner, the dermal filler may be injected into your blood vessels by accident, rather than under the skin. This can result in blocked blood flow, leading to a variety of complications (again, these risks will all be discussed with you in great depth before you make any commitments).
It is paramount that you are completely open and honest about your medical history, including any potential allergies, conditions, and certain medication that you may be taking.
Similarly, we advise that you address all of your questions directly with us so that you are comfortable before making your final decision.
How long do dermal fillers last?
Dermal fillers will typically last anywhere between 6 and 24-months. This all depends on you as an individual, the product used, and the amount injected.
It is important to note that in areas of the face that experience more movement (e.g., the lips), the dermal filler will typically wear off quicker.
- We will always select the perfect dermal filler for your treatment, based on how much of a volumising effect you are looking to achieve.
- The more volumising, longer lasting fillers are generally not used in areas where there is a lot of movement. Longer lasting dermal fillers are firmer and better placed in areas such as the cheeks and marionette area.
Is Dermal Filler good for your skin?
Cosmetic injectable treatments these days are exceptionally good. You may have heard a lot of horror stories and seen some unnatural results, but there are often always a result of botched jobs from inequitable ‘professionals’, or DIY attempts with dermal fillers purchased online from unrecognised providers.
The fact is, when fillers are used in the right amount, placed in the right location, the result is a natural, beautiful, and wonderfully youthful outcome.
Fillers are not intended to create a totally different feature, but to simply restore your original volume and youthful beauty.
In our capable hands, with extensive knowledge of facial anatomy and the products that we use, the outcome will simply enhance your own facial features and make you feel younger.
How much do dermal fillers cost?
At LAB Skin Clinic, fillers are priced according to the amount and type of filler used.
Determining how much your treatment will cost can only be done after a free, no-obligation consultation with us.
That way, we can find out as much as we can about your needs and requirements, prescribe the appropriate treatment, and give you an accurate quotation from there.
Want to know more?
If you want to know more about our dermal filler and anti-wrinkle treatment for full facial rejuvenation, please do not hesitate to contact us today.
Click here for more information: full facial rejuvenation or to make a BOOKING ONLINE.