Prematurely aged face can make you appear older, more tired, and less excited than you really are. Many external factors can lead to premature aging such as stress, smoking, sun exposure, and diet and exercise. For years, your skin has been blamed for your tired and aged appearance to your face. It appears now that volume loss to your face also contributes significantly to the aged appearance. Fat cells begin to disappear which can lead to a saggy skin and can create hollowness. The most obvious areas for volume loss are the temporal, cheek, and the area under your eyes. Attempts to replace this fat with fat grafting had very little enthusiasm in the plastic surgery community. Now new dermal fillers can help replace volume that you have lost to restore a more natural appearance to your face.
Fat grafting has been used for many years to replace volume lost in the face. Fat is the ideal choice as excess fat is readily available and is relatively cheap to harvest. Another advantage of fat is that it is replacing what has been loss and is long lasting. The main disadvantage of fat is the lack of predictability. No matter what technique is used to harvest and restore fat, your body will reabsorb some fat. This can lead to unevenness. Traditionally, several treatments were required to achieve the desired volume. In addition, there is some discomfort to the fat donor site area.
Today there are a wide variety of dermal fillers available to address volume loss in your face. Dermal fillers are more predictable and reproducible than traditional fat grafting. They can be placed place in any location that fat grafting was done previously. The best areas are the cheeks, area under your eyes, temporal and lips. The procedure is usually done in the office with topical anesthetic agent. The procedure takes several minutes and the down time is minimal. Bruising and swelling are the two most common side effects. Most swelling will resolve in a day or two.
Most dermal fillers today give you immediate results. The fillers are temporary and last anywhere from one to five years. Although most patients may be looking for a permanent solution, your face will continue to age and change. Dermal fillers are more flexible as additional fillers can be added at a later time if more volume is desired. The volume may also be needed in a different area as you age.
Reproducibility of results is another advantage for dermal fillers. Patients can count on getting similar results every time another treatment is needed. Additional products can correct any unevenness. Hyaluronic acid fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm can be dissolved with a special enzyme if over correction occurs.
Dermal fillers are a great option for replacing volume to your face because they are immediate, predictable, reproducible, and forgiving. In addition, all of the dermal fillers except silicone, are temporary. This, however, can be a disadvantage if you like your results as additional treatments will be necessary. Please consult with you favorite physician or nurse injector to help you select the best dermal filler for you.
Author Resource:-
Nana Mizuguchi, MD is a board certified Plastic Surgeon in Louisville, Kentucky, who specializes in breast augmentation, breast lift, tummy tuck, liposuction, and facial aesthetic surgery. He can be reached at (502) 814-3012, or online at http://nanamd.com/. "I will help you look and feel better."
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