Have signs of aging hijacked your skin? Are you reluctant to look in the mirror because you’re afraid you’ll notice a new line or wrinkle? Correcting signs of aging and achieving long-lasting skin rejuvenation has never been easier thanks to Juvederm, a modern dermal filler that can give you a natural, attractive lift. At Keller Plastic Surgery in Santa Barbara and Beverly Hills, CA, we’re proud to offer this top-quality filler along with our other cosmetic services.
What Is Juvederm?
Juvederm includes a broad family of FDA-approved dermal fillers. Each filler is designed to treat different aging concerns, but they all share a hydrating hyaluronic acid base. This acid is naturally produced by the body and absorbs safely into your skin over time. Treatment can be used successfully on most skin types, tones, and sensitivities.
With a malleable, skin-like texture and a smoothing, wrinkle-erasing effect, this filler can be used to treat fine lines, wrinkles, and skin laxity while boosting volume in the lips and cheeks and giving your skin a brighter, more vibrant glow. A normal appointment takes less than an hour and requires zero downtime, making this treatment easy to fit into your busy schedule.
Once results fade, you can continue to enjoy your youthful skin by pursuing easy follow-up treatments and creating a treatment plan that’s right for you. Best of all, this filler can give you an instant confidence boost by temporarily erasing your skin and aging concerns and allowing you to focus on the more important things in your life.
What Types of Juvederm Are Right for Me?
Since Juvederm fillers span a wide range of treatment applications, you might be wondering which products are right for you. Our professional doctors will recommend fillers based on your unique concerns during an initial consultation, but here are some of the most popular fillers available, along with information about how they can improve your aging concerns:
Juvederm XC
This filler can be used to treat fine lines, wrinkles, and skin laxity in various regions of the face. It is often used to fill lines and wrinkles around the mouth, nose, and chin and to define and fill the lips. This filler is most appropriate for use on mild to moderate lines and wrinkles.
Ultra XC
In some areas of the face, lines and wrinkles develop in thicker skin. This requires a more intensive filler to lift the skin and erase signs of aging. Ultra XC is approximately 20% thicker than XC, making it the best choice for moderate to severe lines and wrinkles in the skin. This filler is often used to treat nasolabial folds between the nose and mouth.
Voluma
Voluma is formulated to address the loss of fullness in the cheeks and midface and is the only FDA-approved filler available to treat the cheeks. The midface region of the face can sink and lose volume as you grow older. A dermal filler can restore plump, rounded cheeks and fill hollow areas in the midface, giving your face an overall younger appearance.
Vollure
Vollure can treat mild to moderate lines, wrinkles, and folds in the skin, including smile lines, marionette lines, and nasolabial folds. This filler is often used in combination with other products to restore a smooth and lifted appearance in your skin.
Volbella
Volbella is a filler specially created to build volume and definition in and around the lips. This filler can be used to erase smoker’s lines, define the Cupid’s bow, restore the borders of the lips, and volumize the lips while creating a smooth, skin-like texture.
How Soon Will I See Results?
Once injected, these dermal fillers instantly lift and fill the skin. This means that you can enjoy your final results right after your first treatment. You may notice some additional slight improvements as your skin heals after the injections and the hydrating, plumping effect of the hyaluronic acid enhance your skin’s overall appearance.
How Long Will It Last?
While individual results of this treatment vary, these dermal fillers can last between six months and two years, depending on the fillers used and the areas treated. You will notice your final results begin to fade as the aging process progresses, at which point you may choose to continue treatment with regular injections to build on the success of your first appointment.
In addition, you can help prolong your final results of treatment by following a healthy skincare routine and practicing good sun protection habits, which include wearing sunscreen outside and staying out of direct sunlight as much as possible. This can help you avoid accelerated aging caused by harmful sun exposure and may also protect your injected dermal fillers from premature deterioration.
How Is a Dermal Filler Different Than Botox?
Botox, one of our other popular anti-aging treatments, helps smooth away dynamic wrinkles, which are caused by facial muscle movement. These wrinkles become more noticeable when you make certain expressions. On the other hand, dermal fillers treat static wrinkles, which look largely the same regardless of whether your facial muscles are moving or at rest.
As a treatment targeting your facial muscles, Botox cannot treat concerns like skin laxity or static wrinkles. However, it can be combined with dermal fillers to achieve a more comprehensive anti-aging result.
How Does a Liquid Facelift Compare to a Surgical Facelift?
Dermal fillers are sometimes called liquid facelifts thanks to their volumizing and lifting effects, but are they really able to deliver results comparable to those of a traditional facelift? In terms of longevity, the surgical facelift remains the longest-lasting anti-aging treatment available today. It can last 10-15 years for some patients and can treat many common aging concerns. However, this surgery involves serious risks and significant downtime after the procedure.
Many patients wish to address their aging concerns without invasive surgery or are unable to have a traditional facelift due to a medical condition. For these patients, dermal fillers can deliver instant, youthful results with few associated risks and zero downtime. The results of dermal filler injections can take years off your appearance without surgical intervention. One of our doctors can help you further compare the benefits of a liquid or traditional facelift for your unique situation during your initial consultation.
Am I an Ideal Candidate?
If you are a man or woman who wishes to improve the appearance of the signs of aging in their skin, this treatment could be right for you. Most patients are generally healthy, over the age of 40, and free from any medical conditions which could disqualify them from treatment.
Patients younger than 40 can also see excellent results from treatment and preemptively address mild signs of aging to keep their skin smooth and soft. You may not be an ideal candidate if you experience severe skin laxity or dynamic wrinkles, which may require other treatments to be effectively improved.
If you have any questions about whether this treatment is right for you and your skin, one of our doctors can help you evaluate your candidacy during your initial consultation.
What Should I Expect?
Curious about what you can look forward to when you choose to pursue treatment with dermal fillers? Here is a brief overview of what our patients experience during a typical treatment process:
Consultation
The initial consultation is one of the most important stages of your treatment process. It allows one of our doctors to examine your skin in person, evaluate your concerns, and determine whether dermal fillers are the best treatment option for you. This appointment also gives you the chance to ask any questions you may have about this treatment or the results you can anticipate seeing. If your doctor approves you for treatment, they will recommend an appropriate treatment plan to address your concerns and give you instructions on how to prepare for your first appointment.
Preparation
While you should be careful to follow your doctor’s specific instructions, you can expect the preparation process to be fairly simple. You should avoid any irritation to your skin by avoiding new and untested skincare products and treatments. You should also limit your time in the sun to avoid sunburn. Finally, you should stop taking blood-thinning medications at least one week before treatment and stop drinking alcohol at least 48 hours before your appointment to reduce your risk of bruising during recovery.
Treatment
We recommend that you avoid wearing makeup in the target area on the day of your appointment. To begin, your doctor will cleanse your skin and apply a topical numbing cream to keep you comfortable during the treatment process. Once your skin is numb, your doctor will use a thin needle to inject the dermal filler into the predetermined regions of your face and begin building volume. This process is completely painless and will instantly lift and fill your areas of concern, allowing you to see your results as soon as your doctor is finished.
Your appointment may take between 10-45 minutes, depending on the areas treated. You can admire your results in a mirror once your treatment is finished. You should notice that fine lines and wrinkles are minimized, loose skin is lifted, and your cheeks and lips appear fuller and more volumized. After your doctor has given you instructions for recovery, you can return to your normal activities with zero downtime.
Recovery
Your treated skin will heal for approximately one week after your injections. During this time, you should wash your face with a gentle cleansing product and avoid rubbing or pressing on the target areas for at least two to three days while the filler settles. You should also avoid sun exposure or any exfoliating facial treatments during this time to keep your skin from becoming irritated. Your doctor may recommend that you continue to avoid blood-thinning medication and alcohol after treatment to aid in the healing process.
Results
One of the best parts of this treatment is that your results can be instantly seen and enjoyed. While your fresh, youthful skin will be noticeable to friends and family, your results are completely natural. This means that no one will know that you had treatment unless you choose to tell them.
You can look forward to enjoying your results for six months to two years before your filler begins to dissolve. Once this occurs, you can choose to have follow-up injections to maintain your ideal image for as many years as you desire.
Contact Us to Learn More!
Don’t let your aging skin steal the spotlight. Let Juvederm restore your skin’s natural, vibrant beauty and see signs of aging fade with just one simple treatment. To learn more about this exciting product, contact our team of experts at Keller Plastic Surgery in Santa Barbara and Beverly Hills, CA to schedule an initial consultation today! We look forward to serving you and helping you reach your anti-aging goals!
