Achieving fuller, younger and wrinkle-free skin doesn’t have to mean invasive procedures or a full face lift. The answer to young and radiant skin is really quite simple: dermal fillers.
Dr. Lady Dy of Dy Dermatology Center in Glenview, Illinois uses dermal fillers to help her patients who are looking to regain the young, voluminous skin they once had. Without any surgery, downtime or scary side effects, dermal fillers allow Dr. Dy to provide quick results in targeted aging areas.
Dermal fillers, also known as injectable implants, soft tissue fillers or wrinkle fillers, are medical device implants approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in helping to diminish fine lines and wrinkles, and to restore volume and fullness to the face. These non-surgical rejuvenation treatments help fight early signs of aging and can even be used to enhance and maintain the effects of facial rejuvenation surgery. Dermal fillers are non-invasive and safe –– even safe enough to use during pregnancy.
Although it seems like it happens overnight, the aging process progresses over a long period of time––our skin losing volume and gaining fine lines as it happens. As we age, we also naturally start to lose the plump fat under our skin. Without the presence of facial fat to provide a buffer, our facial muscles start working closer to the surface of the skin. As this happens, things like smile lines and crow’s feet around the eyes become more apparent. There are other factors that can contribute to aging skin in need of dermal fillers, such as sun exposure, heredity and lifestyle. We also lose facial volume as our skin stretches over time.
Adding volume to the facial skin can increase light reflection because it corrects the hollow areas in the face, which means more light is reflected onto the skin, leaving patients looking naturally radiant. Dermal fillers differ in chemical makeup, longevity and have varying degrees of softness. Softer fillers are used in the lips, for example, while sturdier fillers may be used to enhance cheekbones.
As it is probably evident by now, dermal fillers are a multifaceted approach to combating aging skin. They can be used to:
- Plump thin lips
- Enhance shallow contours
- Soften facial creases and wrinkles
- Improve the appearance of recessed scars
- Reconstruct contour deformities in the face
- Decrease or remove the shadow of the lower lids
The best part about dermal fillers is that there are many different types that serve different purposes for your skin. This means that Dr. Dy can work with you to customize your treatment plan.
These are the dermal fillers Dy. Dy prefers to use when treating her patients:
Hyaluronic acid dermal fillers
Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance found in your body. High concentrations are found in soft connective tissues and in the fluid surrounding your eyes. It’s also in some cartilage and joint fluids, as well as skin tissue. It is extracted and reformulated and now has become one of the most popular kinds of injectable fillers.
Hyaluronic acid injections can be used to improve the skin’s contour and reduce depressions in the skin due to scars, injury or lines. You can see potentially dramatic improvements for:
- Acne scars
- Cheek depressions
- Crow’s feet at the corner of your eyes
- Deep smile lines that run from the side of the nose to corners of the mouth (also known as nasolabial furrows)
- Frown lines between the eyebrows
- Marionette lines at the corners of the mouth
- Redefining lip border
- Scars including burns, acne and those caused by wounds
- Smoker’s lines; vertical lines on the mouth Some facial scars
- Worry lines that run across your forehead
There are two different brands of hyaluronic acid fillers that Dr. Dy prefers to use: JUVÉDERM® and Restylane®.
Allergan JUVÉDERM® products
- JUVÉDERM® XC is an injectable gel that instantly smooths moderate to severe lines and wrinkles around the nose and mouth, delivering results that last up to one year.
- JUVÉDERM VOLLURE™ XC softens moderate to severe lines and wrinkles by adding volume to the lines and wrinkles around the nose and mouth to produce subtle, long-lasting results for up to 18 months.
- JUVÉDERM VOLUMA® XC adds volume to correct age-related volume loss in the cheeks to help create a more youthful appearance. Results can last for up to two years.
- JUVÉDERM® Ultra XC adds more fullness and plumps thin lips—whether your lips have thinned over time or you simply want fuller lips.
- JUVÉDERM VOLBELLA® XC is tailored to add subtle volume to the lips and smooth the appearance of vertical lip lines.
Gladerma Restylane® Products
- Restylane® Silk is specifically designed for lip augmentation and the smoothing of wrinkles around the mouth.
- Restylane® Lyft is specifically designed to add fullness to the cheeks and midface area, which can result in a more natural-looking, youthful appearance. It provides lift to the cheeks and adds volume to correct and smooth smile lines (nasolabial folds.)
- Restylane® Refyne and Restylane® Defyne are both designed with XpresHAn Technology™ to help soften laugh lines (nasolabial folds and marionette lines). The unique cross-linking of the gel in is also designed to help support your natural expression—for real-life results that help maintain natural facial movement.
Calcium hydroxylapatite fillers
Calcium hydroxylapatite is found naturally in human bones and is a mineral-like
compound. It’s often used to:
- Target moderate-to-severe creases such as nasolabial folds, marionette lines and frown lines
- Enhance fullness of the cheeks and other facial contours
- Improve volume in areas of facial wasting, such as can occur in HIV-positive people taking certain medications.
Calcium hydroxylapatite is biosynthetically produced, which means that no animals or
animal products are used. This lowers your risk of an allergic reaction, and no skin testing is required. This type of dermal filler is known to produce a very natural result, doesn’t migrate and side effects are rare. It was first used in dentistry and reconstructive surgery and has a long safety record.
Dr. Dy prefers one specific brand of calcium hydroxylapatite fillers: RADIESSE®.
RADIESSE® is a wrinkle filler used to plump the skin, injected through a small needle. This filler works immediately to add volume under the skin. As time passes, the benefits of RADIESSE® continue by stimulating your body’s own natural collagen. The natural results have been shown to last a year or more in many patients, making the treatment results both immediate and long-lasting.
Dermal fillers have become the secret weapon in fighting signs of aging. Dr. Dy suggests these treatments to almost any patient looking to treat and prevent aging skin––from brow lines to lip wrinkles, and sagging, hollowed cheeks. Before you assume you need a full facelift, or that there is nothing left to revive your skin, talk to Dr. Dy about dermal fillers. She will determine the best type and volume of filler needed to treat your particular areas of concern.
Dr. Lady Dy is one of the most sought after dermatologists in the United States. She has studied all over the world and has worked with the world’s leading experts in skin and hair. Her patients fly from all over North America, Dubai, Norway and Korea to be treated by her in Chicago. To learn more about laser treatments, contact Dy Dermatology Center. Click here to request an appointment or call the dermatology center at (847) 832-1185.