Shout out to all my fellow mamas out there who catch glimpses of themselves in the mirror and have to do a double take, and not in a good way. It’s happening to me with increasing frequency! Hopefully today’s guest post will give you some ideas if you are looking at the woman in the mirror and asking her to make a change!
At a certain point in life, it is normal to start feeling less satisfied with your overall facial appearance. Gravity and the natural process of aging have a way of making changes that can creep up on you over time.
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If you have ever looked in the mirror and wished you could turn back the clock, you are definitely not alone! According to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), more people than ever before are seeking to improve their appearance through scheduling facial plastic surgery procedures.
One confusing aspect for most patients is the sheer number of fillers that are available today to deal with problem areas of the face and neck. How do you know what filler is best for your problem area? Here, your choice of plastic surgeon can greatly influence finding the best match between your problem area and the filler selected to address it.
What Types of Fillers Are Popular?
Fillers, which are sometimes also called “dermal fillers,” are treatments that are placed under the skin’s surface via injection with tiny needles. The goal of these fillers is to smooth the appearance of wrinkles and give the skin a youthful, refreshed appearance.
Dr. Bustillo strongly believes in using only Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved non-permanent dermal fillers, because these are the only fillers that have been proven to be completely safe to use on facial plastic surgery patients.
NOTE: If a surgeon wants to use biopolymer or silicone fillers to treat your problem areas, you should not permit that surgeon to operate on you! These fillers are now known to create serious and sometimes permanent damage!
Dr. Bustillo uses two main fillers: hyaluronic acid fillers and calcium hydroxyapatite fillers. Examples of hyaluronic acid fillers include Juvederm and Restylane. Examples of calcium hydroxyapatite fillers include Radiesse.
Sometimes botulism toxin, Botox or Dysport, is confused with facial fillers. This type of facial treatment is also done via injection with tiny needles, but the result is not one of filling in an area of the face but rather of relaxing the muscles in that area of the face.
How Do Hyaluronic Acid Fillers Work?
Juvederm and Restylane are two of the most popular hyaluronic acid fillers used by facial plastic surgeons today. These two fillers are popular and well known and can last up to six months.
Hyaluronic acid fillers are composed of naturally occurring sugars that the body recognizes so there is no danger of allergic reaction or rejection.
Dr. Bustillo uses hyaluronic acid fillers in the area between the eyes and the cheeks, the area between the nose and the lips and the area just below the lips and to fill in thin lips.
How Do Calcium Hydroxyapatite Fillers Work?
Calcium hydroxyapatite fillers work to stimulate the skin’s own natural production of collagen, the protein that is responsible for a plump, fresh, youthful skin glow. These types of fillers can last up to 12 months.
Dr. Bustillo uses these dermal fillers for the area between the nose and the lips, the area just below the lips and to augment the cheek areas.
What Types of Wrinkles Exist?
In many cases, patients do not realize there is more than one type of skin wrinkle. But there are actually two different kinds of facial skin wrinkles! One kind is called static wrinkles and the other kind is called dynamic wrinkles.
Static wrinkles most frequently appear in the lower area of the face (lower cheeks to chin and below). These wrinkles tend to appear when the skin starts to naturally lose elasticity along with the aging process and the impact of gravity.
Both hyaluronic acid fillers and calcium hydroxyapatite fillers can be used to treat areas where static wrinkles exist. Often, the choice of which filler to use focuses on the severity of the static wrinkles and/or how long the filler treatment will last.
Dynamic wrinkles are wrinkles that appear due to the natural activity of the muscles of the face. If you have ever heard of a model or actor who didn’t want to smile to try to stop wrinkles from appearing, the wrinkles in question were dynamic wrinkles.
Dynamic wrinkles tend to occur in the upper area of the face, including the forehead, the area in between the eyes and the areas around the eyes. For these types of wrinkles, Dr. Bustillo typically recommends the use of Botox or Dysport.
What Filler Is Best For Your Problem Area?
The answer to this question will depend on the scope and severity of your problem area, the type of wrinkles you are experiencing (static or dynamic or both) and your overall facial appearance goals.
Here, it is vital to select a facial plastic surgeon you can talk with openly and trust implicitly, since you will be relying on your surgeon’s extensive medical and surgical expertise to recommend just the right filler to help you look and feel your best!
The first step to selecting the right filler is to schedule your initial consultation with Dr. Bustillo. During your consultation, you can share your concerns and goals and discuss with Dr. Bustillo how best to achieve your goals.
Dr. Bustillo will examine the area to be treated, take photos and talk with you about treatment options, answering your questions and ensuring you feel completely confident and comfortable with the recommendations for treatment.
About Dr. Andres Bustillo, M.D., FACS
Dr. Andres Bustillo has more than a decade of experience assisting patients to achieve their facial plastic surgery appearance goals. A board certified facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Bustillo has special expertise in performing rhinoplasty, revision rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty, deep plane facelift and minimal incision neck lift procedures.
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