As people age, their skin loses its fullness and begins to sag and wrinkle. But they don't have to live with those little lines around the mouth and eyes. There are a host of fillers and other products on the market to plump up features and give a smoother appearance. There are differences in costs, and some products work better on different kinds of wrinkles, according to Dr. David Zachary Martin, a specialist in plastic surgery, wound care and healing at MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital.
Who is a candidate for wrinkle filling or scar smoothing?
Patients with reasonable expectations, who are in good health and are interested in softening facial creases and wrinkles, enhancing shallow contours, plumping thin lips and improving the contour of depressed scars. It is worth noting that scars can be more challenging to treat with fillers than wrinkles. Scarred tissue does not accept fillers as readily as uninjured tissue. Some wrinkles are more amenable to fillers than others. The smile lines (parentheses lines) around the nose and mouth respond well to fillers while the frown lines between the eyes respond better to neurotoxin's like Botox.
What are the different kinds of fillers, and products on the horizon, and how do they work?
Generally, a filler works by replacing lost tissue volume and collagen. Wrinkles are generally visible because the depression within the wrinkle causes a shadow or line to appear on the face. If the wrinkle is made less deep by replacing the lost volume, then the appearance will be diminished.
The fillers that we use are made of biocompatible substances. This can increase their longevity and decrease the chance of an adverse reaction. The fillers differ in subtle qualities like texture. Your doctor will pick the filler with the qualities most appropriate for the condition they are treating.
The fillers of the future will increasingly involve substances derived from the patient's own tissue or ones that behave as though they did. In plastic surgery, we like to replace like with like. We want the substance that we use to treat an area to closely match the tissue we are replacing. The ideal filler of the future will be one that is similar in texture to the tissue we are replacing, will be accepted by the patient's body as being naturally occurring, will be long lasting, will be available without an invasive procedure to harvest it and will be available at a reasonable cost.
What do the products cost and how often do you have to redo the work?
There are a broad range of products available. Prices range from several hundred dollars to a few thousand, depending on the scope of the procedure and where it's being done. Each type of filler lasts a different amount of time. The range is typically three to 12 months. Some injectables can have longer-lasting results. Often, the longer-lasting fillers will cost more.
Are there side effects or risks, or should some people avoid skin smoothing?
Depending on the type of procedure performed, immediately afterward you may experience mild swelling and bruising, numbness and redness. These signs tend to resolve in a matter of hours or days. Generally speaking, however, these procedures have been so popular due to the immediacy of the results and minimal downtime. The people who should avoid fillers are those with unreasonable expectations, ones whose condition requires a more invasive approach to correct and patients with medical conditions that might be contraindications.
Are there over-the-counter products or other things to do at home to improve the look of your skin?
Every skin care program should start with the basics. This includes daily cleansing, skin moisturizing and broad spectrum sunscreen protection.