Dermal fillers help to diminish facial lines and restore volume and fullness in the face. As we age, our faces naturally lose subcutaneous fat. The facial muscles are then working closer to the skin surface, so smile lines and crow's feet become more apparent. The facial skin also stretches a bit, adding to this loss of facial volume. Other factors that affect the facial skin include sun exposure, heredity and lifestyle.

-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 Dermal fillers can be very helpful in those with early signs of aging, or as a value-added part of facial rejuvenation surgery.

For some patients, surgery such as a facelift, brow lift or eye lift may be the best approach. Minimally invasive rejuvenation treatments, such as soft tissue fillers, cannot achieve the same results, but may help delay the time when consideration of a facelift becomes appropriate. It is important to remember that dermal fillers are temporary treatments for facial aging and that ongoing treatments will be needed for long-term results.

The procedure varies with the filler your cosmetologist will use, the part of the body to be treated, and your medical history. Here are some general guidelines about what you can expect: -Most filler treatments take between 15 and 30 minutes and require one office visit and a control appointment in 10 or 15 days aprox. -Before getting the injections, you may need ice, an anesthetic cream applied to the skin, or a nerve block (an injection). This varies with the filler and area to be treated -Your comestologist will inject the filler into the area, often giving you several injections to produce the best results. You may feel a stinging or burning sensation as the filler is injected.

Most patients can return to their everyday activities after leaving the office. To reduce any redness and swelling from the injections, your dermatologist may recommend icing the area for 5 to 10 minutes before you leave. Before you leave the consult, you should be able to apply makeup. After leaving the office, you should: -Wait until the next day to exercise or do any other strenuous activity. -Stay out of the sun and do not use a tanning bed or other type of indoor tanning. -Avoid touching the treated area for three days, unless you receive instructions to massage the area.

This varies with the filler. Most fillers fill the skin, so they produce immediate — or close to immediate — results. A filler also can stimulate your body to produce collagen.

To get natural-looking results, the person injecting the filler must have expertise in placing the filler. Dermatologists recommend not overdoing fillers. Your results will look more natural with a conservative approach. For example, patients who have very thin lips should not get dramatically fuller lips. Creating fuller lips in these patients could be extremely unflattering because the lips might start to resemble a duck’s bill.

Most fillers offer temporary results and require repeat treatments to maintain the results. Temporary fillers offer one key advantage. These can be injected as needed to replace lost fullness. This is advantageous because no matter what we do, our skin continues to age. When is it safe to get another treatment? If you get a temporary filler, you can usually have another treatment when the signs of aging reappear.

After receiving filler injections, some patients have minor, temporary side effects where they were injected. You may have: -Redness -Swelling -Tenderness -Bruising (occasionally) These side effects tend to clear within 7 to 14 days — if not earlier. Serious side effects are more likely when the person injecting the filler does not have adequate medical training and experience. To protect your health, you should never get filler injections in a non-medical setting, such as non-medical spa, salon, or someone’s home. When fillers are injected in a non-medical setting or by an inexperienced provider, reports of more serious side effects increase dramatically. These side effects include: -Lumps -Ridges -Over-filled areas -Allergic reaction -Skin discoloration -Infection -Severe swelling

This is one of the safest cosmetic treatments available. For years, dermatologists have been refining the use of fillers to diminish signs of aging. Today, dermatologists safely treat people of many ages and all skin colors.

Botox is a protein made from Botulinum toxin, which the bacterium Clostridium botulinum produces. This is the same toxin that causes botulism. Botox is a toxin, but when doctors use it correctly and in small doses, it can have benefits.

Botox uses various forms of botulinum toxin to temporarily relax muscle activity and is a good option for dynamic wrinkles. It can smooth out wrinkles and restore a more youthful appearance. The injected muscle can't contract. That makes wrinkles relax and soften. Botox is most often used on forehead lines, crow's feet (lines around the eye), Is Botox good for skin?

Botox is most effective on wrinkles that haven't quite set -- “dynamic” wrinkles that appear while you're moving your face, such as when you frown. “If you don't move the muscle too much, you won't form the wrinkle,” says Columbia University dermatologist Monica Halem, MD.

In general, Botox lasts 3-4 months. There will certainly be patients in which in lasts longer, in that 4-6 month range, or shorter, in that 2-month range. It is also common for first-timers to notice that it may not last as long initially but may last longer after the second treatment.