Restylane, Juvéderm, Radiesse, Sculptra: Filling Up Your Deflated Face (Rather Than Lifting It)

Many of us bemoan weight gain with age.  One of the common refrains heard in our office is “How I wish I could be as thin as I was in high school!”

    

The scales don’t lie.  Most Americans do tend to get heavier as they grow older.  However, fat doesn’t increase consistently around our bodies.

    

While tummies and hips tend to collect fat as we grow older, other areas tend to lose it.  In particular, the years melt away the “baby fat” from our cheeks, and this deflation signals facial aging.

    

Likewise, osteoporosis doesn't just affect the bones in our legs and back.  The bones of our face also lose their bulk.  We lose the "strength" of our jaw lines, and our orbits expand so that our eyes look increasingly "deep set."

    

Our friends see these effects in our faces long before X-rays pick up changes in our bone densities.  And what are our friends really seeing?  WRINKLES, FOLDS, and LINES!!

    

As our cheeks grow hollow, we develop “parentheses lines” on the sides of the nose and mouth.  Our lips themselves, too, lose their plumpness.  Loss of volume in the lips and cheeks contributes to the “smoker’s lines” that begin to radiate from our lips—even if we’ve never puffed on a cigarette.  The corners of the mouth may start to turn down, conveying sadness or anger—even though we may tend to be happy.

    

Fortunately, new soft-tissue fillers have been designed so that you don’t have to accept “deflation.”  Via injections—as a minor procedure in the office—fillers can restore volume to the facial skin, producing a smoother, more youthful appearance.

    

The common location that my patients request fillers are...

• The Nasolabial Folds:  These are the “parentheses lines” that separate the cheeks from the nose and upper lip.  They appear to deepen with age.  While surgically lifting the cheek can smooth the folds, often an effective correction can be achieved—in the office, far away from the operating room—just by filling.

• The Lips and Smoker’s Lines:  Some people are born with plump, voluptuous lips; others are not.  Nevertheless, all our lips lose fullness with age.  While permanent implants can be surgically inserted into the lips, injectable fillers can also provide the requested volume—whether you want to restore just what you used to have or whether you’d like to look like Angelina Jolie!  Moreover, fillers can diminish fine “smoker’s lines,” and can be used to accentuate the “pouts” and “pillows” of the lips.

• The Corners of the Mouth and the Marionette Lines:  As the fat below the corners of the mouth atrophies, the sides of the lips lose their support.  The mouth assumes an upside-down U, producing a sad or stern appearance.  Likewise, grooves develop from the corners of the mouth down towards the jaw line.  Because their position is similar to the mouth joints of wooden puppets (à la Pinocchio), these grooves are formally called marionette lines (and less affectionately known as drool lines).  Certainly, surgical lifts can elevate the corners of the mouth and smooth the adjacent skin (thereby effacing the marionette lines), but an equally appropriate treatment is refilling.

• The Chin:  Creases develop around the chin with age, especially between the chin and lower lip.  While Botox can eradicate the “pebble-liness” of the chin, the wrinkles themselves are best filled.

• Other Areas
  • Into any deep wrinkles that are not completely eradicated by surgery or Botox
  • Cheeks hollowed by age, malnutrition, disease, or chemotherapy
  • The “tear troughs” separating the lower eyelids from the cheeks

Fillers have tremendously expanded options for facial rejuvenation.  Now, without going to the operating room, many deep furrows can be filled and softened.

    

To work this “magic,” I anesthetize the area with creams or “dental-type” numbing shots.  (I don’t believe in pain!)  I then ease the injectable filler into the fold or line—through a very fine needle—without discomfort.  The additional volume should smooth the wrinkle and shape the facial contour naturally.  The result is usually immediate.  Filling with injections is fast and safe, and usually leaves no scars or other traces on the face.

    

Fillers do, however, have limitations.  They are not creams; injections are required.  Bleeding and bruising are occasional side effects.  You’ll be asked to take it easy for a day after the injections.  The length of efficacy may vary depending upon the chemical composition of the filler itself; certain areas (such as the lips) tend to be associated with more rapid breakdowns of the fillers.  Results may vary.

    

While Hollywood personalities not so sheepishly display their filled lips, most patients requesting fillers are looking for a more subtle change.  Certainly, fillers are not only for movie stars.  Most of my patients are regular folks from all walks of lift.  In fact, after Botox, the injection of fillers is the most frequently performed cosmetic procedure at Pickart Plastic Surgery, Inc., and it is also the second most common physician-administered cosmetic procedure nation-wide.

    

Relative to “lifts” and “tucks,” most of the fillers are reasonably priced and do not require a lot of downtime.  They are something that you can do for yourself to smooth and to maintain your appearance.

Comments

[sherry]

i need my 1994 implants to be replaced.as well as facial wrinkles.2530tanglewood se.,lk.fl,.33801

[vikas jain]

hi this is vikas jain and i am 20 yrs old my cheeks are so deflated it means its too inside pls suggest me how can i make filup my cheeks its my contact no 9911020960