F is for Facelift Alternatives – Fill ‘Er Up with Fillers

Written by: Carole Schor on March 30, 2011.

Fillers can add Fullness

Injectable fillers are the latest rage.  Injectables are hailed as an anti-aging miracle.  Injectables are used to plump thin lips, enhance shallow contours, soften wrinkles and creases on the face, and reduce the appearance of scars.

Most injectable fillers are made of hyaluronic acid.  Hyaluronic acid is a component of synovial fluid, and is found in the vitreous humor of the eye, the synovia of joints, and in subcutaneous tissue where it functions is as a cementing agent.  It’s been found recently that injections of hyaluronic acid under the skin will plump up the skin, making it appear younger and fresher.

Hyaluronic acid, which occurs in the cells of the skin,  has been used in many different forms in spas for quite a while.  Restylane is a trade name for one of the hyaluronic fillers which temporarily smooths wrinkles by adding volume under the skin, with effects typically lasting for six months.  Juvaderm also is an injectable hyaluronic acid filler which is used for lip augmentation, reduction of folds and wrinkles and removal of scars.  Radiesse, one of the newest fillers, has been shown to stimulate collagen growth and last up to two years, and reviews seem to be mixed as to its effectiveness.

We have already talked briefly about Botox.  Botox is not the same as the hyaluronic acid fillers, but Botox injections are also very popular. Botox works by weakening the facial muscles that form wrinkles.  Botox is a neurotoxin, in other words, it’s a poison that can cause nervous system damage, botulism, respiratory difficulty, pain and irritation at the injection site, nausea, and flu-like symptoms.

Costs are always a factor to be considered and each syringe of dermal filler can cost between $500 – 800.  Longevity of results is another factor and vary from 6 months to 2 years with some of the newer injectables.  And then there’s the pain factor.  There is pain, whether from the local anesthetic used when it will be very painful, or that slight “pinch” you feel when the product is injected under your skin with a needle – ouch!   You naturally beautiful women decide – natural beauty or enhanced beauty!

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