Miriam Hanson, a certified dermatologist and cosmetic expert in Austin, Texas, is well-versed in the use of dermal fillers. These injectable medications are designed to restore volume to areas of the skin where it has been lost. People seek treatments to soften smile lines and crow's feet, as well as fill lips, cheeks, and hands. Injecting dermal fillers into the face and hands can improve the appearance of facial lines and volume loss caused by age or certain medical conditions.
The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates dermal fillers as medical devices. As reported in clinical trials, the effects of most FDA-approved dermal fillers are temporary because they are made of materials that the body eventually breaks down and absorbs.
The injection procedure may have to be repeated to maintain the desired effect. However, dermal fillers aren't for everyone. Dermal fillers may not be suitable for people with certain conditions, such as bleeding disorders or some allergies. If your healthcare provider confirms that dermal fillers are an option for you, know that all medical products have benefits and risks.
The FDA advises you to work with a licensed healthcare provider who has experience injecting dermal fillers, who knows the fillers, anatomy, handling complications and, most importantly, informs you of the risks and benefits before receiving treatment. The most serious risk associated with dermal fillers is accidental injection into a blood vessel. Filling that enters a blood vessel can cause skin necrosis (tissue death), stroke, or blindness. While the chances of this happening are low, if it occurs, the resulting complications can be serious and can be permanent.
Most side effects reported in clinical trials and post-marketing surveillance occur soon after injection and disappear within a few weeks. In some cases, side effects may appear weeks, months, or years later. People should be tested for allergies before receiving dermal fillers made with certain materials, especially animal-derived materials such as collagen. The FDA has also approved botulinum toxin products such as Botox, Dysport, Xeomin and Jeuveau to treat facial wrinkles.
These products are not dermal fillers; they are injectable medications that work by preventing muscles from contracting so wrinkles are not seen as much. The safe use of dermal fillers in combination with Botox and other treatments has not been evaluated in clinical studies. If you want to have your fillers removed or reduced because of side effects, you may need additional procedures to reduce the filler or surgery to remove it. These procedures carry their own risks; keep in mind that it may be difficult or impossible to remove some fillers.
The use of fillers has gone astray and has gone to an extreme. Its use to give the face unnatural proportions, fill in wrinkles and lines and lift the face has the opposite effect of making the face look older and age faster. When dermal fillers are injected into areas of the face, they fill the skin and restore lost volume. Men and women looking for the smoothing effect of dermal fillers seek to restore lost facial volume in areas such as the cheeks, lips, nasolabial folds and under the eyes.
Dermal fillers are composed of hyaluronic acid, a natural molecule found in the skin that gives it the ability to attract and retain moisture. In fact, the benefits of dermal fillers often go beyond simply restoring facial volume; an experienced doctor's artistry and skill allow him or her to discern the precise amount of dermal filler needed to give you the results you're looking for without seeming artificial or exaggerated. And make sure the filling is really gone because it may never completely disintegrate; you should call your doctor or emergency room if your skin turns blue and you feel a lot of pain: these are two possible signs that there is filling in the bloodstream.
