Fillers

Dermal fillers are a naturally-derived or synthetic material that is directly injected into skin with the purpose of plumping that area to the point where the wrinkle, depression, or fold is gone. Depending on the type of filler, the effects can last anywhere from six months to two years; for semi-permanent or permanent fillers, the effects can last up to five years, and there are reports of even longer-lasting results.

Naturally-derived fillers (the most widely known is hyaluronic acid) have a much smaller risk of causing an allergic reaction but reactions can occur. Results are immediate but will only last from just three to 18 months (occasionally up to two years) because the filler eventually breaks down, taking the results, for better or worse, with it. Once the filler starts to dissipate you need to go back in and get more filler injected to maintain results. Most people who get fillers will need at least one follow-up injection within a year.

Despite what you might have read or heard, there really isn’t a best dermal filler; all of them have risks, albeit rare ones. Which filler substance is considered “best” or “preferred” depends on the doctor’s technique, skill, experience, training, your facial needs, and risk tolerance. It has nothing to do with headlines in the media or articles in fashion magazines.It’s important to realize that over the past 20 years many dermal fillers that were once showcased in fashion magazines or touted by doctors (and often heralded by studies paid for by the manufacturer) have since been discontinued for a variety of reasons. Getting headlines doesn’t always make for beautiful results!