Busted: The Top 7 Myths About Facial Fillers
Lip enhancement with hyaluronic acid filler.
As we age, gravity takes effect and our skin becomes more likely to wrinkle and sag. Also, exposure to sun breaks down collagen and elastin, important structural components of the deeper layers of our skin, which further contributes to signs of aging. Facial fillers are products designed to reduce signs of aging by softening and even eliminating wrinkles, raising depressed scars, enhancing lips, and replacing soft-tissue volume loss. This is done with products such as collagen, hyaluronic acid, and calcium hydroxyapatite.
What's the Difference Between Botox and Facial Fillers?
Many individuals who are considering cosmetic treatments often wonder what the difference is between Botox and Facial Fillers. Both are cosmetic treatments that are given through injection and both treatments are minimally invasive, which means they do not involve surgery.
Botox is a purified form of the botulinum toxin that is obtained from bacteria. Botox is used to correct wrinkles that are caused by muscle movement. The main difference between Botox and Facial fillers is that Botox causes facial muscles to relax and subsequently decreases wrinkles and fine lines at rest. Botox gives the face a soft, natural appearance when done correctly. Botox is injected in the forehead, around the eyes, in the masseter muscle (jaw muscle) and can even be used to treat excessive sweating.
Fillers on the other hand, consist of hyaluronic acid and similar substances that are used to fill in areas that have lost volume over time. Facial fillers, injected in small amounts to specific areas, are an immediate solution with long-lasting effects in the area of injection. With fillers, volume loss in the cheeks, lips, nasolabial folds, jawline, and chin can be replaced.
In most cases filler injections take less than an hour, and have little to no downtime. Side effects are generally minimal.
7 Myths About Facial Fillers
Myth #1: It Doesn't Look Natural
Facial fillers are injected into the lines, folds, and tissues of the face to decrease the appearance of wrinkles and restore facial fullness. Many people believe that facial fillers don’t look natural. However, fillers are designed to replace the inevitable volume loss in our faces as we age. When done properly, fillers give you a healthy, rejuvenated appearance.
Myth # 2: There's No Noticeable Difference
Fillers immediately add volume to the injected areas and help to restore a youthful appearance. It is important to note that facial fillers aren't meant to change your appearance drastically but are meant to improve your appearance by replacing volume loss and filling in fine lines. Filler injected along cheeks, chin, and jawline give you an overall energized and younger looking face without surgery. Fillers can improve your side profile and lift a sagging neck, again eliminating the need for surgery. Fillers can also be used to improve the appearance of pitted acne scars.
Myth # 3: Facial Filler is Painful
Some cosmetic treatments can cause significant discomfort. Filler injections are relatively painless. This is because many filler products come with anesthetic or numbing product in the same syringe to help minimize pain and discomfort. The first injection generally is the most uncomfortable, however, we provide in office topical numbing cream to minimize discomfort.
Myth #4: Facial Fillers are a lot of Maintenance
Ultimately, how often you need filler injections will depend on factors such as the type of filler used, areas injected, and your activity level. In general, facial fillers will need to be repeated every 6-8 months with some fillers lasting up to 2 years. Fillers stimulate the body to make more collagen and elastin naturally, decreasing the need for frequent filler treatments.
Myth #5: My Face Will Experience a lot of Bruising After Treatment
While bruising can occur after a filler injection, it can easily be reduced with cool compresses immediately before and after treatment. Topical and oral Arnica can also be used to decrease bruising and to reduce the duration of the bruise if one does occur. Bruising is easily concealed with makeup, allowing you to go on with your daily activities.
Myth #6: I Can't Reverse Fillers
Facial fillers can be reversed if necessary, as long as the filler used was a hyaluronic acid filler. Hyaluronic acid fillers can be reversed with an enzyme called hyaluronidase. This is a natural enzyme that degrades hyaluronic acid, allowing reversal of the filler effect if needed. Your dermatologist will have this readily available.
Myth #7: Those with Facial Fillers Will Have a Bad Reaction to the Covid 19 Vaccine
There have been reports of a few people who have cosmetic fillers in place who, after COVID-19 vaccination, have developed facial swelling. People in the U.S. with fillers may be worried about the vaccine's possible side effects. Experts say these reactions are exceedingly rare, are easily treated, and certainly are not a reason to avoid the vaccine.