Juvéderm™, Restylane® and Sculptra

With time, facial skin loses structure and volume resulting in unwelcome wrinkles. Juvéderm™, Restylane® and are injectable gel forms of hyaluronic acid, a natural complex sugar found in all living cells, and one of the major components of the skin. Hyaluronic acid gel makes wrinkle correction possible by retaining water like a sponge. It can absorb more than 1000 times its weight which helps to attract and maintain the water in the skin. The treatment area becomes more hydrated and the volume and density appear to be increased. Because there are no animal proteins contained in any of these products, animal-based disease transmission or allergic reaction is not a possibility. Wrinkle correction with Juvéderm™or Restylane® is a quick, in-office procedure with immediate results and no downtime. The choice of which product to utilize will be suggested by Dr. Hand, based on the areas to be treated and patient product preference.

JUVÉDERM VOLUMA® XC‎ is a hyaluronic acid facial filler specifically created to restore age-related volume loss in the mid-face (the cheeks, cheekbones, and around the chin) and has been clinically proven to last up to 24 months.

Injectable hyaluronic acid gel (Juvéderm™, Restylane®) is very effective in smoothing the folds between the nose and mouth and outlining the margins of the lips. Our office also utilizes these products to uplift the corners of the mouth and to fill in small wrinkles along the upper lip and face. After a topical anesthetic cream is applied, the hyaluronic acid gel is injected into the wrinkle resulting in a smooth and natural contour of the affected area. Most injectable hyaluronic fillers now contain an anesthetic agent that numbs as it is being injected. Mild bruising or swelling may occur with temporary injection site redness. Patients should avoid taking aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications for 10 to 14 days prior to treatment. Because of the high degree of cross-linking in the injectable gel technology, the duration of results may last 6 months or longer.

Sculptra® Aesthetic (injectable poly-L-lactic acid) is indicated for use in people with healthy immune systems as a single regimen for the correction of shallow to deep nasolabial fold contour deficiencies and other facial wrinkles. Sculptra Aesthetic is an FDA-approved injectable that helps gradually replace lost collagen — an underlying cause of facial aging — for results that can last more than two years.

Fat Grafting

Fat grafting is a popular alternative to dermal fillers for the patient that would like to use his or her own tissue. Fat can be injected almost anywhere on the face. The procedure involves harvesting the patient’s own fat from a donor site such as the abdomen or leg. The donor site is prepped and anesthetized with local anesthetic. The fat is aspirated into a syringe and prepared for injection. The recipient sites are then prepped and anesthetized and the fat is injected into the lips and/or other facial wrinkles for which correction is desired. Fat grafting can last for as little as 3 months or may give permanent results.

The advantage of fat grafting is that multiple ccs of fat can be harvested all at once and most areas of the face that are appropriate for injection can be done at the same time. With other injectable fillers, the patient may be limited by the cost per cc. Dr. Hand often performs fat grafting in combination with facial surgical procedures to refresh and soften facial lines and to augment lip size. Sometimes with this procedure, bruising and swelling may last longer than with other fillers because a larger needle size is necessary to inject the fat graft.