No matter what it’s called—tissue augmentation, injectable fillers, soft-tissue fillers, implants, or dermal filler injections—one of the more popular ways to improve the appearance of wrinkles or acne scars is to fill them in with a variety of substances. These fillers work just the way they sound: by literally being injected or implanted into a wrinkle or a scar so that the material (either synthetic or natural) then fills in the depression (temporarily or semipermanently), creating a smoother impression. Almost all fillers can also work to plump up lips or alter the shape of the face, but their primary use is to fill in wrinkles and acne scars.
Filling in wrinkles or scars using any form of tissue augmentation can be done in combination with other cosmetic procedures. These can range from Botox injections to laser,
IPL, or chemical peel resurfacing (as well as face-lifts) to achieve optimal results in obtaining the smoothest looking skin you can get.
If you’re considering injectable fillers of any kind, the following information will help give you a realistic guideline for comparisons, risks, and expectations. It is vital to understand that, as with any cosmetic corrective procedure, there’s no single best option. Quite the contrary—there are many excellent alternatives available, and the final decision should be determined by your doctor’s skill, your budget, how much risk you’re willing to take, and what kind of realistic results you’re looking for.
Some of the typical risks of all dermal fillers are a possible reaction to the needle or device used to place the material in the skin, pain, bruising, inflammation, discoloration, and swelling. These often resolve within a few days to a few weeks. On rare occasions discoloration can last for up to year if a blood vessel was affected. Other adverse reactions can be allergic reactions, granulomas (palpable bumps under the skin), red discoloration from injections that are too superficial and can be felt on top of the skin, overcorrection, migration of the substance, persistent lumpiness, and infection.
The price of dermal fillers depends on many factors but primarily it is about the cost of the filler itself and the amount used. If you only chose to inject and plump up the folds from the nose to the mouth, it will cost less money than also treating the marionette lines that go from the corners of the mouth down to the chin and the frown lines between the eyes.
(Sources: Journal of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, January 2009, pages 11-18; British Journal of Dermatology, November 2008, pages 1036-1050; Dermatologic Surgery, June 2008, pages S92-S99; and Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, December 2005, pages 171-176.)