Without question, one of the most common inquiries we receive, as well as what our Doctor Partners tell us, is patients asking “What are dermal fillers?” To answer this, we must first look at why you would want a “filler.”

Now, there are many reasons why you would want a filler. However, we have found that most people want a dermal filler for any of the following main reasons:

Filling in wrinkles

• For most of our Bellafill patients, filling in wrinkles is the main reason they have selected a dermal filler.  Wrinkles are (mostly) caused by two factors:  Loss of collagen, which is referred to as “intrinsic aging” and environmental damage-or extrinsic aging.
  • Intrinsic:  Starting in our early 20s, most of us gradually produce less collagen and elastin in the skin. Since collagen and elastin are key components in keeping our skin healthy and “younger looking” our skin becomes more thin, less elastic and fragile. Unfortunately, intrinsic aging happens to all of us.
  • Extrinsic:  Here we have more control to what happens to our skin.  Sun damage, tobacco use and even pollution can result in many skin issues, but will exaggerate the loss of collagen and elastic in our skin.

Treat Acne Scars

• For the vast majority, in our teenage to early adult years we had acne.  When a pore swelled enough it would cause a break in the follicle wall, but for the most part our skin would heal quickly. However, if the infection in the pore was deep when the infected material broke through the dermis, it destroyed healthy skin tissue.  To repair the damage done to the dermis, the skin formed new collagen fibers.  Unfortunately, the new fibers did not leave the skin looking smooth and often lead to acne scars.

Now, let’s review what dermal fillers are.

Dermal fillers are products that can be applied into your skin in order to improve laugh lines, acne scars, frown lines, and wrinkles. Dermal fillers are used to work in cohesion with your body’s natural collagen and elastin to help improve your skin’s deep lines and wrinkles.

Most dermal fillers help diminish fine lines and restore volume by inserting those proteins like collagen and elastin back into the skin. When these protein are injected into your face they fill the wrinkles and lines that have come from lower levels of collagen and elastin. Fillers are an immediate action to improve your skin’s plumpness, enhance shallow contour, soften facial creases and wrinkles, and improve the appearance of recessed scars.

Typically, dermal fillers work for about 12-18 months until your body absorbs all the ingredients. However, Bellafill is effective for up to 5 years for smile lines and up to 1 year for acne scars! We know, pretty amazing!

Don’t worry, we’ll talk more about this in our next blog!