Different Types of Wrinkle Fillers
Before we get into the different types of wrinkle fillers, let’s first examine what causes wrinkles. There are three different levels to the skin, namely, the epidermis, the dermis, and the hypodermis.
The epidermis is a layer of hardened cells that helps to protect you from the ravages of the sun and environmental pollutants. The dermis is filled with fibers that give the skin elasticity. The dermis is also where you find collagen. The hypodermis contains fat which the body needs to regulate your temperature, and for insulation as well as a ready source of energy.
As you age, the different layers lose their ability to maintain volume in your face and wrinkles start to appear. The epidermis hardens and loses its ability to retain moisture. The collagen in the dermis becomes depleted, and your skin loses its elasticity, and the fat in the hypodermis starts to dissolve, causing your face to sag. The type of filler used will be determined by the particular area being treated.
Injectable fillers are often confused with Botox. Botox relaxes the skin, thereby giving the appearance of the wrinkles smoothing out. Injectable fillers, on the other hand, use various substances to fill out or plump up the various layers, causing wrinkles to smooth out.
Hyaluronic Acid Wrinkle Fillers
This is the most popular type of filler and comes in many forms, including Belotero Balance and Hylaform amongst others. Research seems to indicate that repeated treatments with Hyaluronic Acid stimulate the body’s production of collagen; which in itself will help to reduce wrinkles. It also appears that the more this type of filler is used, the less is needed for each subsequent treatment. Side effects might include bruising, redness and swelling at the site of the injection.
Synthetic Wrinkle Fillers
This category of wrinkle fillers uses a laboratory-made substances that are not normally found in the body. This group of fillers is longer-lasting but because of this may have more severe side effects. Side effects include swelling, bruising and redness, as well as the formation of tiny bumps under the skin, which in severe cases, will have to be removed surgically.
Collagen
The first wrinkle filler ever made was from collagen. The collagen is mainly extracted from cows, but because it is made from a natural animal product, there is a greater risk of an allergic reaction. The collagen is also not very long lasting. Nowadays there are synthetic collagen fillers available which go some way to reducing the risk of an allergic reaction, but they are also not very long lasting.
Autologous Wrinkle Fillers
Fat is the most popular filler in this category, and more often than not it is fat from your own body that is used in this class of wrinkle fillers. This treatment requires two distinct procedures. The fat is first extracted, then treated, and then injected as a wrinkle filler. The treatment is semi-permanent.
Points to Ponder
- Don’t go for the cheapest. Don’t risk taking a chance with your face for the sake of a bargain.
- Treatments should be done in a sterile medical environment, not in homes and hotels.
- Know what filler is being used and where it comes from. Industrial silicone and baby oil have been found in fillers.
- Protect your face with sunscreen to preserve the filler.
Fillers are a simpler, more cost-effective alternative to a facelift; and with the advances in modern cosmetic surgery, there is a huge range of fillers from which to choose. Consult a reliable professional as to what would be the best for you.