Injectable Fillers Can Be Less Costly Then Surgery - By: Dave Stringham

Injectable fillers have become one of the hottest and most popular products in the cosmetic surgery world. These products are used to treat facial wrinkles and thin lips and their popularity has grown exponentially.

Millions of people, worldwide, have successfully used these products under the care of their physician. The results can be seen immediately and there is little, if no down time. People can return to their daily routine and work schedule right after treatment.

Hyalform is the generic term for the injectable fillers made from the natural substance, Hyaluronic Acid. Hyaluronic Acid, also known as Hyaluronan, is found in nearly all of the body's tissues such as skin, cartilage and bone.

The product is a gel-like substance that fills the space between the Collagen and elastic fibers that are the body's essential building blocks. Hyaluronic Acid is a water-loving substance that draws water to it, binds the water and then expands to fill the space it occupies.

Even as it breaks down it continues to bind water and expand, thus accounting for it's long-lasting characteristic. Its function is to hydrate tissues such as the skin, fill or plump the tissues to give fullness and volume, and offer a cushioning effect.

Hylaforms are synthesized by using a safe process that incorporates the use of safe bacteria to produce the needed quantities of Hyaluronic Acid. Hyaluronan contains no proteins, thus minimizing the risk of transmitting any illnesses or causing allergic reactions.

The Hylaforms are one of the most studied skin filler material and numerous research reports have been published in the medical literature. It has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds.

The Hylaforms are injected into the dermis of the skin, directly under the wrinkle or fold requiring treatment. It provides added volume to the treated area of skin and plumps or balloons the skin from the inside out to erase the wrinkle.

Generally, no anesthetic is given prior to treatment, however surgeons can offer you the option of applying a topical or injectable local anesthetic. Plastic Surgeons can usually perform the entire process in about 15 minutes.

The most common areas treated are the laugh lines around the mouth called the nasolabial folds, the lines that extend down from the corners of the mouth called the marionette lines, the lines in the forehead especially between the eyebrows and the fine lines around the lips. Lip Augmentation can also be performed with these products. The beneficial effect from the hylaforms typically lasts from 3 to 6 months.

Hylaform injectable gels are made by several different companies under a variety of trade names such as restylane, juvaderm and captique. All are similar, in that they are a cross-linked hyaluronic acid made by similar techniques.

Restylane is perhaps the best known of all the hylaforms. It is produced by medicis aesthetics corporation and has been used on several million patients. A similar product made by the same company, called perlane, is purported to contain slightly larger molecules of hyaluronan allowing it to last longer.

Juvederm is a similar hyaluronic acid product that is made by a company called allergan. Allergan is the same company that makes botox.

Captique is another popular version of the hylaform injectable gel. Inamed, the same company that makes the popular line of breast augmentation implants, makes captique. Captique is known to be slightly softer and more pliable than the other products.

The hylaforms are generally thought to be safe. Since they contain no proteins, there is very little risk of an allergic reaction. Therefore no skin test is required prior to their first use. There is no waiting period prior to the start of treatment. The safety of the hylaforms has been well documented, however, like all medical products, there can be some risks associated with their use. The risks include swelling, redness, pain, bruising, tenderness, and red or small raised bumps. These side effects usually resolve in a week or less.

Restylane, juvaderm and captique can all be used in conjunction with other plastic Surgical procedures such as a facelift, forehead/brow lift, laser eyelid surgery, rhinoplasty,and with facial implants.

Collagen is the natural protein building blocks of the body. All of the body's organs and tissues are made with collagen fibers. It gives the body its strength and structure. Collagen was the first of the injectable fillers for facial lines and folds and was first introduced to the public in the late 1980's. The injectable version is bovine derived and puffs out lines and lips from the inside by acting as structural filler to the skin.

Collagen can be injected into almost any location on the face where wrinkles occur. Most commonly, it is used to fill the nasolabial folds, smile lines, laugh lines and lines of the forehead. It has also been very popular for Lip Augmentation.

Since collagen is a protein, there is a small risk of an allergic reaction. Therefore, a skin test is required for all patients who are considering collagen injections. This will help to screen out those who are amongst the 3% of the population that are allergic to collagen. Surgeons recommends that each patient undergo 2 skin tests over a 6-week period. It usually only takes about 15 minutes for a collagen treatment and the benefits typically last for 2 to 4 months.

Botox is very different from the other products described above. It is not a filler. Most lines and wrinkles of the face are caused by the contraction of the facial muscles that are under the skin. As the muscle contracts, it causes a crease to form in the skin. When this is repeated over many years, a permanent wrinkle develops. Botox works by paralyzing the muscle under the fold, allowing the skin to smooth out.

Botox is injected in very small quantities, most commonly to the forehead and crow's feet regions. The procedure is virtually painless, takes only a few minutes and the benefits typically last for 3 to 6 months.

About the Author

Dave Stringham, the President of LookingYourBest.com writes about plastic surgery in Beverly Hills, California and cosmetic surgery procedures such as beverly hills injectable fillers , rhinoplasty, tummy tuck, facelift, liposuction, and arm lift.

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