Problems with Dermal Fillers
Posted on Tue, Dec 14, 2010
Dr. Stover, my friend recently had a Restylane dermal filler treatment in your office. Her results are great and she said it was a comfortable procedure. I have seen some pretty scary results online though, especially lips that just look too large and unnatural. I want to fill and soften the lines above and below the corners of my mouth. How do you know how much filler is enough but not too much?
Dermal fillers are an easy and immediate way to look years younger.
I am glad your friend had a good experience in my office. I perform injection of facial fillers over a thousand times a year. We try to make sure patients are as comfortable as possible by offering topical numbing gel or cream, local anesthetic blocks, cool packs and nitrous oxide (laughing gas). We also mix lidocaine local anesthetic solution with our fillers. We offer many different types of fillers in my office, including the very popular Restylane. Dermal fillers typically last from 3 to 18 months, depending upon the particular filler used and where in the face it is injected.
What are the things to be aware of before undergoing treatment with facial fillers?
The most common problem with any of the fillers is bruising, especially when having injections to lips or lower eyelids. If it occurs, bruising usually lasts about a week. There is also a possibility of having lumps or bumps. These can usually be eliminated with gentle massage. For Restylane and other fillers in its category, we can inject a solution called hyaluronidase into the bump to dissolve it. It is extremely uncommon to have to resort to this trea
tment though. As you mentioned, another often encountered problem with fillers is lips that look too large. This is almost always patient-dependent, not doctor-dependent – this is the look that these particular patients request.
Best to begin with conservative treatments and not overfill.
When plumping lips or softening lines and grooves of the face, I can accurately gauge the amount of filler needed after discussing with you exactly what you want to achieve. It is more common and certainly preferred to underfill than to overfill. Usually we place 1 to 3 vials of filler (depending upon how many areas are to be treated and how deep the lines or grooves are) then reassess the result after a week or so. The amount of filling or softening is strictly dependent upon the volume of filler used. The more volume you want, the more vials or cc’s of filler we use.
Extra care is taken when treating the lips and lower eyelids.
When injecting to plump the lips and fill the groove below the lower eyelids, it is common to look overfilled for a few days as a result of swelling. Often we fill these areas over 2 sessions to avoid the overfilled/swollen look. All of the fillers tend to lose their effect soonest in the lips as compared to other areas of the face due to the frequent movement of the lips. Fillers tend to last longest in the lower eyelids.
Imagine how you'll look before your procedure.
Our state-of-the-art Vectra 3X surgical imaging system will demonstrate how you will look after your treatment. It provides me with a precise 3D digital image of your face that can be manipulated on the computer screen. The system is easy to use and provides the most accurate and realistic visualization experinece possible. There's no cost to try the simulator, so schedule a consultation today to see the possibilities in store for you.
