Blog post by Nurse Tawney
Are Dermal Filler Right for You?
We are here to help slow down the process of aging while still aging gracefully. Patients seeking alternatives to surgical procedures include those who require restoration of lost facial volume, those who wish to enhance normal facial features, and those who want to correct facial asymmetry. The major forces contributing to facial aging include gravity, skeletal remodeling, subcutaneous fat redistribution and loss, hormonal imbalance, chronic sun exposure, and smoking. Other environmental factors that affect facial appearance include mental stress, diet, work habits, drug abuse, and disease.
Structural components of facial aging
Aging of the facial bones is not merely the result of bone atrophy but is also due to a change in the relative dynamics of bone expansion and bone loss. There is an appreciable reduction in facial height, changes in the jaw bones, a modest increase in facial width and depth, and the orbits increase in size. These changes are evident by the parenthesis around the nose, a depleted or heavy cheek, loss of support of the upper lip, which contributes lip lines, and the shape and projection of the chin also change with age. Most people will reach their peak bone mass between the ages of 25 and 30. By the time we reach age 40, however, we slowly begin to lose bone mass. Dr Folk has said that if you disliked your prominent chin as an adolescent then you may love your chin as an adult as a result of volume loss. I now understand why we break teeth, need braces or develop jaw issues as a maturing adult.
Along with great bone structure a youthful look is characterized by a balanced and diffuse volume of fat. The redistribution and demarcation of fat disrupts this youthful appearance. If you are thin and athletic these changes will be more obvious sooner. Dr Folk often transfers fat from an unwanted area on your body to your face. The best alternative for little downtime and convenience is a dermal filler.
What are dermal fillers and how do they work?
Dermal fillers are used to treat lines and volume depletion created by lost collagen, bone and fat. Our favorite dermal filler is a hyaluronic acid that comes in an injectable gel form.. HA is a complex sugar found naturally in many tissues. These molecules will hold a thousand times its weight in water. Depending on what your goals are a patient may need 1-5 syringes on average. Each syringe equals a fifth of a teaspoon. The different HAs have a different molecular makeup for different indications. They will last on average 6 months to 2 years. We also have an enzyme available to dissolve unwanted filler. I call it the get out of jail card. We also offer other types of filler depending on the appropriate candidate. I can say we choose to use a HA all day/every day. It is our go to tool in our box.
Here at Folk plastic surgery our goal is to bring out the beauty in YOU! Fillers can help reduce the signs of aging by softening lines and depressions, but trying to completely erase these areas of aging is unrealistic, even possible, or advisable as it can create an unnatural appearance.We have a conservative aesthetic eye and believe less is more. We can always revisit and add to our work of art. Our goal is for your beauty to shine and not be distracted by big cheeks or lips unless they are yours of course!