Dermal fillers are incredibly popular choices for customers who don’t want to get invasive cosmetic treatments but want long-lasting results. Getting a handful of injections in a half-hour appointment is easier and much safer than signing up for a surgical procedure. If you want to find out more about dermal fillers, read ahead to see what they are and what clients use them for.

Dermal fillers are substances injected under the skin to provide volume and support. The most common dermal fillers are made with hyaluronic acid, although there are options that use poly-L lactic acid, calcium hydroxyapatite or silicone. The non-invasive treatments are for cosmetic purposes, used by clients who want areas of their face to appear fuller, younger or more pronounced.

Botox injections are not dermal fillers — they are neuromodulators. A Botox injection blocks chemical signals from nerves that tell muscles to contract. The relaxed muscles cause the skin to have a smoother appearance, particularly when it comes to dynamic wrinkles. Think of crow’s feet around the eyes, forehead creases and frown lines. Since these lines become more pronounced as people age, Botox injections can make the client look younger.

Botox injections are offered at Baywood Laser & Cosmetic Clinic to smooth wrinkles and tackle medical conditions like eye twitches, lazy eye, migraines and hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating). The clinic also offers a variety of dermal fillers.

What Do They Do?

One of the top reasons to get dermal fillers is to give cheeks more volume and definition. When people age, they lose fat in their face. This change is very noticeable in the cheeks, which can look deflated, sunken or hollowed out. A round of dermal fillers can give sunken cheeks more volume to make the face look fuller and younger. They can also add definition and curvature to the cheeks, so they stand out at any angle.

Another popular use of dermal fillers is for lip injections — this can correct an asymmetrical lip or plump up lips that clients feel are too thin or deflated. Considering how many celebrities and Instagram influencers have added volume to their lips, it’s easy to see why so many people want to get theirs done.

Clients are sometimes wary about getting lip injections because they’ve seen cases where someone’s lips look unnatural or downright unpleasant. One of the important facts about fillers that you should know is that this result is completely avoidable — this is what happens when the person’s lips are overdone. The permanent pout known as duck face or duck lips isn’t a normal result of the procedure. The strange look comes from overfilling the area.

The professionals at Baywood Clinic don’t encourage clients to push their physical limits. They balance out the injections. This way, the finished lips will be flattering to the face and look naturally full.

Here are some other cosmetic treatments that dermal fillers can accomplish:

• Define jawlines
• Complete non-surgical nose jobs
• Do liquid face-lifts
• Fix sunken scars
• Fill in deep undereye circles
• Add volume to hands

Juvéderm

The most popular dermal filler offered to clients is Juvéderm. It’s a hyaluronic acid gel that is renowned for providing nine months to a year of visible results. The acid retains water at the injection site, which makes the skin look fuller and smoother than before. The effects are long-lasting, but not permanent. After the 9 to 12 months is up, a client will need to get a smaller number of injections to maintain the desired look.

There is a range of Juvéderm products that are designed to target specific areas of the face or to give certain results:

If you’re thinking of getting Juvéderm treatments in downtown Toronto in the near future, you should book a consultation with one of our trained physicians. They discuss important information like what preparations you should take before your appointment, when you will see results and how to practice good aftercare once the appointment is over.

What Are Other Types of Fillers?

Juvéderm isn’t the only dermal filler that Baywood Clinic has available. Sculptra Aesthetic and Restylane are two other filler injections that are readily available for your cosmetic needs.

Sculptra Aesthetic

The filler Sculptra Aesthetic is an injectable poly-L lactic acid that stimulates the body’s natural collagen production. Collagen is the protein that creates the firmness, fullness and elasticity in the skin. Essentially, it makes your skin look young and fresh. As people age, they produce less collagen. Smoking and sun damage can also reduce your body’s production of the protein. 

Restylane

Restylane is a hyaluronic acid filler that has similar uses to Juvéderm. It can be used to fill in cheeks, replenish dark circles, smooth nasolabial folds, fill in marionette lines, plump lips and treat hands. One benefit of Juvéderm in comparison to Restylane is that the timeline of the results is much more consistent. Restylane results can last anywhere between 6 to 18 months.

When Should You Avoid Dermal Fillers? 

While dermal fillers are generally safe, some people should avoid the treatment. If you have a history of severe allergic reactions to multiple substances including lidocaine and Gram-positive bacterial proteins, you should not get Juvéderm injections. In this case, there is potential for an allergic reaction like anaphylactic shock. Don’t risk hospitalization for a cosmetic procedure.

You should avoid the procedure if you have a weak or compromised immune system. Ignoring these qualifications puts your health and safety at risk and raises your chances of getting an infection.

Some circumstances will temporarily disqualify you from getting fillers, but you can always schedule the treatment another time. One example of this is to avoid getting dermal fillers when you have a dental appointment booked soon after. Your time in the dentist’s chair could shift the recently-injected filler and skew your results. Either reschedule the dermal filler appointment or your dental cleaning.

You should postpone the treatment if you have a skin condition like cystic acne or hives covering the injection sites. You can move the appointment when it clears up. If the issue is chronic, visit Baywood Clinic to see how laser therapy can treat skin problems like acne and rosacea.

Other temporary circumstances that mean you should avoid fillers:

• Pregnancy
• Breastfeeding
• Sinus infections

If you’re still not 100% sure whether you want to commit to dermal fillers, send us an email or book a consultation to talk about the treatment. Our specialists can answer any question you have about the products, the procedure, the aftercare and more. You can get all the information that you need so you can book an appointment without any anxiety whatsoever.