Dermal Fillers are injectable gels that are hyaluronic acid based and are used to help replace volume loss, decrease wrinkles, and produce definition and fullness to the face.

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Dermal fillers have come a long way in the last number of years. Bovine collagen was the original filler that was in use in the 1980’s. It was limited in that it had a short duration of effectiveness, and there were complications with allergic reactions. Thankfully in 2003, the introduction of hyaluronic acid changed the dermal filler industry. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring polysaccharide that is found in connective tissue. The HA’s that are currently in use are synthetically made with no animal by product. Once injected the HA will remain in place and eventually dissolve as your body breaks it down.

Most of the HA’s that I used have lidocaine premixed into them. This will help with the pain of injections. When injecting a very sensitive area such as the lips, I will use a topical anesthetic before hand to help with discomfort that is associated with injection. Afterwards, I recommend applying ice to the area that was treated to help decrease the swelling and pain. There may be bruising noted at the site of injection post procedure. This will resolve itself within a few days.