What Are Fillers?
A dermal filler is a solution that is injected into the skin to relax the appearance of wrinkles and fill lines. The filler solution is commonly composed of collagen or hyaluronic acid, which is already present in the skin. When injected, the filler smooths and expands the surface of the skin, making it look more youthful. The effect of most fillers is temporary and must be repeated to maintain the look.
What Can Fillers Do For Me?
- Fillers are used to “plump” up thin lips and cheeks, making them look more full and attractive for a period of time.
- Correct moderate-to-severe facial wrinkles and skin folds.
- Increase fullness of lips, cheeks, chin, under-eye hollows, jawline, and back of the hand.
- Correct acne scars on the face
Common Types of Fillers
Greater Des Moines Dermatology offered hyaluronic acid fillers since Restylane ® in 2006. The RHA® Collection developed by TEOXANE arrived in 2020. RHA® represents the greatest advance in hyaluronic acid filler technology. We also offer Radiesse®, Sculptra® & Bellafill®.
RHA® 1 Redensity, 2, 3 & 4 are the most advanced & elegant fillers known as Resilient Hyaluronic Acid. RHA integrates uniformly into the skin better than any other filler on the market. It has the best “stretch” and dynamic strength of all the fillers! The RHA Collection is the most elegant filler for eyelid tissue loss & facial filling. They are the only hyaluronic acid filler that works well under the eyes. Patients typically see less swelling with RHA than nearly all other hyaluronic acid fillers. RHA & Bellafill can be used together for marked tissue loss.
Other less refined fillers include Radiesse® with calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) microspheres suspended in a sodium carboxymethylcellulose gel carrier. This stimulates collagen formation.
Bellafill® is a long term filler for lines & acne scars. The gel is 80% bovine collagen and 20% PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) microspheres. The bovine collagen disappears by month 2 & the PMMA (30–50 microns) stimulates patient collagen! There is low risk of bovine collagen allergy (temporary & treatable).
In-Office Treatment
You don't have to go to a hospital or operating room in order to have a dermal fillers treatment. This is a service that can be completed in-office at Greater Des Moines Dermatology PC in just one or two appointments.
Lasting Results
Patients often report that dermal fillers have lasting results. Temporary collagen fillers can last for up to four months without needing to be refreshed. Hyaluronic acid fillers can last up to 12 months. Other solutions have been developed that can maintain smoother skin for up to five years!
Each filler has different durations of effect: Restylane hyaluronic acid (~ 6 months), RHA 1,2,3,4 hyaluronic acid (~15 months), Radiesse (~2 years), Sculptra (~3 years) and Bellafill PMMA Stimulant (~5 + years).
Deep Tissue Fillers
Deep tissue fillers are fillers designed to fill loss of the deep subcutaneous tissue. These are not used to fill fine lines or the pink part of lips. These are typically used where the deep volume loss has occurred. These currently include: RHA4®, Sculptra ®, Radiesse®, and Bellafill® Bellafill® is unique as it is a biostimulant of your collagen. Bellafill® off label use includes under eye tissue loss/dark circles and for replacing lost volume with aging as well as acne scars.
Liquid Face Lift
If trying to volumize the whole face for marked tissue loss, as a general rule, Bellafill 5 syringes per decade after age 30. This is often referred to as a "liquid face lift" as this can lift the nasolabial fold via placement in the zygoma and preauricular cheek where volume loss is greatest with aging. As we all know, tissue loss begins in the 30s and is ongoing. This is why it may take more syringes to reach correction with aging where tissue and bone loss has occurred.
A 50 year old will see correction/ improvement with a single 5 pack Bellafill but would likely need 10 syringes if trying to get back correction/volume that they had in the 30s. Typically, it is advised to do sessions of 5 syringes at a time maximum. A liquid face lift can occur with RHA and Bellafill. Repeat sessions can be done for further correction in 3 months depending on patient’s desire to speed volumization/add volume. RHA combined with Bellafill will provide more elegance as only RHA has the stretch and dynamic strength features.
Layering RHA4 or RHA3 on top of Bellafill may be the best way to get the deep filling but still maintaining the best stretch, dynamic strength, and elegance of RHA.
