What Are Dermal Fillers?
In the last ten years, there has been tremendous growth in the use of dermal fillers for cosmetic purposes. Hyaluronic acid (HA) based fillers are the most commonly used type of dermal filler worldwide.
At Gulf Coast Plastic Surgery and The Skin Care Center at Gulf Coast Plastic Surgery, we access all the dermal fillers available in the United States. Common brands of hyaluronic acid fillers include the Juvederm® Collection of fillers, which include Juvederm® XC, Juvederm® Ultra, Volbella, Vollure. Restylane® and Belotero are also hyaluronic acid-based fillers. Fillers such as Radiesse® (which is made of calcium hydroxylapatite) and Sculptra (a polyactic acid-based filler) are frequently used to enhance the cheeks and other facial contours.
What is Juvederm®?
Juvederm® is a collection of fillers that include five different products. Whether you want to plump your lips, smooth lines, or lift and contour cheeks, there is a Juvederm® product designed for that. Juvederm® Voluma is for cheeks, Juvederm® XC and Vollure are for lines, and Juvederm® VolbellaXC and Juvederm® Ultra XC are for lips.
All the Juvederm® fillers have a hyaluronic acid base. We primarily use Juvederm® to treat nasolabial folds, marionette lines, and jowls. Juvederm® is also a good filler for lip augmentation.
What is Restylane Silk®?
Restylane Silk® is a lower viscosity HA filler that has many applications. Restylane Silk® is very useful for filling fine wrinkles around the eyes and lips, as well as treating the tear trough area under the eyes. When injecting Restylane Silk®, your provider may use small disposable cannulas. These cannulas are not larger than the standard needles packaged with Restylane Silk®; however, they and many other plastic surgeons have found that injecting Restylane Silk® with cannulas is safer and causes less bruising because the dull cannula tip is less likely to enter or cut small blood vessels.
Frequently Asked Questions
What to Expect from Your Juvederm® Injections
HA filler injections are done in the office and take less than an hour to perform. Results last anywhere from 4-12 months with most people being satisfied with the results for 9-12 months. Some patients may experience swelling, bruising and mild redness after filler injection so it is a good idea to schedule filler injections at least a week before any major events.
How is the procedure performed and how long does it last?
When injecting Juvederm®, Dr. Leveque, Dr. Patterson, & Dr. Butler may use small disposable cannulas. These cannulas are not larger than the standard needles packaged with Juvederm®; however, they and many other plastic surgeons have found that injecting Juvederm® with cannulas is safer and causes less bruising because the dull cannula tip is less likely to enter or cut small blood vessels.
If you have a history of cold sores, your plastic surgeon will place you on prophylactic Valtrex® a few days prior to having any injections around your mouth. This will help prevent cold sore (Herpes simplex) eruptions after filler injections.
What is Restylane Silk®?
Restylane Silk® is a lower viscosity HA filler that has many applications. Restylane Silk® is very useful for filling fine wrinkles around the eyes and lips, as well as treating the tear trough area under the eyes. When injecting Restylane Silk®, Drs. Leveque, Butler, & Patterson may use small disposable cannulas. These cannulas are not larger than the standard needles packaged with Restylane Silk®; however, they and many other plastic surgeons have found that injecting Restylane Silk® with cannulas is safer and causes less bruising because the dull cannula tip is less likely to enter or cut small blood vessels.
Are there any risks?
Though rare, there are reported cases of blindness while injecting fillers around the eyes. These cases of blindness were thought to be caused by the injection of filler inside the lumen of an artery under high enough pressure that the filler material “backed up” into the arterial tree behind the eye – then with the next heartbeat, the filler was pushed forward into the artery that supplies the retina, blocking it and subsequently causing a “stroke” of the retina. Since this is a very serious concern, Drs. Butler, Patterson & Leveque do many things when injecting around the eye to further reduce the risk of this rare complication. Some of these preventive measures include: understanding the vascular anatomy of the face, using blunt cannulas which are less likely to enter vessels, injecting very slowly using low pressures, and injecting a small amount of epinephrine before the procedure to cause the blood vessels in the area to temporarily constrict (clamp down), and applying ice to the area prior to injecting filler which also causes the blood vessels in the area to temporarily constrict (clamp down).
Related Procedures
Botox®
Ultherapy
Kybella
The Vampire™ Facelift
Before & After Gallery
Procedures are performed by board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons, Dr. Butler, Dr. Leveque, and Dr. Patterson in Pensacola, FL.
Meet Our Team
At Gulf Coast Plastic Surgery, we understand that the selection of a plastic surgeon is an extremely important decision for any prospective patient. We believe communication, education and individualized patient care are the foundation for creating a strong and trusting patient-physician relationship. Our entire staff is absolutely committed to providing compassionate, personalized, individual attention before, during, and after surgery. We work together to deliver the best possible aesthetic outcomes in a setting that embodies the standards and lifestyle you seek.
We Accept Financing
Gulf Coast Plastic Surgery offers a variety of payment options so that your cosmetic surgery will suit your budget. All major credit cards are accepted, and financing plans are available.