You’re starting to notice fine lines and wrinkles creeping across your face, maybe combined with a deep crease or two and cheeks that are starting to hollow. The visible signs of aging may not be the image your younger-feeling self wants to portray.
Fortunately, there are a variety of injectable treatment options available to give you the appearance you want. But which one is right for you?
At Eterna Vein & Medical Aesthetics in Puyallup, Washington, our expert team of aestheticians can determine the right combination of injectables to make you look and feel your best. From Botox® and Dysport® to a range of dermal fillers, we’ve got you covered.
Botox and Dysport for wrinkle treatment
Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) and its close cousin Dysport are injectable drugs made from purified botulinum toxin, the toxin that causes food poisoning. Highly diluted and administered by a trained professional, though, they’re safe to use. The FDA approved their cosmetic use in 2002 and 2009, respectively, specifically for treating glabellar lines (brow furrows) in adults 65 years and younger.
Botox and Dysport are used to treat dynamic wrinkles, those caused by muscle contractions. Whenever you make a facial expression, the underlying muscles contract, pulling on the skin above them. After years of repeated expressions, the skin begins to furrow, creating fine lines and wrinkles.
The two injectables temporarily prevent nerves from signaling the muscles to contract, so your face relaxes and the wrinkles disappear. You’ll still be able to smile and frown, and you’ll look completely like yourself, just more relaxed.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAOS) indicates most people see noticeable results within a few days to a week after the treatment. There are only minimal side effects, which resolve quickly, and the results last approximately 3-4 months. After that, you can schedule another treatment session to keep your more youthful appearance going.
One thing neither Botox nor Dysport can treat is the fine lines caused by collagen depletion. That’s the realm of the dermal fillers.
Dermal fillers for wrinkle treatment
Dermal fillers are formulated to treat wrinkles, folds, and sags that come from collagen breakdown or depletion. As you age, your body stops producing as much of this structural protein that gives strength and resilience to your skin. UV light and environmental toxins also affect collagen levels.
Dermal fillers are ideal for cheeks, lips, and hands that lose their volume with age. Each product line contains individual formulations used to treat particular areas.
Three products we use extensively are hyaluronic acid (HA)-containing Juvéderm® Voluma™ XC, Restylane®, and Radiesse®. HA occurs naturally in your body and is responsible for hydrating your skin. In fact, about half of your body’s HA is found in your skin. The gel-like substance binds to water to keep skin soft and supple.
We lose HA, though, for the same two reasons we lose collagen: the aging process and exposure to environmental aggressors like UV light, pollution, and tobacco smoke. The result is sags, hollows, and loss of tissue volume. We address these problems with dermal fillers.
Juvéderm Voluma XC is a gel that corrects age-related volume loss deep in the cheeks. It also works to augment the chin region to improve your profile.
Other Juvéderm products include Juvéderm Vollure XC and Juvéderm XC that correct moderate-to-severe facial wrinkles and folds, including nasolabial folds (creases from the corner of your nose to the corner of your mouth). Juvéderm Volbella™ XC augments lips and corrects perioral lines. All Juvéderm products are designed expressly for adults over 21.
Restylane products also smooth away facial wrinkles and folds. Restylane Lyft, Restylane Refyne, and Restylane Defyne provide subtle lip enhancement; Restylane Silk lifts and volumizes the cheek area; Restylane Silk smooths lines around the mouth; and Restylane Lyft reverses volume loss on the back of the hands.
Radiesse is another type of filler, a semi-permanent gel made from calcium hydroxylapatite that increases soft tissue and stimulates your body to produce more collagen.
Radiesse and Radiesse (+) smooth moderate-to-severe facial wrinkles and nasolabial folds. They also add volume to the back of the hands.
If you’re still not sure which injectable you need, or if you’re ready for a treatment, call Eterna Vein & Medical Aesthetics at 253-268-3400 to schedule an appointment with one of our aestheticians.