Restylane^® / Juvederm^®....others

These fillers are long-lasting and crystal-clear gels for filling and smoothing facial wrinkles, facial folds, and augmenting the lips. The hyaluronic acid in these fillers is almost identical to that naturally found in the body and only very slightly modified. They are therefore completely biologically degradable. The product is also naturally integrated into the tissue, thus allowing important nutritive agents to pass freely through the material and cells to pass between fragments of the gel.

Details: Juvederm^®, Restylane^® and others are innovations based on non-animal hyaluronic acid, manufactured by various methods. They are administered in small doses by intradermal injection directly into facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds (the folds running from the sides of the bottom of the nose to the outer corners of the mouth), temporarily filling and augmenting the treated area.

Procedure: Fillers are injected into the dermis and provide volume where the concentration of the body’s own collagen has decreased. The results can be seen immediately and no scars or other marks are left on the face. Even though the treated area may swell somewhat and be red for up to one day afterwards, it is quite possible to meet other people and work as normal. Each of these fillers have varying lengths of effect - from 9-12 months in general.

Length: The treatment takes from 15 to 30 minutes and the result is prompt.

Side-Effects/Risks: Reactions are very uncommon, but about 1 in 2000 persons have experienced transient swelling, redness and tenderness at or near the treatment site(s) up to several weeks after treatment. For further details concerning your specific treatment, please consult the doctor.

Recovery: Immediately after the treatment the treated area can be slightly swollen and red. This is a normal result of the injection, and it generally goes away in 72 hours.

Results: How long the effect of filler treatment lasts is very individual. It depends on many factors, such as the structure of the skin, lifestyle and age as well as on the degree of perfection desired by the individual. However, we know that for the majority of the patients treated about 80% of the effect remains after 6 months with some of the fillers, and with others up to 1 year. Most people choose to have a touch up done within a year of the original treatment. Clinical studies show that these fillers can offer a high degree of patient satisfaction even up to one year after treatment.

The great thing about fillers is that you can replenish your natural beauty whenever you feel the need. A touch up can be performed any time you like after the previous treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. WHAT IS JUVEDERM^® / RESTYLANE^® ?
A. They are gels that are injected under the skin in order to add volume and lift up the lips, wrinkles and folds. They consist of hyaluronic acid, which is a natural substance already present in the skin. Once in the skin, they work together with the body´s own hyaluronic acid and join forces to create volume.

Q. WHAT IS HYALURONIC ACID?
A. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring, biodegradable complex sugar found in the human body and in all living organisms.  Among other things, hyaluronic acid hydrates the skin and adds volume, contributing to the overall appearance of the skin.  The ability of cells to produce hyaluronic acid diminishes with age, often resulting in the formation of facial wrinkles and folds as the skin loses volume.

Q. HOW ARE THEY PRODUCED?
A. The hyaluronic acid in Juvederm^® and Restylane^® are, in contrast to other similar substances, not produced from animals. This means no risk for adverse events.

Q. WHICH AREAS CAN BE TREATED?
A. Multiple areas of the body may be corrected with fillers: creases, wrinkles, and depressions in facial skin, including laugh lines, smile lines, facial wrinkles, lip creases, crow's feet, and acne scars. It can also be used to treat areas of the neck, back, and chest, or to create plumper cheeks or lips. The most common areas are the nasolabial folds (from the root of the nose to the angle of the mouth) and augmentation of the lips. Very deep wrinkles may require several sessions/syringes to correct.

Q. WHICH RESULT CAN BE OBTAINED FROM A LIP-TREATMENT?
A. The vermilion border can be accentuated and the lips can be given more volume.

Q. WHAT IS A TREATMENT LIKE?
A. A treatment is a very easy and quick process, it is injected with a very thin needle under the skin. Since no skin testing is needed, the treatment can be performed immediately - it takes about 15 minutes. The initial result is instantaneous, however the material draws water from surrounding tissue into it and some increase in correction continues over the next 24-48 hours. For this reason we try to under-correct a bit to allow for this phenomenon and a touch-up treatment may be the best way to achieve the final result you desire.

Q. DO THE INJECTIONS HURT?
A. This is a very individual issue depending on how pain sensitive you are. Dr. Rohde recommends either a simple nerve block or topical anesthesia to ensure a comfortable experience, and most individuals may wish to have a local nerve block done for their lip treatment, which can be uncomfortable for some depending on their tolerance of discomfort.

Q. CAN THE MATERIAL BE REMOVED?
A. No, but since they are a natural material they dissolve with time.

Q. IS IT DANGEROUS?
A. These are all safe products. Since hyaluronic acid is naturally present in the body, the skin does not react to the material. With hundreds of thousands people treated worldwide to date, only a very small number of reactions have been reported. These reactions may consist of prolonged but temporary redness, swelling, itching or tenderness. Most have lasted for a couple of weeks.

Q. HOW WILL MY SKIN LOOK AFTER THE TREATMENT ?
A. Immediately after the treatment, there may be slight redness, swelling, tenderness or an itching sensation at the treated area. Some people may also have some bruising - these are all normal and expected side effects of the injection itself. These generally subside in 72 hours. After a lip treatment, the lips may get swollen and look somewhat uneven. This can persist from several days up to a week.

Q. HOW WILL MY SKIN LOOK WITHOUT "TOUCHUP" TREATMENTS?
A. The correction will gradually disappear until your skin looks like it did before the treatment. Filler injections are absorbed by the body more quickly in areas with greater muscle movement therefore touch up injections will help you maintain your correction.