Dermal Fillers

Dermal fillers can be used for temporary line and wrinkle improvement, or lip, nose or cheek enhancement. They are placed under the surface of your skin to restore the natural contours of your face or lips that were lost with aging, expressions, smoking, or drinking with straws.

Types Available:

There are several dermal fillers available to help with deep lines and wrinkles. They all work in different ways, in different depths and locations.

Hyaluronic Acid Fillers consist of hyaluronic acid, which is a substance humans make that keep their tissues hydrated and juicy. This clear gel can be used in all areas of the face and body. The product brands include Belotero, Juvederm family, Restylane family, Revanesse Versa, RHA Collection (of which we are an exclusive provider in Austin).
Radiesse is calcium hydroxylapatite, which is calcium matrix that is injected that creates a platform on which your body builds its own collagen. This white gel is used in all areas of the face, except lips. It can also be used on other parts of the body. Radiesse, in hyperdilute form, can be used to improve texture in thinning / sagging skin.
Sculptra is Poly-L-Lactic Acid, which stimulates your body to produce its own collagen on the particles. This process takes 6 weeks, and most people can expect 60-70% return from the initial injection. A second or third round of injections occurs six weeks after the previous, and the results can last up to two years, depending on how much collagen is produced. Sculptra is most commonly used to rebuild fallen cheekbones, deflated temples, cheeks, and hands. This can be also used in conjunction with the CO2 laser, Secret RF, and microneedling, as the tiny particles stimulate collagen in the superficial wells created by these technologies. This add-on service is called Sculptra Glow.

Effective Treatment For:

Lifting fallen cheeks
Filling superficial and deep wrinkles
Improving hollow under-eyes
Plumping up lips
Restoring lost volume

What It Does:

Hyaluronic acid (a biodegradable complex sugar) acts like a sponge to draw water to an area and keep it there for months, making that area plump.
Dermal fillers can be used for temporary line and wrinkle removal or lip, nose or cheek enhancement. They are placed under the surface of your skin to restore the natural contours of your face or lips that were lost with aging, expressions, smoking, or drinking with straws.

Where It Can Be Used:

Tear Troughs (undereye circles)
Lips
Cheeks
Nasolabial folds (smile lines connecting the nose to the mouth corners)
Chin
Marionette lines (vertical lines extending down from the corners of the mouth)
Jawline
Nose
Temples
Neck Lines
Bony hands
Hyperdilute Radiesse can also be used to stimulate collagen production to improve texture of crepey skin, like neck and chest, upper arms, hands, abdomen, lower thighs, etc.

What to Expect:

We will discuss the best fillers to use for your specific concerns, tissue texture, and budget, at your Initial Cosmetic Consultation with Dr. Ling. If you arrive early to apply numbing, you will likely receive the dermal filler at the initial visit.

For Best Results and fewest complications, as with most injections…

Avoid aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, e.g. Advil, Vitamin E, ginseng, garlic, and alcoholic beverages 72 hours prior to treatment as they will increase the risk of bruising at the injection site.
Premedication with arnica pills every 6 hours x 2 days can help reduce the chance of bruising.
Avoid rigorous exercise and the above blood-thinning medications and alcohol for the following 24 hours.
Avoid crushing the filler (sleeping on your face, CPAP machines, other crushing activities, ahem) … forever… yes, you read that right…This can degrade the filler, or make it migrate to other parts of your face. Protect your investment.
We still do not have reliable information regarding dermal fillers and the COVID vaccine, but some people do develop a delayed inflammatory response to dermal fillers, and possibly neurotoxins, after receiving any vaccine.
Results and longevity of the product are highly dependent on the above pre-treatment precautions and proper aftercare.

Specific Brand Names:

You may recognize the subtypes of the Juvederm family:

Juvederm Ultra / Ultra XC– lasts 6-9 months; without/with lidocaine
Juvederm Ultraplus / Ultraplus XC– lasts 9-12 months; without / with lidocaine. Longest lasting filler for lips
Juvederm Voluma / Voluma XC– lasts up to 1.5 years; used to build up cheeks; without / with lidocaine
Juvederm Vollure – lasts up to 1.25 years; for nasolabial folds and midface
Juvederm Volbella – lasts 6 – 9 months; for fine lines around mouth, and lips

Restylane Family:

Restylane-L and Restylane Defyne (similar to Juvederm XC)
Restylane-Lyft (formerly Perlane; similar to Voluma)
Restylane-Silk and Refyne (similar to Belotero and Volbella).

RHA Collection:

Currently, in the U.S., the Redensity, RHA 2, 3, and 4 forms are available…finest to most robust. These HA’s are touted as the most natural, and move with your face better without looking like a prosthetic.

Revanesse Versa

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