Facial Fillers and Injectables
In the face, round and smooth contours are a sign of health and vitality. As we age, we experience a loss of facial volume, sagging tissues, thinning lips and the development of lines or deep creases. Facial injectables include many products and medicines in the cosmetic industry that are strategically placed in the soft tissues of the face to either delay, camouflage or reverse the signs of aging. Examples of facial injectables include: Botox and other neuromuscular relaxants, facial fillers such as Juvederm, Juvederm Volbella, Juvederm Vollure XC, Voluma, and Kybella to get rid of fat under the chin. Using the most advanced techniques and an experienced facial plastic surgeon, facial injectables, like Jeuveau, can restore fullness and vitality to the face without the time and associated risks of surgery. While cosmetic injectables do not stop the aging process, they can delay the desire for more invasive procedures, such as a facelift, brow lift or blepharoplasty.
Dr. Stong is exceptionally skilled and experienced when it comes to non-surgical cosmetic procedures. He administers facial injectables in a simple office visit using the latest bruise-free injection techniques. Patients can enjoy the least amount of swelling and bruising possible along with minimal to no downtime. Most patients return back to their daily routines (such as work and personal activities) immediately.
Facial Injectables From an Experienced Plastic Surgeon
To learn more about the facial injectables offered at Kalos Facial Plastic Surgery, LLC, please contact us today. We welcome the opportunity to explain Dr. Stong’s advanced bruise free injection technique and help you determine which injectable product will help you achieve the most natural, rejuvenated and youthful appearance possible.
We provide bruise-free injections from all over the Metro Atlanta area including:
- Alpharetta
- Brookhaven
- Cumming
- Decatur
- Dunwoody
- Johns Creek
- Marietta
- Peachtree City
- Roswell
- Sandy Springs
- Virginia Highlands
Facial Injectables FAQs
- What are facial injectables?
- Broadly speaking, facial injectables encompass a variety of medications and products including neuro-modulators, facial fillers, and Kybella. Each category of injectables works in specific ways when it comes to reversing the signs of facial aging, such as volume loss and wrinkle formation. A skilled and experienced plastic surgeon who understands the delicate facial anatomy of muscles, soft tissues, nerves and skin is best equipped to place injectables in a way that addresses each patient’s unique aging concerns.
Facial injectables are an ideal solution for patients who do not want to or are not yet ready to undergo facial plastic surgery. Unlike a facelift procedure, however, facial injectables do not produce long-term results. How long your injectable treatment lasts depends on your unique needs, the type of product that is used and the surgeon who placed them. A facial filler or neuro-modulator that worked for one patient may not be the most effective product for another patient.
- What is a neuro-modulator?
- Neuro-modulators, such as Botox, provide an excellent way to reduce or eliminate wrinkles and frown lines in the forehead, eyes, and glabella. These lines or wrinkles develop from activity of the underlying facial muscles. Medications, such as Botox or Dysport, weaken the muscles and prevent them from contracting and forming unwanted lines and wrinkles.
Dr. Stong offers the following neuro-modulators:
- What are facial fillers?
- Facial fillers are used to add volume to the face, soften wrinkles and folds and restore fullness to tissues that appear underinflated or are naturally small.
Facial fillers can be used for a variety of purposes, including the following:
- Soften nasolabial folds (facial creases between the nose and mouth)
- Improve marionette lines (lines or wrinkles that extend from the outer corners of the mouth down toward the chin)
- Plump thin lips
- Restore fuller cheeks
- Improve the appearance of jowls and the jawline
- Fill in hollowed temples
Dr. Stong offers a variety of facial fillers, including Belotero, Juvederm, Radiesse, Restylane, Restylane® Kysse, Sculptra and Voluma. He carries deep knowledge in each brand of facial filler and can recommend a facial filler type or combination that brings patients the most ideal results.
- What is Kybella?
- Kybella is a unique facial injectable used to reduce or eliminate a double-chin appearance. Kybella is a safe and proven treatment for patients who have moderate-to-severe fat below the chin, or submental fat. The Kybella drug is a synthetic version of a bio acid that is naturally produced by the body. When injected into the area below the chin, Kybella eliminates these fat deposits by permanently rupturing the fat cell membranes. Patients can achieve a significant improvement in their double chin through a simple, non-surgical method that requires minimal social downtime.
- What is the difference between facial fillers and facial injectables like Botox?
- While fillers and neuro-modulators (Botox) are both used to improve the facial appearance noninvasively, they work in entirely distinct ways. Botox is a medication that relaxes the facial muscles that cause wrinkles, such as those between the eyebrows. Facial fillers, however, are injected into the facial soft tissues to add volume and soften wrinkles and folds. A trained and knowledgeable plastic surgeon can determine what combination of facial injectables will help the patient achieve their goal of looking better and more youthful.
- What are Bruise Free Injectables?
- Micro-cannulas or blunt-tip cannulas, as opposed to sharp hypodermic needles, have revolutionized the injection of facial fillers. Because the tip of the cannula is blunt and not sharp, it makes the likelihood of piercing a blood vessel, resulting bruising, almost nonexistent. Dr. Stong is one of very few plastic surgeons who use this bruise free injection technique almost exclusively when offering facial filler treatments.
- What are Micro-cannula facial filler injections?
- Micro-cannula techniques are revolutionizing the way patients receive filler injections. Improved patient comfort, increased safety and better accuracy make it a far superior technique for both patient and physician.
A blunt-tip micro-cannula is a small cylindrical tube with a tip that is not sharp like hypodermic needles. It is designed for subdermal injections of facial fillers like Hyaluronic Acid products. The blunt cannulas are highly advantageous because they are safer, more accurate and cause virtually no bruising when performed correctly. In most cases, they do not require any kind of injected anesthesia or blocks. Micro-cannula injections also offer wider coverage from one entry point. For example, using a single port, Dr. Stong can augment the cheeks, tear troughs, lips, and nasolabial folds with no bruising, minimal swelling, and minimal discomfort for the patient.
- Why do they result in less bruising?
- Because of the rounded or blunt tip used, there is significantly less chance at piercing through blood vessels or muscle, which greatly reduces the chances of hematomas or bruising. The blunt cannula allows blood vessels to be ‘pushed aside’ as the cannula traverses the tissue under the skin instead of piercing the blood vessels like traditional hypodermic needle injections. Micro-cannula injections virtually eliminate the risk of bruising, especially when using filler under eyelids or in the lips, where traditional needle injections frequently result in bruising. Only a few practitioners are experienced and trained in the micro-cannula injection technique.
- Which facial filler is best for me?
- Dr. Stong will take careful consideration of your anatomy, specific aesthetic concerns, and overall treatment goals when determining the best facial filler for you.
No two fillers are the same. They have different properties based on the size of the molecules and the manufacturing process. It is very important to have a trained and knowledgeable aesthetic physician who understands which filler product to use as well as how to place it in the correct planes of the face. Some filler products are indicated for deeper planes of the face, while others work best in more superficial areas.
- How many treatments will I need?
- During your initial consultation, we will establish which facial filler or facial injectable will offer you the most favorable results. The amount of treatment necessary depends on the severity of your folds or wrinkles and or the amount of augmentation desired. Depending on the patient and the areas that need to be treated, it usually takes around 10-20 minutes for each session.
- What is a liquid facelift?
- For a more complete facial rejuvenation without surgery, a liquid facelift can be performed. A liquid facelift often uses a combination of facial injectables. A knowledgeable and skilled plastic surgeon understands which injectables to use, how much and where each injection should be precisely and strategically placed in order to create the most effective, yet natural-looking results.
Botox is commonly used in conjunction with facial filler treatments to create a liquid facelift. Botox can be used to lift certain features of the face, particularly the outer corner of the brows and lips (Chemical Brow Lift and Lip Lift). These non-surgical procedures are frequently requested because they offer similar benefits as various surgical procedures, yet they require much less time and are potentially more budget-friendly.
Although a liquid facelift cannot achieve the same results as facelift surgery, it can be used to replace areas of lost volume or highlight specific structures in the face. The most common facial fillers used are Voluma, Juvederm, Restylane, Scupltra and Radiesse. During a liquid facelift, fillers are often added to the upper cheeks, jawline, and folds around the mouth to simulate the appearance of a more youthful face without a surgical procedure.
- Is there a difference between Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin?
- In general, Botox, (Allergen) Dysport (Medicis), and Xeomin (Merz) are all injectable neuromodulators. Each brand has a slightly different formulation of the same substance, bacterium Clostridium Botulinum, or Botulinum Toxin A. Although they all work the same way (blocking the nerve impulses of the injected muscles to temporarily weaken muscle movements that cause wrinkles), an experienced plastic surgeon realizes and appreciates the subtle differences between these injectables and is able to administer them appropriately and correctly for best results.
Botox and Dysport contain added proteins for protection around the botulinum, which is designed to make the effects last longer. Dysport uses 2.5 to 3 times the amount of comparable Botox doses to achieve the same results and is often injected in less concentrated solutions increasing the risk of migration as well as unintended effects of its administration. It is commonly used by patients who have developed Botox immunity or in larger areas of the face where precise placement is less of a concern.
Xeomin is a purified or “naked” botulinum toxin, without additives. Consequently, there is less theoretical risk for allergic reaction and its effects are reported to have a faster onset then Botox, but do not last quite as long.
These three injectables also vary in the time it takes for results to be seen. It has been reported that Dysport typically takes two to three days for the effects to be noticed, whereas Botox takes seven to ten days and Xeomin takes five to six days.
- Are facial injectables a substitute for surgery?
- Facial injectables are not designed for long-term results or to permanently improve the signs of aging. They bring excellent, but limited, results compared to surgical procedures such as a facelift, cheek lift, brow lift or neck lift. Most patients require repeated facial injectable treatments to maintain their results. However, for patients who want to improve facial aging with a quick, minimally invasive procedure that requires almost no downtime, facial injectables are a preferred alternative to surgery.
- What are the downsides to facial injectables?
- Perhaps the biggest downside to facial injectables is that they are temporary. Allergic reaction and adverse outcomes are extraordinarily uncommon. With haluronic acid fillers such as Juvederm, Voluma, Restylane, and Belotero the product can be dissolved within 24 to 48 hours with small injections of hyaluronidase, making them completely reversible.
