The New Injectables

Injectables are a safe, effective and minimally invasive alternative to facial cosmetic surgery. They give reasonably good results with short recovery time and few after effects. When thoughtfully selected, non-surgical procedures can be valuable tool for enhancing one’s youthful appearance

However, most injectables need to be repeated to maintain their benefits and may prove unsatisfactory if skin laxity is so great that only a surgical procedure will provide significant improvement. Injectables can be a good choice for the person not yet ready for surgery.

Botox®

Botox® is best used in the wrinkles between the eyebrows (glabellar region), the forehead and the “crow’s feet” around the eyes. It works by relaxing the muscles that create these lines and softening the wrinkles. It lasts four to six months and must be repeated to maintain effect.

Fillers

Injections that add volume to the face or fill in the trough of a skin crease have been available for many years. Most of the products in use today last six to nine months; however, there are some in development that hold promise for longer duration.

Collagen has been available for many years, but is largely being replaced by newer and better products. Restylane®, Hylaform, Perlane®, and Juvederm™ are some of the frequently used fillers that are made from hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is found in all living tissues so there is no need to skin test for hypersensitivity. It lasts six to nine months and needs to be reinjected to maintain its fullness. Its primary use is in lips and the creases in the lower face.

Structural Fat Grafting (Lipostructure)

Lipostructure uses your own body’s fat to serve as filler or to restore volume loss. This is a completely biocompatible material. Fat grafting has been around for many years but newer methodologies are making it last longer, perhaps permanently. Unlike other injectables, lipostructure is really a surgical procedure that does involve bruising, swelling, and a somewhat lengthy recovery. It is best used when combined with a face lift or other facial surgery. Fat is harvested from some easily available site, often the abdomen, processed to remove extra fluid and injected into the area to be treated with multiple passages of a small blunt tip needle. Tiny droplets of fat the size of a piece of caviar are deposited one at a time. While it is entirely natural and the fat that “takes” may last a very long time, the amount of fat that “takes” can be highly variable.