Different Fillers There are so many different
fillers on the market now, how to choose? There are 4 basic types: hyaluronic acids, poly-L-lactic acid, collagen and hydroxylapatite. Hyaluronic acids are the most widely used and have a tremendous amount of experience worldwide with no serious adverse events reported. Restylane was the first on the market and is still the leader in the US, and an important mainstay of our practice. It is a great all around filler and can be used in almost all areas. Juvederm was the next big hyaluronic acid filler to hit the market. The similarities between Restylane and Juvederm are much greater than the differences, in my opinion. Perlane has finally been FDA approved and adds a dimension to what we can offer you. It is a thicker filler and great for under eyes, nasolabial folds, marionette lines, lips and cheek augmentation as it provides tremendous volume and more longevity (usually 9-15 months). However, it isn’t good for areas of superficial wrinkles. Poly-L-lactic acid, Sculptra, is wonderful for overall volume loss and sagging, as well as the typical areas for fillers. These
fillers provide a liquid lift (when achieved with hyaluronic acid, it may require more product) which can last as long as three years! Finally, hydroxylapatite, Radiesse, is also a robust filler for similar areas that Perlane is good for and similar longevity (however this filler should not be used in lips). Of course you don’t really have to know the differences as we will recommend what we think will be best for you at your consultation visit, but with so much press out there, many people want to understand the differences.
Pearl In May, we added the Pearl to our practice. This treatment device improves facial sun damage and aging changes (such as brown spots, mild wrinkles, etc) by gently removing the top layer of skin, much like our previous erbium laser peels. The Pearl treatments, however, require no post treatment topical bandages and result in faster healing time. With only 3-7days of redness and flaking, patients feel comfortable going about their activities with makeup by the third day post treatment. Still the only limiting factor for this device is that it cannot be used on very dark skin types. We will continue to use our
Fraxel® SR1500 for those patients with darker skin to produce similar results to the Pearl. So as not to be too confusing, however, the
Fraxel® SR1500 is still our best bet for scarring, abnormal pigment like melasma, and deeper problems in the skin.
Cosmelan® Depigmentation Treatment Cosmelan® Depigmentation Treatment is a safe and effective treatment peel that lightens hyper (dark) pigmentation associated with melasma. In addition, it brightens and smoothes the skin surface. It works by inhibiting tyrosinase, an enzyme that produces melanin. This treatment is safe for all skin types and can be used all year round. After the in-office treatment, an at home regimen will continue to improve the results.
VelaFirme VelaSmooth™ is an FDA approved medical device used to treat cellulite and contour body areas.
ReFirme™ST is an FDA approved medical device used to tighten lax skin tissue and sculpt the skin. The combination of these treatment therapies, resulting in the VelaFirme™ allows for overall skin tightening and contouring, while reducing the appearance of cellulite. The
VelaSmooth™ uses elo–s combination of bi-polar radiofrequency, infrared light, plus negative pressure (vacuum) and tissue manipulation. This combination of infrared and RF energies increase oxygen to the cells by heating the skin. This increases the metabolism of stored energy, there by shrinking the size of the fat chambers. Vacuum and specially designed rollers manipulate and smooth out the skin to facilitate safe and efficient delivery of the energy. Now with a recently developed smaller applicator, the VelaSmooth™ is capable of precisely targeting and treating smaller contoured areas such as the neck and arms or focusing on problem areas of the thighs, buttock, and hips. The ReFirme™ ST uses infrared and bi-polar radiofrequency energy to heat the dermal collagen tissue to cause contraction resulting in tighter skin. Thousands of patients have been treated worldwide with both therapies individually. The VelaFirme, the next wave, is combining the two methods together to yield faster reproducible results in fewer treatments. Contact us now for a consultation on how the VelaFirme can help you!