These days, everywhere you look - Instagram, Tiktok, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook-- someone is being injected with fillers.  Injectable filler treatments are one of the MOST popular cosmetic procedures in the United States and worldwide - millions of injections.  So what's what in filler treatments?

First things first-- fillers are a medical procedure.  The face is chock full of blood vessels.  Accidentally injecting a filler into a blood vessel can cause skin necrosis (death) and scarring, blindness, or stroke.  The highest risk areas for this to happen are injections between the eyebrows, the nose, and the commonly injected naso-labial folds.  Therefore, it's crucial to have these injections done by a board certified physician who trained in the anatomy of the face - such as a dermatologist or plastic surgeon with cosmetic experience.  Additionally, the physician will know how to treat and manage a complication should one occur.  So no injections by non-medical professionals.  

Secondly- not all fillers are created equally.  Fillers vary by what they are made of, their "firmness," their duration, and their lifting ability.  At Premier Dermatology, MD, Dr. Bilu Martin injects a variety of fillers daily.

Hyaluronic acid (HA):

HA is a sugar molecule that is naturally found in our skin.  At pdmd, we carry FDA approved HA fillers from four companies: Allergan, Galderma, Revance and Revanesse.  The Allergan fillers are: Juvederm Voluma, Juvederm Ultra Plus, and Juvederm Ultra.  Voluma is a thicker, firmer filler that works well for lifting the cheeks, contouring the jawline, and enhancing the chin.  Juvederm Ultra and Ultra Plus are great for lips, nasolabial folds, and marionette lines.  The Galderma fillers are the Restylane family: Contour, Defyne, Refyne, Kysse, Lyft, and Restylane-L.  Lyft, Contour and Defyne are thicker and better suited for the mid face, chin, jawline, and marionette lines.  Restylane-L and Refyne work well for tear troughs and lips.  The Revance family consist of the RHA fillers (RHA 2,3,4).  RHA 2,3 are nice in the lower face, especially around the mouth.  RHA 4 is stiffer and better suited for the midface and cheeks.  Finally, the newest HA fillers at pdmd are Versa+ and Versa lips by Revanesse.  These are soft fillers that result in a natural look.  Dr. Bilu Martin will assess which HA fillers to use based on what areas of the face a being treated.

Poly-L-Lactic acid (PLLA):

Sculptra, made by Galderma, is a biostimulatory filler that consists of PLLA.  Unlike the HA fillers, where the gel is physically lifting the skin or replacing lost volume, PLLA stimulates the body to produce collagen.  PLLA is injected in sessions, 2-3 sessions about 6 weeks apart.  Dr. Bilu Martin uses Sculptra to replace volume loss in the temples, cheeks, and jawline. 

When fillers are injected properly, they result in a beautiful, refreshed appearance.  To see which fillers are right for you, schedule your consultation with Dr. Bilu Martin at 305-521-8971.