Before and After Face Fillers: What To Expect

Have you ever wondered about facial fillers? It’s possible you may not know what to expect from face fillers. Although they are getting much more common, information about them can be scarce. Since they can be sensitive to your overall health, you need to know all you can about facial fillers before getting them. 

While there are immense benefits of getting facial fillers, you should not do them impulsively. In this article, we expound on the important details of facial fillers. We will discuss what you need to know before and after getting facial fillers in Thornhill. Let’s begin.

What Are Facial Fillers?

Facial fillers are often gel-like, naturally occurring, or synthetic substances. They find use in being injected into the skin at particular folds, tissues, or lines. Commonly, the main aim of getting facial fillers is to reduce the appearance of wrinkles which often come with age.

Materials used as facial fillers

There is a wide variety of materials used as face fillers. Fillers are generally considered medical devices in many countries. This makes them subject to regulations for safety and efficacy by the authorities. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration is responsible for ensuring their safety and effectiveness. Here in Canada, Health Canada is responsible.

One of the most typical materials used as facial fillers is hyaluronic acid. This is a natural substance found in parts of the body like the joints, eyeballs, and skin. Gel-like hyaluronic acid gives the skin a plump and hydrated look when used as a filler. 

Since it is naturally occurring in the body, hyaluronic acid fillers often integrate into the skin’s normal workings. In doing so, they absorb moisture and thus hydrate the surrounding areas. Hyaluronic acid fillers are also peculiar because they are reversible fillers. They can get absorbed by the body, which influences the active time. They last for an average of 6 to 18 months.

Other face fillers in use are poly-L-lactic acid, calcium hydroxylapatite and polymethylmethacrylate. Poly-L-lactic acid is a synthetic, biodegradable polymer that helps to stimulate the body to produce collagen. Calcium hydroxylapatite is thicker than hyaluronic acid, so it is used to fill deeper wrinkles. The calcium in it makes it visible under X-rays and CT scans. Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is often regarded as a permanent filler. FDA-backed reports show it lasting up to 5 years. However, there are also reports of issues with PMMA. 

Why You Should Choose Facial Fillers

What you should expect from facial fillers is simple. You are probably worried about deeply etched lines on your face making you look older. Either that or you have some scars from a previous bout of acne. Facial fillers can help improve the appearance of these skin conditions. 

Besides just working on scars and fine lines, facial filler treatment results are wide-ranging. They are also used to brighten deepened under-eyes, reinflate hands, as well as elevating sunken scars or sharpening jawlines.

Furthermore, you may not have any particular reason for opting for cosmetic relief. If you just want to look a little less ordinary, facial fillers are right for you. Sharper cheekbones, straighter noses or crepey skin in the neck and hands are also reasons for wanting to get a filler.

With the different functions they can serve, there are a variety of ways in which the facial fillers are given. Superficial injections with generally soft fillers is a technique used to hydrate the skin and make it plump. Deep injections of harder fillers shape and increase the volume of the face. Mid-depth injections with fillers of average consistency reduce creases on the face.

Steps to Getting Face Fillers in Thornhill

A topic like getting facial fillers can get confusing. Anyone planning on such a step must take into consideration all the necessary information before forging ahead. In this section is a stepwise guide to getting dermal fillers.

Be convinced of your decision 

When it comes to cosmetic procedures, there is a lot of space for the mind to wander. Least of all because of how the thoughts of other people can easily influence you. There is, however, an all-important rule: you must do you.

This means you must do what works for you. In deciding to get facial fillers, you must be sure you are following what you want. You have to understand you have the right to do whatever you wish to your body.

To convince yourself about your decision to get cosmetic treatment, you must have a few things. Firstly, you must be sure of what to expect from face fillers. To do this, you must be armed with information, which you’re doing by reading this article.

Another thing to do is to be honest about it. During a consultation session, talk to your medical aesthetician about it. Being able to talk confidently about your treatment makes you feel better about it. This helps in the long run to get better outcomes. In the next heading, we will highlight the importance of talking to a professional before getting facial fillers in Thornhill.

Talk to a professional aesthetician 

When you’re sure about getting a face filler, you must discuss it with a regulated professional in the field. Finding a professional is not particularly difficult. You may discuss with friends who have previously gotten one. Or you can check online for a medical spa near you.

When you eventually find a satisfactory medical aesthetician to do the treatments, you must be firm. Come out clearly to state what your intentions are. Being open about what you hope to achieve with your doctor is always beneficial. Doing so helps them advise you on the best way to achieve your results.

Among their options, they will weigh the best filler, the depth and consistency and the appropriate injection site. All these factors determine the results you get.

Avoid certain medications

Face fillers can interact with other medications. This makes talking to a professional very crucial. By doing this, you will know what to expect as you prepare for the face fillers. Drugs such as NSAIDs like Aspirin and Ibuprofen should be discontinued before the procedure.

Other substances worthy of mention in this situation include alcohol which may make it easy to get bruises. Furthermore, herbal medications like ginkgo, St John’s wort and ginseng should be avoided before face filler treatments.

Essentially, your medical aesthetician may need to have your medical history. All medications such as immunosuppressant therapy or special conditions like pregnancy must be taken into account. Additionally, only a professional will be able to take into account any allergies you might have. These precautions are necessary so you do not harm your health.

Stop eating certain foods too

Salty foods are of particular concern if you are planning to get face fillers. This is because they draw water in and cause an accumulation. Face fillers in combination with accumulated water can worsen swelling after the procedure.

The procedure itself

The procedure for getting a dermal filler is simple. The trained cosmetic injector will inject the filler into the skin. They may use either a needle or a cannula to deposit the material in your face.

Although a needle may be more common, a cannula is often wider-ranging. A cannula, being a blunt flexible tube, may find use in a variety of parts. The lips, tear troughs, cheeks or jaw line are parts of the face the cannula may be particularly useful for.

A slight discomfort on injection of the filler material is not out of place. Usually, any possible discomfort is minimized with the use of a local anesthetic agent. A local anesthetic, administered through a cream, typically numbs the proposed filling site. 

In clearer terms, you may only feel a slight pressure when the filler is deposited. To ensure the procedure goes as comfortably as possible, some filler brands contain a premixed anesthetic.

While the procedure is a generally simple one, it comes with some risks. The risks involved depend on the area of the face you want to be filled. Furthermore, your cosmetic injector will take care to make sure the needle does not contact a blood vessel.

Any such contact may lead to tissue death because the filler has cut off blood supply to the area of the face. Because of such risks, some doctors avoid particular locations of the face – like the glabella (space between the eyebrows). This underscores why it is particularly important to work with a professional who understands the anatomy of the face.

Aftercare: What to Expect After Facial Fillers

As you may expect from any procedure, getting facial fillers may leave you with some discomfort. Common side effects which may develop after using facial fillers are:

• Bruising
• Swelling
• Itching 
• Redness
• Pain
• Rash

Very likely, your medical aesthetician will discuss these with you. They occur mainly at the injection site and resolve within the space of 7 to 14 days.

However, some uncommon side effects may develop. They may be:

• leakage of the filler
• Infection  
• Movement of the filler from side to side
• Granulomas
• Nodules around the injection site

If any of these happens, you must report to your medical aesthetician immediately.

Related article: What Is The Recovery Time For Under-eye Fillers?

What to do

There are some home treatments you can do if you experience any of the common side effects.

• Bruising and Swelling: It is necessary to know the bruising or swelling only occurs for short periods. As a remedy, you can apply ice to the area of the face multiple times a day. This is expected to resolve after a few days. Because of how commonly it happens, it forms a huge part of what to expect from face fillers.
• Redness, Welts or Itching: A quick relief for this is an antihistamine, such as Benadryl.
• Pain and Headaches: A headache or pain at the injection site is certainly part of what to expect after a facial filler. Again, an easy fix, such as Tylenol is often sufficient to deal with this discomfort.
• Bumps or Lumps: These particularly may seem a little frightening. But usually, it is nothing to worry about. A gentle massage of any such lumps or bumps should suffice, leaving your face smooth and good looking.

After getting a face filler, it is generally understood that you may not get your desired results immediately. The rule is to wait for at least two weeks before looking out for any changes.

It is possible to be unsatisfied after seeing your results. This is not a problem. With hyaluronic acid fillers, you can easily undo the filling. An enzyme called hyaluronidase breaks down hyaluronic acids and gets your face back to the way it was.

Another substance, sodium thiosulfate has been reported to be useful in altering dermal fillers. Of course, this will only work against particular filler materials.

Deconstructing the Myths about Face Fillers

Many people are unsure of what to expect from using face fillers. This leads to a myriad of untrue ideas about the procedure. In this section, we take a look at misconceptions about face fillers and debunk them.

It doesn’t seem to work

Ideally, the goal of face filler treatments is to make you look natural. Hence, many times, the results are subtle. So maybe your best friend may not be able to tell you had the procedure. But you can rest assured you look younger and wrinkle-free.

I’d be stuck with it forever if I do not like it

There are techniques available to adjust the filling if, after the procedure, you don’t like what you see. Some chemicals can dissolve the filling if necessary. 

On the other hand, it is possible to know how the filler will look after it has been given. A trial injection of saline given by your practitioner has been shown to give an idea of what the filler will look like. However, it is not 100% accurate.

I have to repeat the procedure often

The fillers often get reabsorbed into or broken down by the body. This necessitates a repeat procedure. However, the time it takes to process the filler in the body is longer than most people think. The factors determining this are the type of filler used, the location of the filler and how active you are.

Face fillers work like Botox

No! Certainly not. Both treatments are used to help one look younger. But they work in fundamentally different ways. Botox, a brand name for botulinum toxin, which works by preventing the movements of facial muscles. It is these movements that result in wrinkles. 

On the other hand, dermal fillers occupy space beneath the skin and plump them up. This provides smoothness and a youthful look to the face.

Fillers can be placed anywhere

The properties of the different types of fillers make them useful in different places. This means fillers cannot be used randomly on any part of the body. For example, a filler which attracts water should not be used close to the eyes.

Fillers can replace surgery

Fillers do amazing work to your face, maybe to the point of seeming giving it a lift. But they can in no way replace a surgical facelift. A surgical facelift tightens deep tissues and removes excess skin. On many occasions, practitioners combine both methods for optimum results.

Final Take

Knowing what to expect from face fillers goes a long way to ascertain the safety of the procedure. It is also useful to help manage your expectations.

The cosmetic industry is booming in recent times. What this spells is a general increase in the quality of services. Getting professional dermal filler treatments can be done easily and quickly.