Put a Wrinkle in the Aging Process with Juvéderm®, Restylane®, and Teosyal® at our Toronto, ON Area Practice
Part and parcel of the aging process is a reduction in volume and elasticity of the skin due to continually reducing production of its fundamental building blocks — collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid. While BOTOX® Cosmetic & Dysport® are very effective at reducing dynamic wrinkles, restoring a youthfully proportioned facial appearance also includes addressing this volume loss, which our physician injectors accomplish with the use of hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers at our Toronto, ON area practice in North York. The dermal fillers we use at North York Dermatology Clinic come from the FDA-approved Juvéderm®, Restylane®, and Teosyal® lines.
What Are Dermal Fillers?
Sometimes referred to as injectable implants, dermal fillers are substances that are used to add volume to certain areas of the face and smooth out the skin. “Liquid facelifts” with dermal fillers have become very popular as a treatment to combat volume loss due to aging or fill out moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds.
Additionally, dermal fillers serve as a non-surgical, minimally invasive way to augment and/or reshape parts of the face, such as the lips, cheeks, and nose, to improve facial contours and proportions.
Our physician injectors can quickly yet effectively perform a wide range of facial improvements with dermal fillers, such as:
- Smoothing out parentheses or laugh lines, marionette lines, and small vertical lip lines (also known as smoker’s lines)
- Augmenting and reshaping lips, cheeks, noses, chins, and foreheads
- Filling out hollowed temples and undereye areas
Dermal filler treatment sessions are quick (usually taking under an hour depending on the number of treatment areas) and require no downtime for most patients, so they can be performed during a lunch break. After treatment, patients can resume daily activities, though they should avoid excess physical activity, UV exposure, smoking, and alcoholic beverages for the first 24 hours.
What Are the Benefits of Using Hyaluronic Acid-Based Dermal Fillers?
Hyaluronic acid is a sugar-based compound that occurs naturally in the human body. Its molecules are like a sponge, absorbing water up to 100 times its own weight, and binding it to the skin and joints for lubrication and moisture. Its hydrophilic (i.e. water-loving) nature also allows it to retain volume in the face.
Over time and with continual exposure to environmental pollution and UV rays, the production of hyaluronic acid diminishes, and the skin loses its moisture and volume, resulting in facial lines, wrinkles, and folds, as well as deflation in the cheeks, lips, temples, and undereye or tear trough areas.
The synthesized version of hyaluronic acid used in dermal fillers is more gel-like in consistency but is chemically identical to that found in the body. Some dermal fillers may also contain small amounts of lidocaine, a pain-relieving agent used to minimize discomfort during treatment.
If there is any overfilling issue after a treatment session, hyaluronic acid fillers can be partially or completely dissolved with an enzyme known as hyaluronidase – making the treatments completely reversible. As the body is able to safely absorb the dermal fillers over time, maintenance treatments may be required to maintain optimal results.
Depending on individual patient biology and the thickness and cross-linking of the dermal fillers used, the results of a treatment can last anywhere from six months to two years. Many clients see an improvement in skin resiliency and smoothness after just one visit, while others may require multiple treatment sessions.
Besides the immediate filling effect, researchers have observed that hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers can even gradually kickstart the skin’s own collagen production in the weeks following treatment. This means that lower amounts of dermal filler may be required during touch-up sessions over time to maintain the same youthful look.
Hyaluronic acid dermal fillers have a minimal risk of allergic reaction, as they are chemically similar to the acid produced in the body. While the majority of patients have been treated without difficulty, some individuals do develop adverse reactions to the products. These reactions can be immediate or develop weeks or months after treatment and can include the following: prolonged redness, itching, swelling, or a hardening of the skin around the injection site. These side effects will usually subside within a week or two, although a small subset of patients can experience them for some months.
Types of Dermal Fillers Offered at North York Dermatology Clinic
To best cater to individual patient needs, we offer three lines of FDA– and Health Canada-approved dermal fillers: Juvéderm® from Allergan, Restylane® from Galderma, and Teosyal® from Teoxane. While they are all made of hyaluronic acid, each product varies in its thickness and pliability to mimic the natural variance of these properties in facial skin. For example, a thick and firm filler may be very appropriate as cheek fillers, but not necessarily as lip fillers.
Juvéderm®, Restylane®, and Teosyal® are sterile, transparent, and bio-resorbable dermal fillers based on cross-linked hyaluronic acid. Unlike many collagen fillers, they are not made from animal or human material.
Juvéderm®
The Juvéderm® collection from Allergan includes:
- The original Ultra and Ultra Plus fillers: To correct moderate to severe nasolabial folds and thin lips.
- Voluma®: The thickest filler of the line, for cheek augmentation/reshaping and correcting midfacial volume loss
- Volbella®: The thinnest filler of the line, to correct vertical lip lines and subtle lip augmentation
Each of the Juvéderm® dermal fillers labelled with “XC” at the end denote that it contains lidocaine. The molecules in the original Ultra and Ultra Plus fillers cross-link molecules of uniform weights (Hylacross™), while the newer “Vol”-prefixed fillers cross-link molecules of variable weights (Vycross™). Vycross™ fillers can be injected deeper to correct more severe facial folds but spread a little less readily than Hylacross™ fillers, making it important to visit a physician injector who is knowledgeable and experienced, and can make the best possible recommendations for each patient.
Restylane®
Galderma’s Restylane® line includes the only hyaluronic acid dermal filler FDA-approved to rejuvenate the hands: Restylane®. It is also used to enhance midfacial volume. Other dermal fillers in this family include:
- Restylane®/Restylane® L: For correcting facial wrinkles and thin lips
- Restylane® Emervell, Refyne, and Defyne
- Restylane® Skin boosters for neck lines and vertical lines around the mouth
Teosyal®
Teosyal® from Teoxane offers dermal fillers in both lidocaine-containing and lidocaine-free variations. The 16 members in the range are grouped into different families, each with specific indications.
- Redensity I, for neck lines and lines around the mouth
- Redensity II, for eye and tear troughs
- Ultimate, for cheeks
- Kiss, for lip volume
- RHA 1-4, with increased longevity and better volume restoration