Dermal Fillers
Inamed, a major medical product corporation, launched a new filler recently. They needed an expert clinician who could apply the filler to their models’ faces in the most effective and flattering way possible. The person they chose through a wide-ranging search was Wendy.
Many aesthetic endeavors concentrate on feeding your skin “fattening foods” to restore youthful roundness and elasticity. The most direct way to plump up a specific area is to use a dermal filler. Fine lines around the mouth, frown lines, scar indentations, and other depressions and irregularities can all be diminished by skillfully placed appropriate fillers.
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Another use of fillers is to plump up the lips, to make your mouth look juicy and kissable; fillers can also be used to define or subtly change lip shape and curvature. Wendy has developed several sophisticated techniques that combine central pouty fullness with accentuated lip borders. As she does in all her work, Wendy emphasizes natural, soft enhancements that provide allure without looking artificial.
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There are many different fillers on the market, each with its own properties, such as softness, moldability, and robustness. Some are absorbed over several months; others last for years. Some are appropriate for only fine networks of lines; others can be used to add bulk; still others can fill in depressions or soften deep lines. Some are derived from natural collagen or other substances found in the body, others were developed specifically as fillers.
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Wendy works with the companies that make these products, and has completed training in the use of each that she offers; she understands precisely what characteristics each product has and how it can be used to best effect. She has applied dermal fillers daily for many years, building up clinical experience that cannot be matched by book learning.
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Rather than simply making an appointment to provide a specific filler, Wendy will take the time to interview you to find out in detail exactly what changes you would like to make. She will examine your skin, and will advise you regarding which fillers might produce the most pleasing results. Together, you will develop a program that meets your goals while maintaining rigid adherence to medical safety standards and federal law.
The following are a few of the fillers that Wendy uses:
Captique®
Collagen (human and bovine)
Hylaform®
Radiesse® (formerly Radiance®)
Restalyne®
Juvéderm®
If you would like to benefit from Wendy’s expertise in the use of dermal fillers, call her office (408-866-4884) to set up an appointment.
A Note on Silicone Injections
You may have heard people talking about “silicone microdroplets” or permanent injectable silicone fillers. Some practitioners inject these substances into the lips to obtain fullness, or into the skin to smooth wrinkles. Silicones are polymers that can exist as solids, gels, or liquids. Highly refined liquid silicones have been used for aesthetic correction in the past. However, some practitioners used adulterated product, and many people experienced reactions and infections. In addition, even when pure, injected silicone can migrate to other parts of the body, and cause health problems such as granulomas. For these reasons, the FDA banned injection of silicone for the purpose of tissue augmentation.
Two high-viscosity liquid (microdroplet) silicones, Adatosil-5000 and Silikon-1000, currently are approved for use in the United States for ophthalmic (eye) treatments. Like any drug or medical product that is approved for a specific use, these substances are readily available and can be used by medical professionals for any procedure not specifically banned. Injecting available silicone products for cosmetic augmentation is, however, not only banned, but also considered by most researchers to be unsafe. Wendy does not inject any silicone products as dermal fillers.
