Nobody wants to look their chronological age. And not everyone needs an invasive medical procedure to shave years off their face. That’s where dermal fillers come in. At the office of Dr. Bruce Kadz in Beverly Hills, CA, we are proud to offer several dermal fillers to help you restore your youthful countenance. Today, we are answering all your frequently asked questions about Juvederm, including where it can and should be used.
What Is Juvederm?
Juvederm is a type of dermal filler commonly known as an HA, or hyaluronic acid, filler. Its active ingredient is synthetic hyaluronic acid, a substance produced naturally by your body. Approved by the FDA in 2006, this is one of the most common anti-aging treatments performed in the world. Its purpose is to reverse the signs of aging in your face and restore youthful contours in under an hour.
How Should I Prepare for Treatment?
Before your dermal filler treatment, you should come in for an initial consultation. One of our experts will discuss your cosmetic goals, the appearance of your skin and your expectations. This is to ensure that this treatment will be the most effective for you. Treatment is so non-invasive that you can have your treatment on the same day as your consultation if we are not booked.
Let us know if you have any dairy allergies or intolerances to any ingredient in the serum. Do your best to not smoke in the weeks leading up to your treatment, and don’t drink, either. Avoid taking St. John’s wort and medications such as aspirin and ibuprofen. This will ensure the best possible results.
How Does It Work?
Juvederm works because of its active ingredient, hyaluronic acid. HA is the chemical compound found in your body that stimulates the production of collagen. Collagen is the connective tissue that plumps up your skin. By the time you hit age 20, though, your body starts to produce collagen at a slower rate. By the time you’re 35 or 40, this gradual reduction really adds up.
Hyaluronic acid fillers work by boosting your HA levels which stimulates collagen production. The collagen adds volume to the treatment site. Before treatment starts, our physician will use a pen to mark the areas you want treated. Then, he will inject the filler into the treatment area. To eliminate the risk of swelling, he will massage the area lightly afterwards to ensure that the filler is distributed evenly.
Depending on the size of the area being treated, you can expect to be done with treatment in 15 minutes to an hour. There is no need to worry about the injections. The needles are so fine that they don’t hurt when they are being inserted. Even better, each formulation is of the “XC” variety, meaning there is lidocaine to keep you comfortable every step of the way.
What Can I Expect After Treatment?
For the most part, you can get straight back to your daily routine. However, for the first 24 hours after treatment, you should avoid strenuous exercise, makeup, alcohol and unprotected sun exposure. You should avoid exerting yourself too much to give the product time to settle in the treatment site and not spread outside its intended area.
You will notice the results of the treatment immediately after the injections. Even better, results last between six months and two years depending on the particular formula used.
Where Can It Be Used?
The great thing about Juvederm is there are several formulations specifically designed to target a particular trouble area. Today, formulations ending in “XC” indicate the presence of lidocaine, a numbing agent that ensures you feel no pain or discomfort during your treatment. Let’s look at what you can expect from different formulations.
Voluma
Juvederm Voluma XC is specifically designed to add volume to sunken, hollow cheeks. If you have noticeable volume loss around your cheekbones due to drastic weight loss or age, you are an excellent candidate for Voluma. Depending on the rate at which your body metabolizes hyaluronic acid, this formulation can last up to two years.
Vollure
Vollure XC is similar to Juvederm XC in that they are both used to treat lax skin, wrinkles, and lines around the nose and mouth. The difference is Vollure lasts significantly longer than the original Juvederm formula. It lasts approximately 18 months while the original formulation only lasts around six months.
Ultra, Ultra Plus and Volbella
Ultra XC and Volbella XC were both designed to replace the need for lip augmentation. If your lips look thin, this is the right hyaluronic acid filler treatment for you. Ultra XC, Volbella and Ultra Plus XC can last up to a year.
Am I a Good Candidate for Dermal Fillers?
Good candidates for dermal fillers are looking to address volume loss in the cheeks or lips without the need for an invasive medical procedure. Good candidates may also have other concerns about their facial appearance, such as fine lines and wrinkles. Finally, they should be in good physical and emotional health and have realistic expectations about the outcome of treatment.
Who Is Not a Good Candidate for Dermal Fillers?
Dermal fillers aren’t right for everyone. If you have an allergy or sensitivity to injected local anesthetics, a serum without lidocaine may be a better fit for you. If you’re allergic to the serum itself, neurotoxic injections may be the right way to address your concerns about aging skin.
It’s important to be in good general health before receiving this treatment because antibiotics, blood thinners and certain analgesics may affect the results of your treatment. If you have an active skin infection at the treatment site, wait until the infection has cleared before you come in for treatment. Moreover, this treatment is not recommended for pregnant or nursing women because the FDA has not tested it for safety and efficacy in such situations.
What If Dermal Fillers Aren’t Right for Me?
If dermal fillers aren’t right for you, you don’t necessarily need to get a facelift to reverse the signs of aging. Botox is another non-invasive, FDA-approved anti-aging treatment. Like dermal fillers, it works quickly, and the results last for several months.
What Is Botox?
Botox is a neurotoxic protein featuring the active ingredient Botulinum toxin type A. This protein is derived from certain bacteria species, including Clostridium botulinum. Botox works by blocking signals from your nerves to your muscles, preventing hyperactive muscles from spasming.
Originally approved by the FDA in 1989 to treat eye muscle problems, such as blepharospasm, Botox is now FDA-approved to treat over two dozen conditions, including crow’s feet, moderate-to-severe forehead wrinkles and lines around the mouth.
Am I a Good Candidate for Botox?
For the purposes of anti-aging, a good candidate for Botox is looking to minimize active lines and wrinkles in their face. Such lines and wrinkles include smile lines around your mouth, frown lines between your eyebrows and laughter lines around your eyes. These moderate-to-severe lines become more prominent when your face is moving.
How Can I Prepare for Botox?
Like dermal filler treatments, not a lot of preparation is required before Botox. You’ll start with an initial consultation to determine if this is the best treatment for you. If it is, you’ll have to remove any makeup and cleanse the treatment area. You should also avoid taking any MAOIs or NSAIDs. Let us know if you have any known allergies. We will review your medical history, current skin quality and aesthetic goals, and you will be ready for treatment.
What Can I Expect From Treatment?
Botox is extremely similar to dermal fillers. If you’re concerned about needles, ask us to use ice or a topical anesthetic to numb the treatment area. You won’t feel any pain or discomfort. A very fine needle is used to inject the Botox into the targeted area. Depending on the area that will be treated, you should only need three to five injections at each site. The entire treatment takes only 10 minutes from start to finish.
How Soon Will I See Results?
Botox doesn’t work immediately. It may be between 24 and 48 hours before you see the results of your treatment. However, a minimized appearance of facial lines and wrinkles will last approximately four months. The best part about Botox is that the more regularly you receive treatment, the longer the results will last.
This is because relaxed muscles, with time, “atrophy”. Hyperactive muscles resulting in wrinkles and lines normalize themselves with more infrequent treatments.
Discover Beauty Redefined in the Hands of Excellence Today
Are you ready to shave years off your face in just 30 minutes with no downtime or recovery? It’s not too good to be true, and it’s not just for the rich and famous. Contact the office of Dr. Bruce Kadz in Beverly Hills, CA today to schedule your initial consultation. We will walk you through everything you need to know about Juvederm, including if it’s right for you. Call us now and discover beauty redefined in the hands of excellence.
