Injectable fillers can treat fine lines and wrinkles with minimal or no down time. But that’s not all they can do. Fillers can add volume to thin lips, fill in scars and facial depressions, restore the youthful contours to cheeks, and even provide added definition to the jawline.

The right facial filler for you depends on the location to be filled, the depth of the area to be filled, and how long you want the results to last. Dr. Siporin prides himself in establishing long-term, relationships with his patients, and he is known for taking the time to patiently explain the intricacies of all of your alternatives, so that you can make the informed decisions. Great care goes into the planning and in to the execution of your nonsurgical wrinkle reduction procedure, and Dr. Siporin is gentle, meticulous, and patient as he performs these procedures with great precision.

There are currently many injectable fillers on the market. Here is a brief guide to some of the ones offered at the Siporin Revitalization Center:

Restylane

Restylane is a safe, effective, and entirely organic, biodegradable injectable filler. Restylane is made of hyaluronic acid, a natural substance that is found in all of your cells, and is already a component of your native skin and joint fluid.

Restylane is used to treat facial wrinkles and folds, providing a more youthful and energetic appearance. Restylane is injected into the dermal layer of the skin to fill in wrinkles, depressions, or irregularities, but the effects are not permanent. The duration of the results is variable from individual to individual, but on average, you can expect them to last six months.

No skin testing is necessary, so Restylane may be injected, if you desire, on your first visit to Dr. Siporin's office, resulting in immediate improvement. Side effects or complications are rare, but bruising and swelling may occur in some individuals. Occasionally, patients develop redness at the injection site or nodules that, if they occur, are temporary.

Areas treated most commonly are the lips, the nasolabial folds (the “parentheses” that run from the nose to the corners of the mouth), the corners or the mouth, or any other deep line on the face.

Juvederm

Juvederm is similar to Restylane and has a very similar profile of safety and effectiveness. Juvederm is most commonly used to soften patients’ nasolabial folds or smile lines, to fill in hollow places on the face, and to diminish the appearance of sunken scars by plumping up the skin. This filler also usually lasts about six months. Like Restylane, Juvederm is a smooth consistency gel made of hyaluronic acid, which is injected with tiny needles under the skin to provide a smooth, natural look and feel. Juvederm injects easily into the area of concern and provides improvement immediately, but may also cause some minor bruising or swelling. Juvederm is the first FDA-approved hyaluronic acid filler proven to be safe and effective for persons of color. Studies with Juvederm showed no increased risk of hyper pigmentation or hypertrophic scarring in patients of color.

Radiesse

Radiesse is another hyaluronic acid-based filler that lasts longer than Restylane or Juvederm. The effects of Radiesse can last for one to five years after your injection. Tiny calcium microspheres are used to support and stimulate the growth of your own collagen. Radiesse is thicker than Restylane so it works better on deep lines and wrinkles. It is great for the nasolabial folds, smile lines, and is also used to build back cheek volume that is lost with age.

Artefill

Artefill is the first injectable filler available in the United States that fulfills the promise of lasting results. Artefill is considered a semi-permanent dermal filler with the lasting power of up to five years. Its longevity has made it increasingly popular for the elimination of smile lines and nasoloabial folds. Unlike hyaluronic acid-based Restylane and Juvederm, Artefill is made up of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) microspheres (miniature beads), suspended in collagen. When injected into the treatment site, the microspheres also stimulate the body to produce its own collagen. The patient's natural collagen replaces the injected collagen as it slowly degrades and is absorbed into the body. This is what produces the lasting results.

Artefill results are comparable to those achieved using other fillers. The effects are immediate and with the addition of a topical numbing cream or a local injection of numbing medication, treatment is relatively painless. However, as with other injectable fillers, minor bruising may occur at the site of injection. Other minor complications may also occur but are rare. These include redness, small bumps or nodules, and swelling. Typically, only two or three treatment sessions, about three to four months apart, are needed to get a lasting correction.

All patients must have a skin test 28 days prior to treatment to ensure you are not allergic to the bovine collagen contained in Artefill. The skin test involves injection of a small amount of the collagen under the skin of the forearm to determine if you are able to receive the treatment.