Feb 2020, Guide

Types of Fillers

February 1, 2020 | by Aurora Solis

Your Guide to Your Client’s Facial Fillers

Facial fillers have grown in popularity over the last several years, and with their increasing availability and widespread social media promotion, there’s no sign that their popularity will lessen any time soon. As estheticians, it’s essential to stay educated on all the treatments your clients are doing, from cosmetic surgery, to facial filler enhancement.

With little to no downtime, fillers are often a quick fix and can be injected in less than an hour. For the most part, side effects are minor, though allergic reaction is possible. Generally, clients can expect mild bruising, swelling, or redness where the filler was injectedall temporary side effects.

Clients often see their esty as a source of unlimited knowledge, so don’t be surprised when clients start asking you about different types of filler and your personal opinion on fillers as a whole. This is why being educated is so important. Here’s a general overview to stay educated….

“Clients often see their esty as a source of unlimited knowledge, so don’t be surprised when clients start asking you about different types of fillers and your personal opinion on fillers as a whole.”

How to Choose the Right Filler

There are many facial injectables on the market. Helping your client find the right one depends on their budget, their doctor’s experience and preference, and their individual facial and skin needs. What are their goals? Are they looking to smooth, plump, freeze, prevent? No two filler clients are the same – everyone needs something different. If your client is considering getting fillers, remind them of these simple facts:

Don’t confuse dermal fillers with other injectables like Botox, Dysport, or Xeomin, which are wrinkle relaxers. Though they are injected just like fillers, these work differently by temporarily paralyzing muscles that cause crow’s feet, forehead furrows, and the “eleven” lines between the eyebrows. They don’t fill, plump, or enhance an area. They can, however, be used along with fillers. Generally speaking, wrinkle relaxers help prevent worsening of wrinkles, and filler are a solution for filling deep lines and wrinkles that are too far progressed.

Juvéderm

What it can do:

Juvéderm is a series of fillers, and different forms are designed to be used in different areas of the face. Juvéderm Voluma XC is used to add volume and contours to the cheeks, which naturally hollow over time. It also smoothes moderate-to-deep smile lines around the nose and mouth (aka the nasolabial folds) and the lines that run from the corners of your mouth toward the chin, aka marionette lines. Juvéderm Ultra XC is used to fill the lips, as is Juvéderm Volbella XC, which is also used to soften lip lines. Most hyaluronic acid fillers are infused with the anesthetic lidocaine to minimize pain during and after treatment.

How it works:

The star ingredient in Juvéderm is hyaluronic acid (HA), a naturally occurring sugar found in the body that gives the skin moisture, volume, and elasticity. As HA depletes with age, the skin loses volume and wrinkles form more prominently. When injected, HA acts like a sponge to attract water into the skin. As a result, it plumps up the area in which it was injected. In addition to instantly smoothing the skin, research from 2007 shows hyaluronic acid injections can boost the skin’s own collagen. That means fewer touch-ups may be needed, and that when it’s time for a touch-up, less of the filler will be necessary (so follow up treatments should be cheaper). One advantage of HAbased fillers over earlier options is that because HA is found naturally in the body, there’s no risk of allergic reaction.

How long it lasts:

Depending on the exact type of filler (some are thinner and more viscous, others thicker so they can potentially last longer), the effects of Juvéderm can last anywhere from six to 18 months before the body naturally absorbs the filler. If you’re wondering what happens if you don’t love your result, fear not: Fillers that contain HA can be partially or completely dissolved with hyaluronidase, an enzyme that breaks down HA.

Price:

On average, a syringe of Juvéderm costs around $682 per syringe.

Restylane

What it can do:

Like Juvéderm, Restylane is a family of fillers that are designed to treat different problem areas on the face. The original Restylane formula is used to smooth away wrinkles and folds and can be used to add volume to the lips. Restylane Lyft (formerly Perlane-L), a thicker gel consistency and is used to correct severe wrinkles and folds like the nasolabial folds, as well as give some volume back to the cheeks. It is also FDA approved to add fullness to the backs of the hands, a place where we often show signs of aging. Finally, Restylane Silk is designed to enhance the lips, as it is made with smaller particles than the other Restylane products.

How it works:

Restylane also relies on the ingredient power of hyaluronic acid for its smoothing ability. Injections may also stimulate the body’s own natural collagen production, so fewer touch-ups may be needed and less filler may be necessary when they are.

How long it lasts:

Studies have shown that with “full treatment,” which includes one repeat injection, results with Restylane can last anywhere up to 18 months. Results in the cheeks can last up to a year and up to six months in wrinkles and folds with Restylane Lyft. Restylane Silk results in the lips last up to six months

Price:

On average, a syringe of a hyaluronic acid-based filler can cost around $682 per syringe.

Sculptra

What it can do:

Did you know that Sculptra was first used in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who had lost a large amount of facial fat? Today, it is more commonly used in cosmetics to give volume and build up cheeks, fill in hollow or sunken areas of the face, and increase skin thickness to diminish the appearance of folds and lines. It is not injected into the lips or used around the eyes.

How it works:

The main ingredient in Sculptra is polyL-lactic acid (PLLA), a synthetic compound that encourages the formation of new collagen cells. For this reason, it can take several treatments, about four to six weeks apart, for results to become obvious. The number of treatments a client needs will depend on the extent of the results you are looking for.

How long it lasts:

Recent studies have shown that the effects of Sculptra can last up to two years after the first treatment session with an average of three injections.

Price:

On average, the cost of a syringe of Sculptra is $903 per syringe.

Radiesse

What it can do:

Radiesse is used to treat moderateto-severe facial creases, such as the nasolabial folds. It also can be used to plump up cheeks and other facial contours. It is not used on the lips. Sorry, Kylie!

How it works:

Radiesse contains microspheres of calcium hydroxylapatite, a type of mineral that’s found in human teeth and bones. When used in a filler, the calcium particles are tiny and suspended in a thick gel-like solution. While Radiesse immediately replenishes lost volume, over time the gel is absorbed and the body metabolizes the calcium, leaving behind your own collagen.

How long it lasts:

Radiesse can last up to a year or more. However, because calcium hydroxylapatite stimulates natural collagen production, fewer touch-ups (and less filler) may be needed to keep the result.