At the office of Ingrid Trenkle, MD in Redlands, CA, we understand that there is no one-size-fits-all anti-aging treatment. That’s why we proudly offer a wide range of services, including over half a dozen dermal fillers. If you think your cosmetic concerns are caused by collagen and fat loss rather than overactive muscles, read on to discover everything you need to know about injectable fillers, including what you can expect from them.
What Can You Expect From Dermal Fillers?
The results you can expect from dermal fillers depend primarily on the fillers that you choose. If you opt for a filler designed to enhance the natural beauty of your cheeks, like VOLUMA XC, you can expect your desired results to last for roughly two years. If you want to augment your lips with VOLBELLA XC, you may need a touch-up session every 12 to 18 months to maintain your desired results.
How Soon Can You See Your Desired Results?
It usually takes 10 to 14 days for your final dermal filler results to become apparent. However, you won’t need to wait that long to start seeing an improvement in your appearance. As soon as your injections are administered, your treated areas will look significantly better. During your appointment, we inject a synthetic polysaccharide into your skin that attracts water, plumping up the area.
In What Ways Can Fillers Improve Your Appearance?
There are a number of different ways that fillers can improve your appearance, depending on your goals and the fillers used. If you opt for VOLUMA XC injections, you can expect to see a drastic improvement in your cheek contours, but you will still look like yourself. On the other hand, getting VOLBELLA XC injections will plump up your lips, making them look youthful and voluminous. Moreover, VOLBELLA XC can eliminate perioral lines temporarily.
Can You Treat Other Lines and Folds?
Perioral lines are just one example of what can be treated with dermal fillers. You can expect to enjoy up to 18 months free from marionette lines and nasolabial folds if you get VOLLURE XC injections. If you feel self-conscious about the appearance of your hands and you are over 21 years old, Restylane Lyft can quickly and effectively restore volume to the backs of your hands.
What Should You Expect During Treatment?
Dermal filler treatments start with preparing the skin. Your skin will be cleaned to help prevent infection, and we will apply a topical numbing cream to the targeted areas at your request. If you want your skin to be numbed before treatment, you need to arrive half an hour before your scheduled appointment. It takes a while for the topical anesthetic to take full effect.
Once your skin is prepared for treatment, we will inject the hyaluronic acid-based filler into your targeted treatment areas. This rarely takes longer than half an hour, but we can’t give you a good idea of how long your appointment will take until we have evaluated your concerns. Factors affecting the length of your treatment include the size of the areas you are targeting and the number of areas that need to be treated.
Are You a Good Candidate for This Treatment?
To find out if dermal fillers are right for you, an evaluation is required. If you are old enough for treatment and have cosmetic concerns caused by moderate or severe volume loss, you should be considered a good candidate. However, we need to review your medical history to ensure that treatment will be safe for you. For example, you will not be a good candidate if you are allergic to lidocaine or have a history of anaphylaxis.
It is also important that your skin is healthy at the time of your appointment. If your skin is infected or otherwise irritated, your treatment must be postponed. Moreover, you must be able to follow all preparation and aftercare guidelines to be considered a good candidate for dermal filler injections. We will give you a complete list of instructions during your evaluation and review your aftercare guidelines again after your injections are administered.
What Preparation Steps Will I Need To Take?
Before your dermal filler appointment, you need to refrain from smoking and drinking alcohol for at least 24 hours. Additionally, you can’t consume too much caffeine; this chemical compound can increase your blood pressure and result in dehydration. You also must avoid consuming any blood-thinning drugs, supplements, or anticoagulants.
It is also vital that you protect your skin from sun damage before your appointment. Remember, we will need to reschedule your session if your skin is irritated, so you should do everything you can to avoid getting a sunburn. Moreover, you should not use any topical products that may irritate your skin.
What Aftercare Guidelines Will I Need To Follow?
Once your treatment is complete, you are free to return to work if you have a sedentary job. However, you will need to go home and rest for 24 hours if you have a physically demanding job. During the first 24 hours following treatment, you should avoid sweating and increasing your blood pressure. To help keep your blood pressure normal, you will not be able to smoke or drink alcohol.
Another important guideline to follow is to not apply pressure to the treated areas. You should sleep on your back to speed up your recovery process and help ensure that the filler doesn’t spread outside the targeted treatment areas. Another vital step to take during your recovery is to protect your treated skin from sun damage for a couple of weeks.
Schedule Your Initial Consultation Today
You can generally expect dermal fillers to provide beautiful, natural-looking results that last for one to two years. You can expect to start seeing an improvement in your appearance as soon as your treatment is complete, but it can take up to two weeks to enjoy your final results. To discover which fillers are right for you, contact us now at the office of Ingrid Trenkle, MD in Redlands, CA to schedule an evaluation.