Hyaluronic Acid Fillers
Volumization - the New Paradigm in Filler Aesthetic Enhancement
More important than just filling folds or lines on the face, fillers can be used to restore volume. To create balance, harmony of the facial features as well as to bring out youthful contours. This is the new paradigm in the use of fillers. In the past, fillers were used mainly to soften static lines like the nasolabial folds. Now we can inject them deeply and use it to Volumizise.
Aging comes with a downward migration of the face and a loss in volume over the cheeks. Restoring volume loss in the midface can minimise this sagging effect. Additionally, volumization itself can soften lines like the naso-labial folds, nasojugal groove and the marionette lines by letting the skin drape better over the cheeks. It can lift the jowls.
Fillers can also treat a flat-featured face when used on the chin, the nose or the malar area. This is very popular among asian women.
Our favourite volumizing filler from is from Allergan Inc and it is called VOLUMA. We have named the procedure The Liquid Facelift.
OUR CHOICE OF FILLERS
- We rule out anything "permanent". We only use non-permanent fillers that are totally biodegradable after injection into the skin.
- We prefer to use fillers that are totally predictable. We need to know exactly how it behaves once injected.
- The filler has got to be smooth, even-textured and moldable at any depth.
- The filler has got to last around 6 months (even longer for deep volumising fillers) after injection.
For breast enhancement, we use Macrolane. For the face, the Juvederm range has superceded the Restylane range in terms of quality and longevity. It is now our filler of choice. The Restylane range of fillers is perfectly fine but because Dr David Loh is the trainer for Allergan, his choice of fillers is now the Juvederm range. Allergan makes the Juvederm range of fillers. This includes the Juvederm Ultraplus XC (extra comfort) and the Voluma range (for deep volumization). Even for the lips, we now use Juvederm ultraplus XC for the extra comfort.
Voluma is our choice of filler for deep volumization of the cheeks and chin. The ease of injection alone ensures better results. We have accumulated more than 18 months of experience using Voluma.
We are one of the first aesthetics clinics in Singapore to use the latest in volumizing fillers, VOLUMA™, as the Liquid Facelift.
XC (extra comfort)
This is the best invention in filler technology. Incorporating xylocaine into the hyaluronic acid, the XC range of fillers takes all the fear and pain out of having fillers injected. We cannot imagine going back to fillers without the xylocaine.
Dangers of Using Permanent Fillers
Not Recommended
We do NOT use semi-permanent or permanent fillers made from polyacrylamide, poly-lactic acid or silicone.
Faces will change over time. We will all continue to age and sag. Why inject something into the face that lasts a lifetime, when it is better to adjust it periodically to suit the "evolving" face.
Siliconomas
Permanent fillers can potentially cause granulomas (skin reacting to foreign material) after a period of time in the skin. We often see patients who've had silicone injected 20 or more years ago by beauticians. The areas injected have swollen into unimaginably disfiguring lumps. There's no easy way to remove the lumps. We can offer only limited help by injecting minute amounts of kenacort deep into the granulomas to prevent any further swelling.
NB: Never agree to free-particle silicone injections for the face or the breasts. If you must have polyacrylamide fillers injected, be sure the doctor can deal with the granulomas or skin reactions that occur later on.
Real Life experiences with fillers
There's no point talking area by area where we can, or cannot, inject fillers. There are many websites out there with basic information on this. Instead, I have collected a bunch of tips (pearls of information) from our vast experience with fillers, that we would like to share with our readers.
Duration
Expect fillers in the naso-labial folds to last about 6 months with Perlane or Juvederm. This area moves somewhat when we talk, eat and do things in everyday life... The movement causes the filler to disintegrate faster than the manufacturer's stated duration.
Restylane SubQ and VOLUMA™ never really lasts 2 years as stated by their respective manufacturers. VOLUMA™ lasts for 12 months on average.
On the lips, Juverderm Ultraplus XC will last about 6 months max. There's quite a lot of daily movements such that fillers do not last that long.
For the nose-bridge and the chin, Juvederm injected there will last about 9 months. There is not a lot of movement there but sometimes sleeping and the pressure when washing the face can cause it to degenerate faster.
The Glabellar Folds and "Crow's Feet"
My personal preference is to use ONLY BOTOX in the glabellar (frown lines) and lateral canthal (crow's feet) areas. If the folds are deep, then repeat the BOTOX in 3 months and the folds will eventually yield after the 2nd or 3rd BOTOX. Fillers never sit nicely on the glabellar areas. Especially if the corrugator muscle is still active. The filler material just gets squeezed onto the hill and the valley will look even deeper.
The Naso-jugal Groove
The naso-jugal groove is a shadow below the eye beside the nose. It is caused by sagging skin (loss of elasticity) and a downward migration of the mid-face. For this area, deep volume restoration works better than injection with things like Restylane Touch into the skin. The skin being so thin, anything injected there will show as lumps under certain lighting. The naso-jugal groove is treated as a part of our Liquid Facelift.
Read more on Juvederm, VOLUMA™, Macrolane
Watch our YouTube Video on The Liquid Facelift
For more information on fillers, please call us (+65) 6733 5300