Soft Tissue Fillers

3.)Soft Tissue Fillers

Soft tissue fillers are used for the face where there has been volume loss over time. The classic areas are the troughs under the eyes, the cheeks, the lines between the nose and mouth, the lines at the corner of the mouth, the lips, and to a lesser extent the lateral eyebrow area. I currently use Radiesse for all of these areas except the lips where I use Juvaderm ultra plus.

Radiesse is a filler that is comprised of tiny calcium based microspheres that are similar in consistency to the natural calcium in your bones. Injecting it instantly restores fullness and additionally it stimulates production of your own natural collagen. Results may last a year or more in many patients. Mixing it with xylocaine, a local anesthetic decreases discomfort by 90% as noted in the Radiesse clinical trials. It has little downtime and over 1 million treatments have been performed worldwide. It was FDA approved in 2006.

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Juvaderm ultra plus is a soft tissue filler made from haluronic acid, a naturally occurring glycosaminoglycan in your skin that is acts by absorbing moisture. I like it best for injecting the lips where it is soft and supple and can last up to 2 years. It also can be combined with xylocaine so that discomfort is minimized.

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