The right facial filler for you depends on the location to be filled, the depth of the area to be filled, how long you want it to last and whether or not you just want to fill some wrinkles or create a "WOW!".
Radiesse®
MOVE BEYOND JUST FILLING WRINKTLES AND CREASES!
Create a 'WOW" with Raidesse®
Raduesse® can lift your cheeks and fill hollows in your face to give you a truly refreshed any younger look.
Radiesse® represents a new generation in facial fillers. It is a long lasting calcium based subcutaneous filler. It is injected just under the skin into the subcutaneous tissue. Often, Dr. Bentkover feels that this subcutaneous injection into deeper creases is a more logical approach than an intradermal injection (into the skin) with collagen or Restylane™. In the nasolabial folds it generally lasts twice as long as Restylane™ and twice to four times as long as collagen. Radiesse® is Dr. Bentkover's preferred deep facial filler and volumizer. He is a member of the Radiesse® Medical Education Faculty and teaches Radiesse® injection techniques to other physicians.
Radiesse® represents a new generation in facial fillers. It is a long lasting calcium based subcutaneous filler. Often, Dr. Bentkover feels that this subcutaneous injection into deeper creases is a more logical approach than an intradermal injection (into the skin) with collagen or Restylane™. In the nasolabial folds it generally lasts twice as long as Restylane™ and twice to four times as long as collagen. He is a member of the and teaches Radiesse® injection techniques to other physicians.
Dr. Bentkover uses Radiesse® to augment a number of different areas:
- Nasolabial Folds - the deep folds between the cheeks and lips
- Marionette Creases and Oral Commisures - the deep lines around and below the corners of the mouth
- For filling deep depressions from acne scars or trauma
- Deep scowl lines between the brows - often used in conjunction with Botox in this location
- To replace lost volume in the face related to aging in the cheeks and chin that causes "hollows" in your face
- For a cheek augmentation or chin augmentation - for some patients an alternative to surgery with little or not down time
- For minor adjustments to a nose after rhinoplasty or where just a small amount of augmentation is all that is needed to change a profile
- Deep tear troughs associated with flattening of the upper cheek
Radiesse® consists of tiny spheres (microspheres) of calcium hydroxyapetite in a water based gel. Calcium hydroxyapetite is a naturally occurring substance that is a basic component of bone, but it will not form bone when injected just under your skin The major advantages of Radiesse™ are that it usually lasts 10-18 months (depending on where it is injected and how much is injected) and is very well tolerated, leaving a normal feel to the skin. It also promotes the new collagen growth in the injected area. The results are immediate. The best longevity is achieved if a "top off injection" is performed about 12 weeks after the first injection. Most patients prefer a local anesthetic prior to injection, but some require no anesthetic.
Hyaluronic Acid Fillers Restylane™, Perlane™ and Juvéderm™
These are intradermal fillers. They are injected into the dermis (the deep layer) of the skin. They are made from hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring sugar (polysaccharide) normally found in the skin. Like collagen, they are injected into the skin as a cosmetic filler. The difference is that they last 6-9 months (about 3 months longer than collagen products) depending on the amount and location of the injections. Unlike the collagen products, however, they are not mixed with local anesthetic and may require a local anesthetic prior to injection. Restylane™, Perlane™, and Juvéderm™ are Dr. Bentkover's preferred dermal fillers and lip augmentation materials. Juvederm™ comes in two different concentrations with slightly different indications. Longevity? The jury is still out as to which hyaluronic acid lasts longer. Stay tuned...
Dr. Bentkover likes to use Restylane™, Perlane™ and Juvéderm™ in the following locations:
- The fine lines of the upper and lower lips-lipstick spill lines
- Fine lines between the brows, sometimes with Botox
- Lip augmetation
- Some scar depressions and lines
- Tear Troughs
Collagen
Dr. Bentkover has used collagen as a temporary filler for facial wrinkles, creases, scars and to augment lips since 1980, but generally prefers Radiesse™, Restylane™,Perlane™, or Juvéderm™ to collagen now. Collagen is injected into the dermis (the deep layer) of the skin and generally lasts 3-6 months, depending on the site where it is used and the concentration used. When he uses collagen he prefers the newer human collagen (Cosoderm® and Cosmoplast®), a genetically engineered protein from a single human cell line. Unlike the older products (Zyderm® and Zyplast®) it does not require skin testing.
In preparation for your injection...
To minimize bruising, you should stop all anticoagulant medications or herbal preparations such as aspirin, ibuprofen, vitamin E, gingko, St. John's Wart, garlic or ginseng 1 week before your injection. You should drink a glass of pineapple juice daily for a week before and a week after the treatment (It has some bromalein.)If you have a history of mitral valve prolapse, you may be required to take antibiotics to prevent infection. Please notify us before your appointment if you have this diagnosis. If you have a history of herpes simplex cold sores around your mouth, you should also notify us before your appointment. The needle (not the filler) can (rarely) stimulate the virus and cause a breakout. To prevent this, we would put you on an appropriate anti-viral medication.
