Injectable soft tissue fillers can add definition to key features of the face and help the overall symmetry and proportion to create better aesthetic balance.
This procedure of Facial Contouring may also be known as Chin / Cheek Augmentation or Non-Surgical Facelift and is sometimes referred to as ‘the liquid face lift’.
The most popular treatments enhance the cheekbones to help restore a more youthful appearance or to fill out a face that appears “sunken” or tired. Noses may also be reshaped as an alternative to surgical rhinoplasty, where more subtle improvements are required, such as to straighten a curve, build up the bridge or elongate the nasal tip. A jawline may be strengthened or softened and a chin extended to bring it into balance with the rest of the face.
At the same time, fillers may be used to fill in facial laugh lines and enhance thin lips.
The more mature patient may choose to have their treatment in conjunction with other cosmetic procedures such as chin/ neck liposculpture, where excess facial fat deposits are removed via small, delicate instruments that help to sculpt and contour the face (This would be performed as a separate surgical procedure).
Facial contouring possibilities:
- Restoring volume to the face
- Facial cheek enhancement and jowl concealment
- Jaw shaping (eg. softening square jaw)
- Chin enhancement
- Tear troughs (hollows under eyes)
- Nose reshaping (nose tip, crooked nose, build up bridge)
- Dermal filler can also be used to revitalise the hands, neck and décolletage, for more information visit our lines and wrinkles dermal filler page.
HOW DOES IT WORK AND HOW LONG DOES IT LAST?
Up until the last 5 to 10 years facial shaping and face-lifting has been considered a surgical procedure. This has changed dramatically with the range of dermal fillers currently available, providing the alternative of facial contouring or correction as a medical procedure with little or no downtime and minimal discomfort. Treatment usually involves the application of topical or local anaesthetic.
Broadly, the types of dermal filler product could be classified as:-
- Temporary fillers
- Volumisers
- Injectable implants
Temporary Fillers - At Cosmetic Image Clinics we use hyaluronic acid (HA) based fillers for their safety and effectiveness. They are non-allergenic, as they contain no animal proteins. Once injected under the skin, they combine with the body’s own naturally occurring hyaluronic acid to restore and maintain volume and hydration. They come in a variety of gel formulations, from fine particle fillers for superficial lines to thicker gels, which add instant volume to large areas. With HA fillers the results are immediate, after some initial swelling which will subside 12-24 hours after treatment.
Results can last from 4 to 24 months depending type of filler chosen and the rate of reabsorption of the product by your body’s natural processes. This depends upon your age and skin type, depth of filler placement and muscle activity in that area.
Volumiser – Type “S”. This is ideal for restoration of facial volume lost due to ageing or illness. This type of dermal filler is made from poly-L-lactic acid, a synthetic, biocompatible product which has been used for more than 20 years in tissue reconstruction. It works by stimulating the skin repair processes to build up the body’s own collagen, which thickens and tightens the skin over a period of time, adding firmness and tone. The volumising effect can restore hollow areas with natural results that will be visible 4-6 weeks after treatment. As a patient may require 2 to 3 treatments, 4-6 weeks apart, the number of treatments required will be determined during a consultation with the doctor. Clinical studies have shown that results can last from 18 months up to 3 years.
Volumiser – Type “R”. When it comes to facial contouring, either for large areas or correction of minor defects, this type of filler is designed to give a firmer and longer lasting result than the HA temporary fillers by creating a natural scaffolding around which natural collagen is formed. Calcium based particles encased in a gel filler are injected to fill depressed areas, enhance contours of the face or reshape nose, chin or jawline. The results are immediate. As the gel is gradually absorbed, the body’s own collagen grows around the calcium microspheres to replace it, forming a type of ‘temporary implant’, which maintains its shape and lasts between 18 and 24 months.
Injectable Implant – Polyacrylamide is a nonabsorbable soft tissue filler that has been used in facial enhancement and body contouring for over 10 years. Filler “A” is a transparent injectable implant consisting of polyacrylamide in a water based gel. It can be used for used for lip, chin and cheek augmentation and nasal correction as well as facial depressions and lines. It remains safely in place without migrating. There is an increased risk of short term adverse reaction with the use of a permanent filler, therefore the doctor will take precautions such as prescribe antibiotics at the time of treatment , to minimize the risk of infection. The doctor may decide to inject the filler over two treatments to enable it to settle, so you can see the effect before opting for a top-up. As the result is permanent, it is advisable to take this 2-step approach to give you time to decide if you wish to return for a for a fuller effect.
WHICH SOLUTION IS RIGHT FOR ME?
Our doctors have the training in facial anatomy and special injecting techniques that enable them to decide which filler or combination of fillers can achieve your desired results. During your initial consultation the doctor will assess the quality of your skin, your age and the areas to be treated. The doctor will decide which filler you would benefit from based on the desired:-
- Permanent or temporary effect
- Durability
- Firmness or softness required (eg. the nasal bridge might be firm, the facial cheeks soft)
- Small or large area to be treated (determines particle size used, depth injected and type of filler)
- Reversability (Hyaluronic acid fillers only **)
**HA type fillers are reversible, in the event of incorrect placement or undesired results. Injection of hyaluronidase will dissolve Hyaluronic acid fillers.
BOTULINUM TOXIN TYPE A
Sometimes a combination of Botulinum Toxin type A and dermal filler is used to achieve the look desired. The Doctor will be able to advise you of this at consultation stage.
Botulinum Toxin type A can be used to shape eyebrows, lift jowls, upturn the corners of the mouth and to slim the face.
WHAT IF I DON’T LIKE THE LOOK?
Fillers can be applied in stages to achieve the look gradually. Our Doctors encourage you to return 2 weeks after your first filler treatment to review the results and fine tune any areas that you may not be happy with.
If you have had treatment with temporary filler and do not like the look your treatment has given you, there is the option of treatment with hyalase. The hyalase injection dissolves temporary dermal filler.
Here at Cosmetic Image Clinics we strongly recommend test driving the look with temporary filler before opting for a more permanent solution. If you do decide you would like to upgrade to a permanent product, there must be a 6 month gap between your last temporary filler treatment and your treatment with permanent filler before the doctor can administer a permanent solution to the treated area.
NOSE RESHAPING
If major correction is not required to your nose, you can avoid surgery and lengthy downtime with a non-surgical option. The alternative is nose reshaping using either temporary filler or a permanent injectable implant. Administered with a fine needle using local anaesthetic, this alternative to rhinoplasty surgery can cause some swelling or bruising but there is much less discomfort and downtime than surgery requires, patients choosing to return to work within 48 hours.
With the non-surgical option you can:
- Camouflage the bump or hook of the nose
- Elongate or lift up the tip of the nose
- Build up the bridge of the nose
- Correct a slightly crooked nose
- Building up a flat bridge of the nose is the most popular procedure with patients performed by our experienced Cosmetic Doctors.
The procedure takes around 20 minutes and many of our patients choose the end of the day appointments to allow the initial swelling to reduce overnight.
Cosmetic Image clinics strongly recommend that you ‘test drive’ the look with temporary filler before opting for a permanent injectable implant solution.
FACIAL RESHAPING – CHIN AND JAW
It is very difficult to reshape the jaw surgically as it is a boney area so fillers are ideal when reshaping the jaw. A softer type of filler can be moulded to smooth over and soften a square jaw.
A chin can be improved by enhancing its prominence to balance the facial features and bring the face into proportion. If you have a dimple or indentation in your chin, this can also be filled to smooth out the area. Filler is also used to conceal aging drooping jowls to give a younger appearance.
FACIAL SLIMMING
Facial slimming is a very popular treatment with women and men who want to reduce or soften a square jaw line. Women in particular, who want to achieve a more heart-shaped face or slimmer facial appearance opt for this non-surgical procedure.
To create the desired effect, Botulinum Toxin type A (BTA) is injected into the muscles which border the chin or jaw, to relax them and reduce muscle activity. The reduced clenching activity of these strong muscles not only softens the jaw line appearance, but causes the muscles to decrease in size over time so that the face appears visibly slimmer.
With this quick and relatively painless procedure the effect takes from 3-12 weeks to appear, with visible results at 6 months.
Once the desired look is achieved, cosmetic facial slimming requires maintenance with injections of BTA every 4-6 months.
Not all faces can be slimmed down with BTA injections, in particular if there is excess fat in the lower face. The doctor will advise at consultation if this procedure is suitable for you.
FACIAL SCULPTING – CHEEK ENHANCEMENT
If you have a narrow face and no visible cheekbones, the latest in temporary dermal filler technology is available to give you the appearance of an enhanced cheekbone structure, made famous by the Victoria’s Secret models.
The filler is injected into the midface to give you the glamorous look you are after. The procedure takes around 20 minutes, the results are instant and can last up to 18 months.
RESTORING VOLUME TO THE FACE
A major effect on the face that appears after weight loss and ageing is lost volume. Loss of elasticity in the skin causes the mid-face (cheeks) and jowls to droop, while causing a more flatter appearance of the face as gravity takes hold.
To fight these signs of ageing, dermal filler ‘volumisers’ are available to restore lost facial volume and skin tone with natural looking results. For a more sculpted look fillers are also available to enhance cheekbones and conceal the jowls, at the same time reducing lines and wrinkles.
VOLUMISER BEFORE & AFTER IMAGES
THE SCULPTED LOOK WITH DERMAL FILLER
Images supplied by Q-Med (Sweden) Australia Pty Ltd
REGEN PLASMA REPLACEMENT THERAPY
The secret to naturally younger looking facial skin can be found with plasma replacement therapy, a new technology using your own biological cells to plump up your skin.
Platelets in your own blood provide an abundance of nutrient rich cells that help with the healing process and stimulate stem cells to create new skin and collagen. This technique is ideal for anyone wishing to improve the texture of the skin and restore a youthful plumpness to the face. Your own plasma is extracted similar to a blood test, then spun down in a centrifuge to produce nutrient rich cells that are administered to the desired area. No foreign elements are used and the nutrient rich cells are generated on-site at the clinic.
For best results a series of 3 treatments every 4 weeks is recommended with a yearly top-up, dependent on desired results in order to keep crepey skin at bay and to reduce lines and wrinkles by stimulating your own collagen. You can expect some initial swelling after your first treatment which will subside between 12-24 hours after treatment. Results will become apparent in 2-3 weeks after treatment. It takes several months for collagen to form and the changes to become more visible at skin level.
After treatment skin often looks more radiant once the initial swelling has reduced and this radiant appearance will continue to develop as more treatments are received.
Plasma replacement therapy can last between 6-12 months. However results can last several years if you receive top up treatments once a year after your initial course of Regen. The Regen plasma replacement technique is not recommended for smokers, moderate to heavy alcohol drinker, those with blood disease or patients with a low platelet count (nutrient rich cells).
Regen Platelet Rich Plasma treatment has a long history of safe use in burns units, for dental implants, vascular and diabetic ulcers and to accelerate healing of wounds after surgery.
THE NON-SURGICAL FACE-LIFT
The Liquid Face-lift
Non-surgical facial contouring is designed to soften the features of the face by reshaping elements and restoring volume. Contouring can also define the features, give you more of a chin, more defined facial cheeks and conceal the signs of ageing such as the jowls. A combination of dermal filler and Botulinum Toxin type A may be required to achieve the look you desire. The Doctor will be able to advise you of this at consultation stage.
Images supplied by Q-Med (Sweden) Australia Pty Ltd
EYEBROW SHAPING
For the perfect flared eyebrow, Botulinum Toxin type A can be used to help arch the eyebrow correctly in minutes.
Made from a purified protein, Botulinum Toxin can achieve a fantastic eyebrow line.
Dermal filler can also be used to further define and lift the eyebrow.
Dependant on the look you would like to achieve, the muscle relaxant therapy is injected either above or below the eyebrow:
BOTULINIUM TOXIN AND DERMAL FILLER RISKS