Dermal Filler to Treat Facial Wrinkles – Immediately after Perlane injections to Facial Wrinkles in the Naso-Labial folds with typical post-injection redness and swelling. The redness lasts about 24 hours, and can often be concealed with makeup.
Time flies when you are having fun, and I really enjoy being a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area. Clear sunny skies the weekend before Thanksgiving, and the rich diversity of the Bay Area’s culture remind me daily that it’s a great place to live, and to practice plastic surgery.
Experienced Hands
I am a board certified surgeon, who after completing my general surgery chief residency, spent three years as a fellow, specializing in plastic surgery right here in San Francisco. As a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, my practice incorporates a wide variety of plastic and reconstructive surgery, but the majority of my time is spent performing cosmetic plastic surgery in Walnut Creek, San Ramon and Concord, California.
More Than 10,000 Procedures Performed
Time really does fly when you are having fun. A few years ago I performed my 10,000th procedure in private practice. Whether I am performing immediate breast reconstruction in the hospital, complex body shaping procedures after massive weight loss at an accredited surgery center, or a straight forward scar revision in my Walnut Creek plastic surgery office , the goals remain the same: maximum results, minimum recovery and happy patients.
Minimally Invasive Treatments
Sometimes less is all that is needed. A facelift is more than is necessary to correct moderate nasolabial folds (the lines that run from the sides of the nose to the corners of the mouth). As shown in the picture above, we have effective minimally invasive options in the form of dermal fillers like:
- Restylane
- Juvederm
- Perlane
- Radiesse
These provide a quick fix with minimal down time. They are called liquid facelifts, but they are not meant to be a substitute for facial plastic surgery. These dermal fillers reduce facial wrinkles in three ways:
- Physically filling the wrinkle
- Reducing skin folding by thickening the skin
- Coercing the body to build collagen
Correction – Right Where You Need It
The beauty of facial fillers is the simplicity with which they work. They do not require an extensive medical work up, and treatments are well tolerated. Brand-name fillers are supplied in pre-filled, single-use syringes that provide a sterile, consistent product. Since Restylane, Juvederm and Perlane are HAs, a normal component of your skin and joints, the risk of allergy is extremely low. They are great products to work with, and they work well, right where I put them.
Experience Counts
Now matter how great the product, the most important factor in having your wrinkles treated, is the person doing the injections. Precise correction is imperative. Enough filler must be used to maximize improvement. Too much will give unnatural results; too little leads to under-corection and minimal results. It is also important to place the dermal fillers smoothly to avoid lumps and bumps.
Injectables, by their very natural, are fluid. Care must be taken in the initial placement, and caution used in the hours after injecting to avoid displacement. Forceful squeezing of Restylane, Juvederm, Perlane of Radiesse can mold the result, for better or for worse. After a few hours, the gel is set, and displacement is unlikely.
Recovery After Injectables
Another attractive feature of injectable fillers is the relatively short recovery period. There may be some initial swelling and redness over the area injected, but this tends to resolve in a day or two. Bruising occurs in 10-15% of injections, and this can take several days to resolve.
Ice and elevation help speed the return to normal activities. It is important to inform your doctor if you are taking any blood thinners, and this includes over the counter pain medications like aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), Aleve, as well as, vitamin and herbal preparations like Vitamin E, Fish Oil, Ginsing, Ginko and many others. It is best to let your doctor know before you show up for your injection to avoid a delay in treatment.
Timing of Treatments
Dermal Fillers (Restylane, Juvederm, Perlane, Radiesse) and Muscle Relaxers (Botox, Dysport, Xeomin) last for months. If you are planning your wrinkle treatments around a specific date, do not procrastinate. Since swelling and bruising can last several days, it is ideal to have the treatments three weeks before your goal date. This provides time for correct, recovery and touch-ups in the event that it is necessary.
Dermal Filler Treatments
Dermal filler treatments are offered and performed every day in my office. For new patients, the procedure can be performed at the time of consultation, as long as there are no contraindications. If you are interested in finding out more about dermal fillers, give us a call at (925) 943-6353 or use the contact form on the left.
Also ask about Botox and Dysport. Since the Botox and Dysport not packaged for individual use, treatments are grouped around the first and third Wednesday of each month, or by special arrangement.
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