Restore lost facial volume with dermal fillers

Think you know where your friends are getting filler? We think you actually may not. In reality, the best dermal filler outcomes are invisible, and those pouty duck lips spotted on social media are definitely not the norm. There’s a reason the American Society of Plastic Surgeons has listed dermal fillers as the 5th most popular cosmetic procedure for the past decade—when it comes to restoring lost volume and maintaining youthful facial features, fillers are probably your best solution.

Fillers remain so popular because everyone loses volume, and we aren’t talking just the depletion of precise, beautiful fat pads under our eyes or the natural roundness in youthful cheeks. Starting in our 30’s, even our bones start receding, and under eye hollows and flattened cheeks are the first signs. All this sinking leads to sagging—our skin becomes like a nicely draped tablecloth that just doesn’t fit the table anymore.

“By the time you’re 30, volume loss is usually the thing you can’t put your finger on when you wonder why you suddenly look so tired,” says Cosmetic Skin & Laser Center Clinical Director Courtney Lo.

The next generation of facial sculpting

“75% of the filler and collagen stimulator injections we do at CSLC are simply to maintain or rebuild the framework and shape of the face,” Lo says. Long-lasting hyaluronic acid injections like Lyft and Voluma support and lift cheeks, while collagen stimulators like Sculptra (composed of poly-L-lactic acid) are ideal for deeper support and lift.

Hyaluronic acid naturally exists in our bodies to help us retain water, and when used in fillers, they attract and pull water straight to the filled area, resulting in an immediate plump, hydrated look that lasts about a year.

Sculptra, on the other hand, builds facial volume more gradually by stimulating collagen over time. Sculptra’s main ingredient, Poly-L-lactic acid, has been safely used in dissolvable stitches and soft tissue implants for decades. Our clients who desire a subtle lift over time love Sculptra for both its natural and ongoing results that show gracefully 12 weeks after injection, and last about two years.

Annual injections customized of fillers, Sculptra, and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), coined “the liquid lift,” help maintain volume and continuously counteract the effects of aging and gravity. Clients often supplement their annual liquid lift with smaller doses of filler in areas that need extra tweaks. On a budget or want a more conservative approach?  Even one or two vials of product help give a youthful boost in key areas like the under eyes, lip lines and cheeks.

How to avoid the “overdone” look with fillers

A common concern we hear from clients in our offices in Traverse City and Petoskey, Michigan and Naples and Boca Grande, Florida is the fear that filler will look like they have had filler—that they’ll walk out of the office with obviously filled lips or cheeks. “Filler’s only overdone if too much is injected in one spot—like the lips, under eyes, or cheeks,” says CSLC Master Injector Lee Middleton, RN.

The key to a natural-looking result?

“We address the whole face with a variety of injectables,” Middleton adds. “Our ‘global face approach’ to fillers is what sets us apart, and has clients leaving the office looking renewed and refreshed, without any obvious signs of work done.”

“We see our work as a blend of both science and art,” says Courtney Lo. “We’re sculpting or painting live portraits, and a true artist needs all the tools available to them.”

Advanced facial filler techniques create natural looking results

Aesthetics is a constantly advancing field, with both new products and new techniques that bring better, more refined results. Cannulas, for example, enable us to inject in larger areas with just a couple of tiny pokes (resulting in less bruising and swelling).

“We’re loving the glow patients see after the Restylane Skin Boosters,” Middleton says. “With cannulas, we precisely infuse microdroplets to smooth fine lines and boost skin elasticity.”

Compared to techniques from a decade ago, most modern lip injections are also done through microdroplets (Russian lip technique), which help avoid the unnatural, overdone lip projection of years past. For the aging client, our microdroplet approach provides hydration and smoothing, turning years of accumulated lip lines into a more youthful looking surface. For clients simply looking for smoother, plumper, or more defined lips, our newest member of the lip injection family, Restylane Kysse, is the staff favorite.

As treatments advance, our approaches do, too. For example, we used to frequently add filler under the eyes to fill in hollows and diminish dark circles, but found PRF is a natural replacement that brings better results for a more rested look.

Our flexible and ever-evolving approach is what makes CSLC different from practices that offer filler “on the side,” and part of why we’re Michigan’s number one Sculptra provider.

“Minimally invasive anti-aging treatments are what we do all day, every day,” says Lo. “At CSLC, we don’t just see or treat your face in parts—every one of our Master Injectors receives ongoing education in addressing the face globally, with a personalized approach that’s uniquely customized for every client.”

Call or text 231.347.7395 to set up your complimentary dermal filler consultation.