As we age, external factors take a toll on our bodies and cause wrinkles and lines to form after extended exposure. These factors include things like stress, the environment, repeated facial movement and sunlight. One of the basic types of wrinkles caused by these factors forms when the skin, muscle and fat of the face start to sag. This type of wrinkle is best corrected by the use of dermal fillers. The earliest fillers used were bovine collagen, which unfortunately did not last very long and could elicit allergic reactions. Today, we have a variety of dermal fillers that are very safe and much longer lasting.

The most commonly used fillers these days are made with hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring material in the human body that acts like a soup that the cells of the body sit in. Allergic reactions to hyaluronic acid are almost non-existent so allergy testing for these treatments is not necessary.

Hyaluronic acid treatments such as Restylane, Perlane, Juvederm and Hylaform® supplement the body's own decreased hyaluronic acid to increase the volume of the skin and soften wrinkles or plump up lips. Restylane and Juvederm treatments typically last six months while Perlane lasts nine months.

Restylane is particularly effective in reducing fine lines around the lips and mouth and on the forehead while Hylaform® is ideal for filling deep wrinkles, laugh lines, and acne scars. It can also be effective in adding fullness to thin lips. Perlane and Restylane fillers are primarily the same product, but Perlane contains a larger concentration of hyaluronic acid, making it better suited to larger folds and wrinkles.

Other fillers such as Artefill use microspheres of PMMA (a frequently used synthetic implant material) incorporated in collagen to obtain even longer lasting results.

All of these wrinkle treatments are safe and produce immediate results. Although the results are temporary, they can safely be repeated as necessary.

Contact the San Francisco or Healdsburg plastic surgery practice of Dr. Donald M. Brown today for more information about how these wrinkle-reducing treatments can help you look and feel younger without surgery.