Dr. Guljeet Sohal is the owner of Balle Bliss medical spa, which is based in her hometown of Cypress, Texas, and seeks to bring specialized care back into the practice of medicine. Here, she discusses the best anti-wrinkle fillers – and how to get the most out of them for the most youthful appearance possible.
At Balle Bliss med spa, we usually use Radiesse, Juvederm or Restylane dermal fillers. Each one is good for specific parts of the face, so a personalized consultation will help you get the best from the one that’s most suited to your particular needs.
Radiesse
Radiesse is made out of calcium-based microspheres which are suspended in a water-based gel. That means it is a little bit of a harder substance, and as such, it gives you more of a filling. Whether you choose Radiesse or another filler doesn’t really depend on your skin type. The fact is that Radiesse is better for certain areas of the face.
If you want to recreate the high cheekbones you had when you were younger or fill in the hollowness underneath your eyes, Radiesse is perfect as it will give you more of a structure. It is also a good filler to use to fill in nasolabial folds, especially if you have had a lot of volume lost.
For older patients who have lost volume, I like to use Radiesse. The reason is simple: It gives more volume and helps your collagen to reproduce as well. However, if you want plump up your lips, Radiesse is not an option. So for that we would recommend one of the other fillers.
Juvederm
Juvederm is an injectable gel made from hyaluronic acid, and it can also be used to fill in areas of volume lost. Unlike Radiesse, however, it is also good for reshaping lips and making them more plump.
Juvederm is also good to get rid of fine lines and wrinkles which are caused from sun exposure, hormonal changes and aging. It adds volume literally in an instant, and like all dermal fillers, there is no down time. So you can have the treatment during your lunch hour and go straight back to work.
Restylane
Restylane is also a filler made of hyaluronic acid which works by plumping up the skin and adding instant volume. Like Juvederm, it is good for plumping up both cheeks, nasolabial folds and lips, and also diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. As with all three fillers, it does not use any ingredients that are animal-derived, so a skin test beforehand is not necessary.
Restylane, like Juvederm, lasts anywhere from six months to a year, Radiesse lasts up to a year or longer. Despite that, the cost is relatively the same, Juvederm and Restylane cost $500 per syringe, and each syringe is only one ml. Radiesse costs more but each syringe contains 1.5 ml of the substance.
How many syringes you need depends on the individual. We look at someone’s face to see how much volume they have lost over the years, and recommend anywhere from one to three syringes.
All three dermal fillers that we recommend are all products which are naturally occurring in your body, and there has never been any allergic reaction to any of them recorded. They are all completely safe and are safe for all skin tones. The main side effects are bruising, bleeding, pain and some swelling, which will subside within a few days to a week.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
