Ask Dr. Man- Face Fillers

Dear Dr. Man, I am a 55 year old active woman who exercises and eats right. I also use excellent skincare products and try to take really good care of myself. However, in the past year or so, I have noticed changes to my face that I’m very unhappy with. It seems like my face is caving in and my lips are so thin. I prefer not to get surgery, but I’d really like to improve the look of my face. Any ideas? Signed, “Faced with an issue”

Dear Faced, Because of age, gravity, and natural daily expressions, the fullness and roundness of the face can weaken and droop downward, making the rounded contours of younger years a faint memory. Also, as we age, the fat and collagen in the face begin to dissipate, which can make the face look tired and drawn. The good news is that there are many treatments available to you.

Non-invasive use of synthetic filler materials are extremely popular, safe and very effective. These materials are injected into various parts of the face, and even into the lips for a fuller appearance. A local anesthetic is given, and the injections usually take 30 minutes or less to do. Some of the more popular synthetic fillers used today are Restylane, Cosmoplast, Hylaform Plus and Sculptra.

Restylane, which is hyaluronic acid-based, offers improvement to the sunken area under the eye. It can also help diminish the appearance of dark circles by reshaping the deep contours that can create shadows in that area.

Cosmoplast can be injected into the lips to help thinning, and can also be placed above the lip to help get rid of the vertical lines caused from smoking or pursing of the lips.

The FDA has recently approved the use of Hylaform Plus, which is also a hyaluronic acid-based dermal filler, for the correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds in the face.

Another newer filler is Sculptra. It is FDA-approved to treat facial fat loss in HIV patients, but is also used these days off-label for cosmetic improvement, in order to treat deeper facial creases and to create volume in the mid-face, which can be lost with age. Sculptra takes up to three sessions, usually a month apart, to achieve the best results.

Finally, I must tell you about the use of your own body fat as a filler to enhance the face. In fact, this is often considered the golden standard of fillers, since it uses your body’s own materials. This procedure, which can sometimes be done with a local anesthetic, involves taking fat from another area of the body (usually from the belly), and injecting it into the face. The excess fat can even be harvested for future injections.

Discuss your options with a board certified plastic surgeon in order to help decide which treatment is the best choice for your individual needs.

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Dr. Daniel Man is a board-certified plastic surgeon who has dedicated his life’s work to helping people look younger and improve their appearance through cosmetic surgery. He is a noted author, artist, inventor and educator. Dr. Man has been featured on major television networks, as well as national and local magazines and newspapers for his work as both a plastic surgeon and an artist. He has a successful private practice in Boca Raton, FL. For more information about Dr. Man, visit www.drman.com.