If you’re interested in improving your skin and getting rid of the unwanted signs of aging, it’s time to consider the Juvederm family of dermal fillers. They offer a wonderful alternative to cosmetic surgery and have long-lasting effects that can refresh your look. At ProMD Health in Baltimore, MD, we think there are some great reasons to consider Voluma, and especially if you’re dealing with hollow cheeks.
5 Reasons to Consider Voluma
It Can Be Better Than Collagen
Hyaluronic acid is the basis of this injectable, and this substance is what our bodies produce to keep our skin hydrated. Hyaluronic acid molecules are able to hold a thousand times their own weight in water, and they’re also responsible for moving nutrients from our bloodstream to our skin cells, giving our skin resilience.
Other injectables contain collagen, but this injectable hydrates and strengthens the skin while also stimulating the body to make more collagen and heal quickly. And the special formula that Juvederm uses has an enhanced molecular structure that resists the natural breakdown process. That means this product can last twice as long as other products with hyaluronic acid.
It Offers Immediate Effects
There’s no long waiting period with this injectable. Once it is injected, you’ll immediately see a lift to your skin. The hyaluronic acid goes to work supporting your tissues, bringing in hydration for an immediate plumping effect and stimulating collagen growth for a long-term plumping you’ll enjoy for years. As soon as treatment is over, you’ll notice the new, improve contours to your cheeks.
It’s Safe and Non-Invasive
One great reason to consider a dermal filler of any type is to avoid having cosmetic surgery. While cosmetic surgery is necessary in some advanced cases, surgery is always difficult, expensive, and time-consuming. It’s also not uncommon for people to experience a negative reaction to some aspect of a surgical procedure.
In contrast, this treatment uses a substance that is exactly like what your body already naturally produces, so the chances of having a reaction are very slim. And though there are minor injections involved, these are nothing like the invasiveness of surgery. The lidocaine including in Voluma’s formula will keep you perfectly comfortable, and you can, for the most part, go straight back to your normal routine as soon as treatment is finished.
It Has Long-Term Benefits
Dermal fillers are a great idea, but early versions tended to break down pretty quickly. Most only lasted about three to six months and people complained of “injection fatigue” as they tallied up the cost of getting a touch-up treatment every 90 days.
Modern fillers last much longer, and especially the top-of-the-line fillers like those from Juvederm. The formula used in this version of filler has been processed using Vycross technology, which links the molecules of the hyaluronic acid together. This makes them stronger and allows them to last for as long as two years!
It’s Reversible
Some cosmetic treatments are irreversible. Once they’re done, you’re stuck with the results whether you like them or not. That’s not the case with Voluma, which is not only smooth to inject and naturally biodegradable but also reversible. If you don’t like your look, simply come in and we can treat you so you get the look you really do want.
Important Questions About Treatment
Can I Really Lift My Cheeklines?
It might seem impossible to do this without surgery, but Voluma is specially formulated to firm up your cheeks and the skin on them. It goes deeper into the dermis than other formulations of Juvederm, and this thickness helps it stay in place. Even as you move your cheeks to smile, your dermal filler will stay in place.
But that’s not all that this treatment can do. It’s also a good filler for the entire midface area, and it can work in many areas of the face where lost collagen is causing your skin to sag.
Am I a Candidate for This Treatment?
For the most part, any adult who is dissatisfied with the way they look and wants to plump up their cheeks or reverse sagging skin is a good candidate. There are only a very few things that could keep you from getting treatment with this dermal filler.
Come talk to us at ProMD Health, and we can help you determine if this is the right treatment for you and if you’re a good candidate. Our goal is always your best look, so you can be sure we’ll only recommend what really is right for you.
What Should I Expect?
Before Treatment
There isn’t much you need to do to prepare, though there are some standard pre-treatment instructions that apply to most dermal fillers. We always encourage our clients to wear sunscreen, and never more than just before and after treatment. It’s also a good idea to avoid anything that might make your skin unusually sensitive, like waxing, bleaching, or even plucking.
To get the best possible experience, we also recommend that you avoid things that thin the blood and thus make it likely you’ll bruise. This includes aspirin and certain supplements, like St. John’s Wort.
During Treatment
The length of treatment always depends on your unique goals and how much of your face is being treated, but normally it takes less than an hour for a session. We can offer you a topical anesthetic cream if you’re nervous about needles, but the needles are so fine and the lidocaine within the filler is so effective that most people don’t need it.
We’ll carefully inject your Voluma filler in just the right pattern to enhance your look while ensuring you still look perfectly natural and like yourself. Injecting dermal fillers is as much art as science, and we have extensive experience and training in doing it just right.
After Treatment
Your instructions for after treatment aren’t much different than the ones that came before! Take care of your skin, avoid things that might irritate it, and avoid medications that might cause bruising. Other than this, you can go back to your normal activities quickly.
What Is the Difference Between This Filler and Botox?
You’ve likely heard of Botox, but you might not realize that it’s actually quite different from this product. They have different modes of actions, different ingredients, and are made to address different issues.
Understanding Botox
Botox is made from a bacterium that interferes with the communication between your nerves and the muscles of your face. By doing so, it allows those muscles to calm down, and the skin over them smooths out. This is the perfect treatment for addressing what are known as dynamic wrinkles. These are the wrinkles that form because of the movements we make.
Juvederm fillers, in contrast, are made to address static wrinkles, which are the wrinkles that form regardless of the movements we make. They can also address volume loss and sagging skin, which Botox does not.
Combining Treatments
If you’re seeing hollow cheeks and also dynamic wrinkles, there’s no problem combining treatments to get the perfect look. When you meet with us for your consultation, we can help you decide if combining treatments is the right step for you.
Know Your Skin
To understand just how dermal fillers can restore your youthful look, it’s important to understand what makes up our skin and how aging affects us.
Skin Structure
There are essentially three layers to our skin. The two outermost layers are the epidermis and the dermis. The innermost layer is the subcutaneous layer.
Epidermis
The epidermis is the layer you can see. It’s the waterproof barrier that protects you from the outside world. It keeps out bacteria, protects the deeper layers from UV radiation, and takes the brunt of the hit when you’re exposed to something like pollution. As a result, it shows signs of aging much faster than the other layers.
Dermis
The second layer–the dermis–is flexible. It’s essentially like a cushion between your body and the outside world, and it also contains the glands that produce all the oils you need to keep your skin strong and elastic. This layer also has your hair follicles and the nerve receptors that signal when something touches your skin.
Subcutaneous Layer
This innermost layer consists of fat and the connective tissue that keeps your outer layers of skin connected to your muscles and the general structure of your face. This is where the blood vessels are.
The Effects of Aging Skin
Epidermis
As mentioned, your epidermis takes the brunt of the aging process because it sees the most damage from the weather, pollution, the sun, and more. Over time, it starts to look dull and doesn’t rebound quickly when damaged.
The cells of the epidermis can also start to thin out over time, which makes our pores appear larger and allows “age spots” to form.
Dermis
The dermis has small blood vessels that start to break down with age. As we get older, we also stop producing so much collagen, which causes this layer to break down and become less firm and supportive.
Subcutaneous
One of the first effects of aging on this layer is lowered sebaceous oil production, which means our skin gets drier and itchier and can begin to sag. As we get older, we also lose fat in this layer, which means there’s less support for the upper layers, causing a hollow cheeks look and the sagging we all dread.
How Dermal Fillers Change Things
Dermal fillers in general are designed to replace the lost collagen and hydration our skin needs. By doing this, they strengthen the skin and make it more resilient. Some dermal fillers are made to go into the upper two layers of skin, but Voluma is designed to go straight to the deepest layer: the subcutaneous.
There it draws water and hydration to the area and signals the body to make more collagen. This collagen fills in the sunken areas and makes the subcutaneous layer a better foundation for the rest of the skin.
A Full Line of Products
At ProMD Health, we offer a full line of products that can address all the signs of aging in your face. Each is designed to work in a specific way to get you the natural results you’re looking for. In addition to Voluma, we also offer:
- Bellafill
- Juvederm Volbella
- Juvederm Vollure
- Juvederm Ultra XC and Plus XC
- Restylane classic
- Restylane Lyft
- Restylane Defyne
- Restylane Refyne
- Restylane Silk
We also have Botox and other neuromodulators, so whatever your concerns, we can help.
Treat You Cheeks
This treatment is a safe, reversible, non-invasive way to plump your cheeks and restore your aesthetic. It takes only a few minutes to get back your youthful look, and you can go right back to your day afterward.
To learn more and find out if this treatment is the right one for you, call us at ProMD Health in Baltimore, MD today. We can’t wait to help!
