Dr. Hilger and Dr. Lyford-Pike perform all minimally invasive injectable fillers treatments at the Hilger Clinic in Minneapolis, MN. It’s common practice at many other medical offices in the area to have nurses or technicians perform such procedures. Dr. Hilger and Dr. Lyford-Pike believe that patients experience better results when a doctor performs the injection.
A wide variety of injectable fillers and minimally invasive cosmetic treatments are available at the Hilger Clinic. Each brand and formulation provides slightly different results or is designed to target a specific skin or aging concern. To learn more about fillers and your options for minimally invasive soft tissue augmentation, read on.
About Injectable Fillers
As you get older, it is common to experience some volume loss in the face, as well as skin wrinkling and skin laxity. Fortunately, many of these changes can be treated using minimally invasive options, including dermal or injectable fillers. The Hilger Clinic has a selection of numerous fillers available. Our surgeons can recommend the most appropriate fillers for you based on your specific needs and concerns.
Additionally, many patients benefit from combining injectable fillers with other minimally invasive treatments. For example, it’s common to use a filler at the same time as certain neuropraxic agents, such as Botox, Dysport or Xeomin. Botox and the like are also injections, but they don’t ease wrinkles by filling them in. Rather, they complement the results of the filler by reducing excess muscle activity and relaxing dynamic wrinkles.
Botox and similar injectables have been used by surgeons to minimize the signs of aging for more than a decade.
Even if a patient is combining injectable fillers with another minimally invasive technique, the treatments are typically performed in an office setting, on an outpatient basis. Although some people get the results they want with the use of a single filler, much more find that combining treatments give them the best results.
Candidates for Injectable Fillers
A candidate for an injectable filler is a person with fine or deep wrinkles created by the effects of gravity or by a loss of volume in the face. Dr. Hilger and Dr. Lyford-Pike will discuss your specific aging concerns with you during a consultation to help you determine which filler or combination of fillers will best meet your needs.
Your Filler Options
A variety of fillers are available, including:
- Juvederm. Juvederm is made of hyaluronic acid, a substance that naturally occurs in the body and that plays a part in keeping skin plump, smooth and supple. Juvederm is usually injected into the nasolabial folds (cheek-lip groove) and can provide results that last for up to 12 months. Occasionally, Juvederm is also injected into the lips to make them fuller.
- Restylane. Like Juvederm, Restylane is also made from hyaluronic acid. It is used to fill in lines and creases by the mouth and nose and can also add volume to the lips. And correct grooves or circles under the eye.
- Juvederm Voluma. Voluma is very similar to the original Juvederm. It’s made of the same material but uses a different formulation. Voluma is thicker than other fillers and is designed for adding volume to the cheek area. When injected into the cheeks, it can provide results that last for up to two years.
- Belotero. Belotero is another hyaluronic acid filler, but has a thicker consistency and can be used to erase fine lines like the vertical lines in the lip that develop with time.
- Sculptra. Like Voluma, Sculptra is an injectable that adds volume to the cheeks and that can also last for up to two years. It’s made of a different material than most fillers, poly-L-lactic acid. Results from Sculptra often appear gradually and many people need a series of treatments to get optimal results.
- Radiesse. Radiesse is another filler used to fill in lines and creases on the face. It’s made of calcium hydroxylapatite, which is a thicker material than hyaluronic acid. Radiesse works in two phases. It provides instant volume and fills in lines right away. It also works over time, by encouraging the production of collagen beneath the skin.
- Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin. Botox and other injectables containing botulinum toxin aren’t fillers at all. Instead, they help to reduce wrinkles such as the crow’s feet or frown lines by reducing certain muscle movements. Usually, the results from the injections last for about three months.
Frequently Ask Questions About Injectable Fillers
What are Injectable Fillers?
Injectable fillers are used to add volume to the facial area and to fill in wrinkles. The material used in the fillers, where they work, and how long they last vary from product to product and brand to brand.
Although they are both a type of injection, don’t confuse fillers with treatments such as Botox, Dysport or Xeomin. Injectables containing botulinum toxin work on different types of wrinkles than fillers.
Am I a Candidate for Injectable Fillers?
To be a candidate for injectable fillers, you should be in good overall health and have some wrinkles or volume loss on the face.
Where is the Procedure Performed?
Surgeons usually administer injectable fillers right in the office. There is no need to visit a surgical center.
How Long Does An Injection Take?
It depends on the size of the area being treated and the number of injections you’re receiving. Some patients are in and out of the office in just 15 or 20 minutes. In other cases, it might take a full 45 minutes for the treatment.
Is Anesthesia Used?
Many fillers contain a local anesthetic, such as lidocaine, to increase patient’s comfort. In addition to that, the surgeons at the Hilger Clinic also use a topical anesthetic to further improve comfort. Some patients might also receive a nerve block, but that is only given in very rare cases.
What Happens During an Injection?
Before an injection, your surgeon will mark the areas that will be filled in and will give you a hand mirror to review the locations. Next, you’ll sit in a comfortable lounge chair while the surgeon uses microcannulas or very fine needles to inject your chosen filler into the areas.
When Can I Go Back to Work?
Little recovery or downtime is needed after a minimally invasive filler or injection treatment. You might be ready to go back to work right after your treatment. At the latest, you should be able to return to your job the next day.
When Can I Exercise Again?
You can resume all your usual activities, including exercise, almost right away after your filler or injection.
In Terms of Results, What Can I Expect?
It will depend in large part on the type of filler you received and where it was injected. For the most part, results from injectable fillers last for at least six months to a year, if not longer. Usually, the results appear right away, except in the case of Sculptra and Botox. Botox and similar injections provide results that last for about three months and the medication takes 3 to 7 day to work maximally.
Are There Risks?
Although there are some risks associated with injectable fillers and non-invasive cosmetic treatments, the likelihood of risks occurring when the treatments are performed by trained surgeons is very, very low.
One of the more common complaints, affecting about 5 percent of patients, is that there isn’t enough filler in one area. If that is the case, you can return for a touch-up appointment. If you decide you are not happy with your results, it’s possible to dissolve certain types of fillers and reverse the results.
Dr. Hilger and Dr. Lyford-Pike are happy to review your injectable filler options with you at their practice in Minneapolis, MN. To schedule a consultation, call 952-844-0404 today.
