Cosmetic Dermal Fillers
(Radiesse®, Restylane, Cosmoderm®, Cosmoplast™)

When we are young, our skin is soft and elastic, free from the facial lines and tissue damage caused by time, injury, and disease. This youthful looking skin is due, in a large part, to collagen, the fibrous protein that forms the underlying support layer beneath the skin. Over time the skin's network of collagen begins to weaken, causing the skin to lose its elasticity. Dermal Fillers have been used for decades to replenish the skin's suppleness and help maintain its youthful appearance. Fillers are a safe, nonsurgical treatment that can smooth out facial lines and scars, as well as improving the look of specific parts of the body.

The treatment is nothing more than an injection of collagen / filler into a specific area. Some patients find the injections slightly uncomfortable, especially those performed on the lips or around the nose. The injection is typically no more painful than a normal shot. Some types of dermal fillers contain a small amount of lidocaine, which helps to numb the injection area. Most treatments take 30 minutes and can be accomplished during a lunch hour.

Immediately after the treatment there may be some temporary bruising, puffiness, or tenderness. This is normal and gradually subsides in a few days. Patients can resume their day-to-day activities almost immediately following the injection. The longevity of Dermal Fillers varies, lasting anywhere from six months to two or more years. Just like naturally occurring collagen, fillers gradually wear away and patients can choose to have "touch up" treatments.

In very rare cases, a shallow scar can form at the injection site. If you experience prolonged redness, swelling, itching, and firmness at the injection site, contact your physician immediately. Some individuals who have an allergy to lidocaine will have a dermal filler chosen for them.

AHA’s are a safe and natural cosmetic dermal filler that restores volume and fullness to the skin & lips to correct moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds.  AHA is the first and only cosmetic dermal filler made of non-animal-based hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is natural substances that already exist in the human body and is used to provide volume and fullness to the skin. The hyaluronic acid in Restylane is a crystal-clear gel called Non-Animal Stabilized Hyaluronic Acid. NASHA is biodegradable and completely biocompatible with human hyaluronic acid. Results may vary lasting from 6 months to a year.

Collagen is a natural protein that provides structural support. It is found throughout the body in skin, muscle, tendon, and bone. Fibers of collagen are woven together, like threads in fabric, to form a framework into which new cells can grow. Collagen provides the texture, resiliency, and shape of your skin.

CosmoDerm® and CosmoPlast™ are manufactured using the same technology that has been used to grow living human tissues in the lab for over a decade. Various forms of these human tissues have been used for years in the treatment of burns and other skin wounds.

CosmoDerm® collagen was formulated especially for people with small or shallow wrinkles or scars. It can be particularly effective in smoothing delicate frown and smile lines, as well as the fine creases that develop at the corners of the eyes and above and below the lips. It can also help correct certain kinds of shallow scars.

CosmoPlast™ collagen was designed to treat depressions requiring a stronger treatment material. It is used for more pronounced wrinkles and scars (such as deeper scars, lines, and furrows) and for areas upon which more stress is exerted (such as the corners of the mouth.) Results may vary, lasting from three to five months.

The biocompatible nature of BioForm implant products means that the physicians can concentrate on delivering care without concerns about reaction, inflammation or rejection. The primary compound used in BioForm implants is pure, synthetic calcium hydroxlapatite particles composed of calcium and phosphate ions. Because these occur naturally in the body, the compound is said to be tissue friendly. Identical in composition to the mineral portion of human bone, these particles are metabolized through normal homeostatic mechanisms, because no derivative of human or animal tissue is used in any of BioForm's implant products, there is assurance that no human or animal disease can be contracted from the implant material. In addition, all of the ingredients in the product's aqueous gel carrier are biocompatible and classified as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the U.S. Food and drug Administration (FDA). Unlike the above Dermal Fillers, Radiesse® will lasts from one to two years.

Avoid using aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, St. John's Wort, or high does of Vitamin E supplements prior to treatment, because these may increase bruising or bleeding at the injection site. You may also experienced increased bruising and bleeding if you have previously suffered from facial cold sores. Patients with an allergy to Lidocaine should avoid using CosmoDerm® or CosmoPlast™ fillers.