Injectable Fillers: What is the difference?

BOTOX, Dysport and Injectable Fillers are becoming more popular these days!  As explained in a recent article in The Capital newspaper featuring Dr. Sandel, the economy is pushing many patients towards less costly and less invasive procedures.  These treatments, although temporary, can really help improve your appearance before you decide to invest in facial rejuvenation surgery.

There are many different types of injectable fillers.  The most common being those containing hyaluronic acid.  Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring sugar that is used to plump fine lines and deep skin creases.  This gel takes a long time to be absorbed in the skin, thus allowing the filler to maintain volume for as long as 12 months.

Restylane was one of the first hyaluronic acid fillers introduced in the U.S.  There are now other products such as Juvederm Ultra, Juvederm Ultra Plus, and Perlane.  The difference in these products is in the concentration of hyaluronic acid.  Juvederm Ultra is the least concentrated making it thinner than the others.  Perlane and Juvederm UltraPlus are much more concentrated.  Restylane is somewhere in the middle.

So, what difference does this make?

Restylane, which comes in 1ml and 2ml syringes, is a great all around filler.  Dr. Sandel prefers Restylane for the cheek-lip grooves and downturned corners of the mouth.  It gives the perfect amount of volume for these deeper, harder to fill grooves.  Perlane, though a little more concentrated, is very soft and holds its shape well.  This is primarily used for defining the borders of the lips.  Perlane is excellent at giving the lips just the right amount of definition, volume and shape.  Juvederm, the thinnest of these fillers, is primarily used for very fine lines around the mouth.  Juvederm can be placed close to the surface of the skin without being noticable.