Facial Fillers – Am I Going to Look Overfilled?

When did people start looking so overfilled? What has been the norm in the facial filling community isn’t really normal at all. In fact, too much filler makes people start to look odd and people weirdly start looking alike. The problem is not only too much filler but filler placed improperly. Filler can be addictive, and when it’s easily available some people just want more, more, more. When others around them seem to have a similar look, it normalizes an appearance that is unnatural. Ideally placed filler can provide balance and a youthful fullness. Too much filler is actually aging. The new trend amongst aesthetic professionals is slowly leaning towards a more natural look. At Blue Water Spa, natural looking results have always been our goal. So, if you’ve been holding off on getting filler for concern about a natural look, the team of expert injectors at Blue Water Spa can provide a beautiful, and natural looking result. Learn more about dermal fillers

Adding Fullness to Lips and Cheeks

For decades, people have been looking for ways to add fullness to the face, specifically to their lips and cheeks. The evolution of products for filling and rejuvenation of the face is here. It is important to remember that even the products currently used and that are thought of as safe, and not necessarily ideal for every part of the face. Areas of the face where there is significant mobility, like the lips, nasolabial folds and marionette linked need a soft material. Areas like the temples, and cheeks could possibly be safely injected with filler material that is more dense. It is important to remember that no matter the products that is used, the end result is all about the expertise of the medical professional performing the treatment. A physician, or nursing professional who has a deep understanding of the vascular system of the face, understand the nuance of soft tissue augmentation and understands anatomy including the location of nerves and muscles will be able to provide patients with a safe and beautiful result.

• Free Silicone was one of the very first products to be used for soft tissue augmentation of the face and lips. In some cases, the initial appearance could be pleasing, but the complications were so significant that the product was banned in the early 1990’s
• Bovine Collagen –, known in popular culture as “collagen injections” were extremely popular throughout the nineties. This type of collagen derived from cows, may cause allergic reactions in some individuals. Therefore, allergy testing was required before patients could experience Collagen injections, the brand names, Zyderm and Zyplast. The fill did not last long and many people were allergic to these products, so the search continues for the ideal product
• Cadaveric Materials – Tissue or biomaterials derived from human cadavers, were an option used by some after bovine collagen had fallen out of favor. Cadaveric products used for soft tissue augmemtation included AlloDerm – A human-derived acellular dermal matrix (ADM) from donated cadaveric skin, often used in reconstructive and cosmetic procedures, including lip augmentation.Dermaplant – A similar product to AlloDerm, made from cadaveric dermal tissue. Cymetra – A micronized form of AlloDerm that could be injected, making it a viable option for lip enhancement, and fascia, and acellular cadaveric gastrocnemius fascia material.
• PMMA (Polymethyl Methacrylate) – A synthetic biocompatible material used in dermal fillers. PMMA was known to create a lot of granulomas and therefore quickly fell out of favor.
• Hyaluronic Acid (HA) – A naturally occurring substance in the body that retains moisture and is widely used in dermal fillers. Hyaluronic acid fillers were absolutely revolutionary and changed soft tissue filling forever. Restylane was the first hyauluronic acid filler, followed by Juvederm and many others.
• Other products like porcine (pork) products, Calcium Hydroxyappetite and others have come and gone over the years.
• Other than hyaluronic acid products, the other mainstay has been structural fat grafting. Fat grafting is thought by some to be the absolute best product for filling. Others find it controversial. It is arguably the most challenging product to use, It is always administered with cannulas and generally, is a procedure administered by board-certified plastic surgeons.
• The newest injectable that looks like it is here to stay is injectable PRF, or platelet rich plasma. Many patients like the idea that it is their very own tissue, with results that can look and feels natural when administered by a medical professional with expertise.