With age, our faces begin to reveal the effects of gravity, sun exposure and even years of muscle movements such as that of smiling and chewing. Tissues which keep the skin looking youthful eventually break down leaving unwanted lines and creases where muscle movement occurs. To help rejuvenate your appearance, facial fillers or injectable fillers are used to restore the youthful fullness to your face, softening facial creases and wrinkles.

When injected beneath the skin, the filler plumps up creases and sunken areas of the face. Dermal fillers have been called “liquid facelifts” because they offer many of the benefits of a surgical facelift without the downtime. Despite not being able to help with sagging skin, these soft tissue fillers can add more volume and provide immediate results at a lower cost than surgery.

The two most common materials used in fillers are:

Hyaluronic acid which is a natural substance found in your body. Higher concentrations of this acid are found in soft connective tissue and in the fluid around your eyes. The brand names for this injection are Juvederm, Perlance, Restylane and Belotero.

Calcium hydroxylapatite which is found in the human bones. This mineral-like compound is reserved to fill the deepest creases such as nasolabial folds and marionette lines. It’s also used to enhance fullness of the cheeks and other facial contours. Calcium-based microspheres are suspended in a water-based gel. The brand names for this injection are Radiesse and Radiance.

It is important to note that the results of these treatments are not permanent as injected material will eventually metabolize. Depending on the type of filler used, the results may last upwards of one year or more.