No matter our age, almost all of us can attest to looking in the mirror and seeing something we’d like to change. As we get older, it tends to be fine lines, wrinkles, and loss of volume that catch our eye the most. If you’re ready to talk to a professional about addressing your concerns, call Persona Med Spa in Houston, TX to discuss your options, including Juvederm.
What Causes Our Skin to Change?
When we’re young, our skin has a lot going for it. First, collagen production is at its peak. Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies and makes up our skin and connective tissue. It’s also responsible for the structure of our skin, keeping it plump and taut. Elastin production ensures young skin stays in and returns to place by keeping it elastic. Hyaluronic acid is produced to attract and keep moisture, so our skin looks and feels supple and dewy, but our production of all three declines once we turn 18.
Another thing young skin has going for it is that the years of sun exposure haven’t started to show on our faces. All those days of missed sunscreen and accidental burns equates to sun damage. That further adds to the breakdown of collagen, leading to wrinkles, and can cause brown spots on our skin.
When the structure of our skin breaks down, we lose volume, and it creates small voids. Our skin falls into those voids, creating deep folds, lines, and wrinkles. The age these lines appear and their severity depends on a lot of things, like genetics, sun exposure, lifestyle and overall skincare. When your skin shows signs of aging that distract and dishearten you, it may be time to talk to your skincare specialist about Juvederm.
What Is Juvederm?
Juvederm is a line of injectable dermal fillers containing a smooth gel derived from hyaluronic acid, the complex sugar our bodies create to lubricate and moisturize our skin. The FDA approved it in 2006 for the treatment of moderate to severe facial folds, wrinkles, and lines. There is no pre-testing required to receive this treatment, and the gel is fully biodegradable and biocompatible. Once the product breaks down, it is fully absorbed by the body with little to no risk of an allergic reaction.
Unlike other dermal fillers, Juvederm’s pliable and smooth gel provides soft and natural results. Once injected, it fills the voids between the collagen and elastin where our skin’s natural hyaluronic acid has been lost. It not only fills wrinkles and folds, but it also adds to the skin’s hydration. It can help add volume to thinning lips and fill in vertical lines around the lips that make lipstick and gloss run.
Another injectable in the Juvederm line, Voluma XC, has been approved by the FDA to restore lost volume in the cheek area. Voluma XC works to restore lost volume so the face regains a youthful curve and the overall shape is enhanced. This injectable contains lidocaine, a topical anesthetic, so treatment is extremely comfortable.
What to Expect
A full consultation is needed to determine your areas of concern and expected results. Your provider will recommend the course of treatment needed to maximize your outcome, and it may include more than one dermal filler because each is formulated to do different things. There is no preparation needed, but you may be asked to pause taking blood-thinning supplements and over-the-counter medications like aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen to lessen the likelihood of bruising.
On the day of your treatment, your provider may apply a topical numbing agent to maximize your comfort. A series of injections will be made to targeted areas, and your skincare specialist will be able to monitor progress because the results are immediate. This allows them and you to see progressive results and adjust. Depending on the filler chosen and the area to be treated, appointments can last between 15 minutes to an hour.
There is no downtime associated with dermal fillers, and you’ll be able to resume your normal routine immediately after. You’ll leave the office looking refreshed and more youthful–no waiting for results.
Results
What makes dermal fillers so popular is the immediacy and longevity of results. You will leave the office with soft, natural-looking results. Your lines will be filled in and plumpness restored to areas of volume loss. Depending on the filler and the area treated, results can last up to two years. Your provider will recommend a schedule for maintenance to extend those results.
Who Is a Good Candidate?
Only your provider can determine if dermal fillers are right for you. If you’re in generally good health and have concerns about lost volume, facial folds and lines, dermal fillers may be the right solution. Many clients achieve their desired results for areas of concern like:
- Nasolabial folds
- Marionette lines
- Vertical lip lines
- Thinning lips
- Volume loss in cheek, cheekbone, temporal and jawline areas
What Is the Right Age to Get Juvederm?
Wanting to stave off or reverse the signs of aging is something most people can relate to. So what’s the right age to consider getting dermal fillers? The answer isn’t so simple. It’s important to focus on the area of concern rather than an age. Patients need to be at least 18 to decide on their own, but a parent can allow fillers on younger clients. Only a skincare specialist can make a recommendation for fillers and discuss options for problem areas, but here are some things to consider:
Bone Structure
People who have lost volume because of lost collagen production can regain their youthful contour in their temporal and cheek areas, but younger patients can benefit, too. If a younger patient was born with a weak bone structure around their cheeks or jaw, dermal fillers can help give definition where, genetically, there wasn’t any. In this way, fillers should only be used by adults because they could hinder bone structure development for younger people.
Fuller, More Defined Lips
As we age, our lips can lose volume. Fillers can help replenish that volume or just add volume to already thin lips. This is another reason a younger client may want filler. If you have genetically thin lips, dermal fillers can enhance your pout without risk of inhibiting any kind of growth. When used by a trained professional, the results will make your lips look soft, enhancing your look rather than making them stand out as unnatural.
Folds, Lines, and Wrinkles
While it makes sense that patients in their late 30s and on are getting fillers to replace the lost volume that causes moderate to deep folds, lines and wrinkles, patients younger than 30 are using dermal fillers as a preventative measure. Those clients who start early with very small amounts of filler may age differently than those who wait to use it as a corrective measure.
Whether filler is right for a client at a young age depends on the person and their skin and structure, but some doctors say prevention makes corrections easier.
A Comprehensive Treatment Plan
Your skincare specialist may recommend other treatments to complement dermal fillers. If you want to combat the signs of aging on your entire face, talk to your specialist about all your concerns so your plan can get you the results you’re seeking.
BOTOX
BOTOX is the most popular cosmetic treatment in the world for a reason–it works. BOTOX is a purified protein extracted from the Clostridium botulinum bacterium that’s been approved by the FDA for cosmetic enhancement. BOTOX works to address wrinkles at their source–movement.
We make the same facial expressions over and over throughout our entire lives. The specific muscles that make those movements bring the skin on top along for the ride. After decades, our skin looks like a map of those movements. BOTOX is an injectable that blocks the nerve signal from getting to the muscle, allowing it to relax.
When the targeted muscle relaxes, the skin above it smooths, making these dynamic wrinkles far less visible. This treatment is ideal for:
- Frown lines
- Crow’s feet
- Bunny lines
- Forehead lines
Collagen Boosting Treatments
Remember, collagen gives our skin structure, smoothness, and a youthful glow. Fillers and BOTOX work to correct specific wrinkles, lines, and areas of volume loss. There are other treatments that can boost your overall production of collagen to help with skin laxity, uneven tone and texture, and a dull complexion.
When certain treatments are provided, it can “trick” your skin into thinking it’s been injured, though it won’t feel or look like it has. When deeper layers of your skin start to heal, your body produces collagen and elastin so the cells that regenerate look younger, more even, and smooth.
Acupuncture Facials
When this ancient healing technique is used on the face, deeper levels of your skin are reached by the acupuncture needles. This triggers the body’s healing process and can cause:
- Improved appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- Softer skin and more even tone
- Improved muscle tone
- More defined jawline
- Reduced puffiness
- Reduction or elimination of acne and rosacea
ReFirme
ReFirme is a non-invasive treatment that uses a combination of infrared light and radiofrequency to significantly increase skin’s elasticity and tone. The infrared light heats the tissue, so it acts like a conductor to allow the radio frequency to permeate deeper layers of the skin, triggering the production of collagen. Results are immediate and continue to improve over time as collagen regenerates and improves the structure, elasticity, and tone of the skin.
If you have skin laxity concerns in your face, jowl, neck, brow lines and skin under your eyes, this could be the solution you’ve been looking for. Clients may see their ideal results after three treatments, while others may opt for up to six sessions to maximize their outcome depending on the condition of their skin and area to be treated.
Ultherapy
This nonsurgical therapy uses ultrasound energy to focus on a specific depth in the skin to heat the tissue and stimulate the production of collagen and elastin. Approved by the FDA, Ultherapy treats mild-to-moderate skin laxity in the mid-face, neck, brows, and eyelids in as little as one treatment.
Call for a Consultation
You can take control of your aging process no matter what stage of life you’re in. Be sure to trust your face only to professionals. Call the skincare experts at Persona Med Spa in Houston, TX to schedule a consultation. They will partner with you to develop a personalized treatment plan that will address all your concerns and leave you with a refreshed and more youthful appearance. A more confident and self-assured you is just a call away.