Dermal Fillers

In today’s frenetically paced society, individuals are seeking

out less invasive treatments that offer many of the benefits of

a surgical facelift at a lower cost, without the need for a

lengthy post-procedural recovery period. Often referred to as ‘liquid facelifts,’ injectable dermal fillers have become increasingly popular over the past ten years, because they fill the need for maximum results with minimal disruption to patients’ daily lives.

Understanding Dermal Fillers

Dermal fillers fit conveniently into even the busiest patients’ schedules, and offer immediate results at a lower cost and with minimal discomfort. The active ingredient in many of the newest dermal fillers is hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid (HA) draws and holds water into the skin, helping to “plump,” smooth, and moisturize the skin. As we age, our hyaluronic acid

levels decrease, resulting in a number of

problematic aesthetic facial issues.

BENEFITS OF DERMAL FILLERS

Replenish lost volume in the cheeks and lips
Smooth, correct, and soften deep folds, wrinkles, and facial lines
Shape and contour the face and cheeks
Diminish the appearance of recessed scars
Enhance and augment the lips

Dermal fillers offer the benefit of immediately visible results; however, these results are not permanent, and periodic follow-up treatments must be conducted in order to maintain the results. Botox and other skin rejuvenation treatments are often used in conjunction with dermal fillers. At M-E CLINIC, with Dr Mohamed El Assal is pleased to offer a variety of safe, effective, and highly respected hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers.

Consultation

During your visit, Dr Mohamed El Assal will be happy to guide you through this cornucopia of cosmetic options. Your face deserves customized treatment so you can look as young and radiant as you’ve ever wanted, and thanks to the array of available dermal fillers our expert doctors can make it happen. Use this face-to-face time to bring up any questions or concerns, previous health and medical issues, and current medications and dietary supplements so that we can help you achieve your dream face while staying completely safe.

Types of Dermal Fillers

The market of injectables carries an array of dermal fillers of both the synthetic and natural varieties to keep patients looking young and attractive. The effects, longevity, and costs of these products vary somewhat, so schedule a consultation appointment with Dr Mohamed El Assal at M-E CLINIC to go over your options and decide which one will fulfill all your dermal filler needs and desires.

Amalian (Natural Face)

amalian® is a range of mono-phasic and bi-phasic hyaluronic acid based dermal fillers manufactured in Germany The product range includes two distinct sub brands for the mono-phasic and bi-phasic lines, LT for the mono-phasic soft cross-linked hyaluronic acid and expert for the bi-phasic product using the CIS technology of highly cross-linked hyaluronic acid micro-particles inside a non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid shell.

amalian balance

Hyaluronic acid gel for improving skin hydration.It is specially developed for rejuvenation, bio revitalising and hydration of face, décolleté, neck and hands using a mesotherapy technique into the upper (superficial) dermis.It is recommended to repeat treatments three times at two-week intervals.Touch-up treatments should be performed every four to six months for long lasting skin rejuvenation.

amalian lips expert (Structure)

amalian lips expert is a highly cross-linked hyaluronic acid gel for a stronger lip augmentation.

It should be applied very economically with a minimum of punctures and follow up treatment are advisable.

Lip augmentation with this product may cause swelling which can last for 3 - 4 days.

For a fine to medium lip augmentation it is recommended that amalian I LT active, amalian II LT intense or amalian LT beauty lips be used instead of amalian lips expert. As with the other expert amalian gels, amalian lips expert shows a very high effectiveness in terms of durability and long lastingness.

amalian II expert effect (Contour)

This bi-phasic highly cross-linked hyaluronic acid gel (for use by experienced users) is suitable for medium to deep wrinkles and folds, for acne scars and the vermilion border of the lips.

This gel has to be injected into the middle to deep dermis and claims to require less material than any other hyaluronic acid gels to achieve a long-lasting effect.

amalian III expert volume (Construct)

Bi-phasic gel designed to restore age related facial volume loss (lipoatrophy) and contours. This formulation is used for cheek and chin augmentation, deep folds and scars and for re-contouring of the jawline, as well as so called ‘liquid lift’ face lifts.It is injected into the deep dermis and is used like the other ‘expert line’ products in smaller quantities.

Juvéderm

Juvéderm® is one of the best known injectable gels for facial volumization and contouring. It has an exceptionally high percentage of hyaluronic acid, a natural element of the skin which keeps skin looking fresh and young, and which we lose gradually with age. There are three products in the Juvéderm family, each customized to a specific part of the face.

Juvéderm Voluma XC

This particular gel is made to fill out the cheeks, which can become gaunt and hollow with time. Juvéderm Voluma XC® fights this drooping and sinking of the cheek area by plumping it right back up, making the entire face look bright and ageless.

Juvéderm XC

Juvéderm XC® is tailor-made for lines around the mouth, nose, and nasolabial region, which tend to be overrun with creases as the patient gets older. The injection reintroduces depleted hyaluronic acid into the area, lifting away those lines and brightening up your whole smile.

Juvéderm Ultra XC

A third injectable from Juvéderm is Juvéderm® Ultra XC®. This product is geared toward the lips, which can often be thinner than patients would prefer. When injected, the Juvéderm gel fills out the lips and gives them the ample, juicy appearance that everybody craves.

Restylane

Restylane is another hyaluronic acid-based product designed to decrease moderate to severe creases. In fact, this was the very first dermal filler on the market to use H.A. in fixing cosmetic issues on the face via needle. Since then it has been used to treat millions of people all over the globe. The results of Restylane can be seen for 6 to 12 months depending on the area of treatment.

There are several different Restylane products, each with its own strengths; during your consultation Dr. Richards, Dr. Jabs, and Dr. Magge can help steer you in the right direction depending on your problem areas. The basic Restylane formula is best suited to fill in wrinkles around the eyes and corners of the mouth.

Restylane-L

Restylane-L consists of the same basic formula, but with the addition of lidocaine to make injections more comfortable for patients. However, individuals who are allergic to lidocaine should steer clear of this product.

Restylane Lyft

This compound is geared especially toward creating volume and suppleness in the cheeks for a more filled-out, youthful facial appearance.

Restylane Silk

Restylane Silk is created to be a thinner substance, making it the perfect choice for areas where the skin tends to be much thinner. For under eyes, lips, and delicate skin around the lips, many patients choose Restylane Silk for the smoothest possible effect.

What Are My Other Options?

The quest for a safe, reliable, long lasting soft tissue filler has resulted in various substances being tried with differing results. The goal is to have an injectable substance that is virtually the same as the body’s natural soft tissue. It should be non-allergenic, non-colored, and not cause lumpinesswhen properly placed. In addition, it should last a long time between needing to be injected again.

Over the years various substances have been tried with various amounts of success. We are closer today than we have ever beenin finding the “perfect” filler.

For some areas such as fat depressions and lips, using your own fat harvested from any area where you may have some extra, works well. This does require “harvesting” the fat (a small procedure done under local anesthesia using a special needle) and not being able to predict accurately how much of the fat will remain over time. The big plus is you are using your own, natural, soft tissue filler.

For most people who want to keep it simple, Juvederm, Restylane and Amelian are good choices. These compounds are made up of the same molecules (hyaluronic acid) found in your skin that provide the “plumpness” that is associated with youth. They are crystal clear and can be injected with minimal discomfort using topical anesthetics. They last up to one year and give excellent results in reducing moderate to severe wrinkles and folds found on the face.

Recovery

Recovering from most dermal filler injections is not very arduous and requires little to no downtime. Most procedures allow you to return immediately to work or other daily errands, although it is advisable that patients try to avoid strenuous activity during the first few days.

Follow-up visits with Dr Mohamed El Assal can help you steer clear of any side effects or complications, although in many cases some mild bruising and swelling is perfectly normal and will vanish within a days.

Results

The outcome of your dermal filler adventure relies heavily upon the treatment route you have chosen. Dr Mohamed El Assal can give you more detailed information about what to expect from each respective product, as some deliver immediate results while some strip away age from the face more gradually.

Your treatment choice will also dictate how long the results last, since this can range from a few months up to several years in some instances.