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Collagen Induction Therapy vs. Dermal Filler

As we age, our face naturally loses subcutaneous fat. This can look like under-eye hollows, hollow cheeks, and more pronounced fine lines and wrinkles. Dermal fillers can be a fast and pretty painless procedure to restore volume, but is it the best option for these concerns? This blog will touch on the cons of dermal filler and introduce alternatives that may be more beneficial to your and your body.


Dermal Fillers

What are they and what are they used for?

Dermal fillers are often made up of hyaluronic acid, which is a clear, gooey substance that is naturally occurring in the body. Dermal fillers are used to restore volume to the face and reduce the signs of aging by filling in deep lines, wrinkles, and hollows. They can also be used to shape the face by injecting filler into the cheek bone area, along the jaw line, in the lips and in the chin.


The Pros

  • the process is fast and pretty painless

  • correction of dark circles

  • volume is completely up to the patient

  • can precisely fill out your area of concern

  • treatment can be gradual

  • helps to stimulate collagen

The Cons

  • can last in your face for more than 5 years

  • can easily migrate from the under eye

  • lips can be overfilled by an inexperienced injector

  • absorbs 10x its weight in water

  • swelling and bruising is possible

  • injection into a blood vessel is possible with an inexperienced injector or bad technique

Why The Lotus Doesn't Use Dermal Filler for the Under-Eye Hollows

Including all of the cons above, filler placed under the eyes is pretty unpredictable. Dermal filler can absorb 10x its weight in water, which means that in places that experience high allergens (Texas), the filler can cause accentuation of the under-eye bags. Absorbing 10x its weight in water might be okay for lip filler, but getting swollen eyes every time pollen drops is not worth it. We generally recommend dissolving dermal filler before engaging in collagen induction therapy.

Here is an example of filler migration from the under eyes and cheeks.



Collagen Induction Therapy

What is collagen?

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body and is found in your bones, muscles, skin, and tendons. It's what helps keep the skin firm and is depleted by age, sun damage, and smoking.


What is collagen induction therapy?

Collagen induction therapy is a group of procedures used to trigger the body's response of creating new tissue that is heavy in collagen. These procedures are used to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and scarring, while tightening and enhancing skin quality. The four collagen induction procedures we offer at The Lotus are RF Microneedling, Medical-Grade Chemical Peels, Sculptra, and PRF.


RF Microneedling

RF Microneedling is a cosmetic procedure that involves puncturing your skin with tiny sterile needles that emit a frequency when the needles reach a certain depth. With microneedling, you're causing tiny injuries to your skin which stimulates your body to send healing agents such as collagen and metalloproteinases to repair the cells. These healing agents are responsible for the removal of old tissue and deposition of new dermal tissue. The new collagen provides the skin with strength and structure, thus tightening the skin and reversing fine lines and wrinkles. To read more about RF Microneedling, click here.

Here is a before and after of one of our clients during her RF Microneedling and Jeuveau journey!

Client before and after of RF Microneedling and Jeuveau treatments.


Medical-Grade Chemical Peels

Chemical peels are used to create an injury at a specific skin depth to stimulate new skin growth and enhance skin quality by improving skin texture and appearance. A chemical peel deeply exfoliates your skin and triggers the body's healing system to produce epidermal growth and dermal collagen. Chemical peels can be used to enhance treatment for conditions including acne, melasma, photodamage, superficial scars, hyperpigmentation, etc.

Here is a before and after of a client using THE PERFECT DERMA™ PEEL!

Taken from @theperfectdermapeel on Instagram.

Sculptra

Sculptra is a new cosmetic injectable used to fight wrinkles, sagging skin, and hollowness by stimulating the skin's collagen production to help restore fullness in the face. Originally approved by the FDA for HIV-positive individuals suffering from lipoatrophy, or 'facial wasting, a sinking of the cheek, eye and temple areas of the face caused by the loss of fat tissue under the skin', Sculptra has now been used as an alternative to dermal fillers. This cosmetic injectable contains a biocompatible chemical compound called poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), which is a synthetic substance that stimulates the production of collagen. Collagen production will increase in the weeks following the procedure, restoring volume, brightening your skin, and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Taken from ScluptraUSA.com | After picture is 27 weeks after 6 vials of Sculptra.


PRF or Platelet-Rich Fibrin

PRF is a second-generation PRP procedure used for under-eye hollows, thin cheeks/skin, and hair restoration. PRF is used by drawing your blood, spinning it down, and extracting a high amount of platelets, fibrin scaffolding, white blood cells and a small number of stem cells, to then inject into your areas of concern. Both platelets and fibrin are involved in the body's healing process. Fibrin forms in a biological response to an injury anywhere on the body. The platelets circling the blood will bind to a scaffold of fibrin, become "activated", and release growth factors. This triggers the wound healing process by producing collagen, new skin cells, and blood vessels. To read more about PRF, click here.


Client before and after PRF for under-eye hollows.


Dermal fillers are a quick and easy solution to facial hollowness, but they are also unpredictable in some areas. If you would like a complimentary consultation with our amazing team of injectors to decide which treatment is right for you, click here to book or call/text 210-774-2850.




Sources
Hamzawi, Nabeel K. Al, and Salih M. Al Baaj. “The Abuse of Dermal Fillers: A Clinico-Epidemiological Study of 35 Cases.” Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications, Scientific Research Publishing Inc., 4 Apr. 2019, https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation.aspx?paperid=91671.

“See before and after Sculptra® Aesthetic Results.” Sculptra Aesthetic, www.sculptrausa.com/before-after. Accessed 10 May 2022.
“How Soon Do You See Results from Sculptra?” Dermatology and Aesthetic Institute, 9 Dec. 2021, nunnallyderm.com/how-soon-do-you-see-results-from-sculptra/. Accessed 10 May 2022.
Rendon, Marta I, et al. “Evidence and Considerations in the Application of Chemical Peels in Skin Disorders and Aesthetic Resurfacing.” The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, vol. 3, no. 7, 2010, pp. 32–43, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2921757/.
“Health Benefits of Collagen: Pros, Cons, and More.” Healthline, 21 Dec. 2021, www.healthline.com/nutrition/collagen-benefits#basics. Accessed 10 May 2022.
“Dermal Fillers.” American Society of Plastic Surgeons, www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/dermal-fillers.














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