What are Dermal Fillers?
Dermal fillers are an injectable, synthetic form of hyaluronic acid. At the Ottawa Laser Clinic, our dermal fillers instantly restore your skin’s volume and smooth away deep lines and facial creases with no surgical procedure and minimal downtime.
As we age, our skin loses elasticity, volume and the amount of hyaluronic acid within gradually diminishes. As a result, the skin becomes dryer, thinner, and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles are more apparent. Dermal fillers are an excellent remedy for this inevitable stage of skin aging.
Benefits
Dermal fillers can be used to address a variety of concerns related to the facial aging process, including:
- Adding volume and smoothing out the deep creases that run from the nose to the mouth (called nasolabial folds or laugh lines).
- Plumping thin lips and smoothing out vertical lines around the edges of the lips.
- Augmenting cheeks to enhance their shape, often restoring youthful fullness.
- Filling out depressions (hollows) under the eye area.
- Making indented scars from acne or chicken pox more even with surrounding skin.
- Increasing volume to fill out gauntness in the lower cheek or temple area, which most often occurs due to fat pads shifting beneath the surface of the skin.
All of our injectable services are performed by our Cosmetic Injection Specialist.
Ideal Candidate
If your skin has shown signs of losing its elasticity and you wish to revitalize your appearance with a more youthful glow, dermal fillers are the answer. However, there are some people for whom dermal fillers may not be a wise solution, unfortunately. These include pregnant or breastfeeding women, and those with a history of hypertrophic scarring, autoimmune disease, autoimmune deficiency, recurrent sore throats, rheumatic fever, porphyria, or taking anti-coagulation or immunosuppressive medication.
Pre-/Post-Treatment
Prior to dermal filler treatment, you should:
- avoid using Aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (such as Ibuprofen), St. John’s Wort, or high doses of vitamin E supplements, as these agents may increase bruising and bleeding at the injection site
- speak with your doctor if you have previously suffered from facial cold sores. They may prescribe a medication to minimize recurrence.
After your dermal filler treatment, you should:
- avoid touching the treated area for the first 6 hours following treatment, so you do not accidentally injure your skin while the area is numb
- gently wash the area with soap and water after 6 hours has passed
- use cold compresses to reduce swelling, and avoid exposure to cold temperatures or intense heat (e.g., sun lamp or sunbathing)
- avoid taking Aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, St. John’s Wort, or high doses of vitamin E supplements for 1 week after treatment, as these agents may increase bruising and bleeding at the injection site
If you experience side effects such as swelling redness, pain, itching or discolouration beyond 14 days, contact your injection specialist.