As the country slowly starts to open up, Brits, both female and male are more than ever searching for and thinking about the idea of Botox and dermal filler treatments. More people than we realise, and many in our close circle of friends and family are looking into aesthetic remedies, and interest in non-surgical treatments or often coined ‘tweakments’ is at an all-time high.
The ‘Instagram generation’ has created more of a boom in certain treatments across the UK, as well as driving demand for new ways to use filler in particular, to ‘plump-out’ other areas that you may never have realised filler can be used for.
Accessibility to fillers has now been compared to walking into a salon and getting a haircut, with a recent poll about lip fillers, stating that 59% of respondents perceived that treatment to be the same as popping in for a manicure or new hairdo. Also, nowadays, Botox and/or fillers is no longer a hush-hush subject and something most women and men feel quite comfortable talking about.
Hyaluronic Acid (HA), which is found in dermal filler and is the main ingredient of UTH, is being hailed as the saviour. We may not realise it, but this ingredient already exists naturally in our body, occurring in small quantities. HA improves the volume in skin, helps to correct lines and wrinkles and makes the skin smoother and more youthful. HA fillers are injected into the dermis and subcutaneous – in ordinary terms, beneath all the layers of skin.
The use of dermal fillers is not limited to restoring the signs of aging, it can also be used to lessen the appearance of scars and fill in the indents and smoothen the texture of the effected skin. The numbers of fillers are not the only thing that is increasing – the number of places that experts are being requested is ever growing too:
Forehead
Many will instantly think of Botox being used to help iron-out wrinkles found on the forehead – but filler can equally be the right treatment option.
Whether it’s static or dynamic wrinkles – Hyaluronic Acid can be the right product to give a more youthful and smooth appearance
Static wrinkles are the ones noticeable when the forehead is rested and relaxed. As individuals age, the skins dermal layer becomes thinner. The loss of fullness and elasticity manifest in static wrinkles.
Dynamic wrinkles can also develop and no longer fade when the face relaxes. By enhancing fullness to the dermal layer, dermal fillers assist with removing wrinkles. That process fills up the tissue, improving it to appear more youthful. It’s through this process that removes the creases.
Crow’s Feet
A combination of loss of skin elasticity and collagen, and skin movement are the main causes of crow’s feet – which are the fine lines or wrinkles found around the eye area.
Traditionally, crow’s feet were treated with Botox, but not so much anymore. The idea was that if the skin didn’t move, people wouldn’t see the lines, but this didn’t address the lack of collagen.
So, now many practitioners will look to use HA dermal filler as an alternative – and often with much better and longer lasting results.
Tear trough
One of the areas many complain about as they age is the tear trough – which is the area that is situated below the lower lid and just above the cheeks. Over time, the tear trough area in both men and women can lose volume and can become more visible, resulting in hollow, dark shadows – many will investigate a solution as they believe they just constantly look tired!
HA dermal filler is brilliant at plumping out the area and aiding in a more youthful and fresh-looking appearance – knocking that tired-look on its head once and for all.
Cheeks
As we age, we start to lose the youthful volume to our face and our cheeks flatten which in turn can appear ageing. Restoring the loss of volume and building up cheekbones with dermal fillers is an excellent way to enhance the cheek areas of the face for a more youthful appearance.
Chin
Non-surgical chin enhancement and augmentation can safely and easily be done using dermal fillers. This is a less invasive and more affordable option compared to surgery.
As people age, lines, wrinkles and dimples can form on the chin. HA dermal fillers can be used to smooth out these tell-tale signs of ageing and leave a smoother and more youthful appearance.
Dermal fillers can also be used as an augmentation treatment on patients who would like to even out a pointy or squared chin in order to improve and balance out their facial features.
Nose reshaping
A non-permanent but extremely effective treatment, where thicker dermal fillers can be used to re-shape the nose and smooth out any bumps. Providing a non-surgical ‘nose job’ – this treatment is for both men and women.
Varying from patient to patient, the results from a dermal nose reshaping treatment should last six to 12 months.
Lips
When it comes to plumping out your lips – dermal fillers are perfect. HA fillers are a great option to help smooth perioral [smile] lines that have started to form, and to provide hydration, volume, and pout to the lips.
Lips are one of the most popular treatments when it comes to using filler, as over the years the nasal philtrum (ridge between the nose and mouth) tends to flatten out and individuals tend to lose youthful definition. For some, their lips may naturally be a little on the thin side due to their anatomy, so HA dermal fillers can add needed volume and shape. The lips more than any other feature is where a practitioners artistry can come into play.
Artistic contouring takes a lot of practice. Experience is of the utmost importance, especially when creating a shape that fits with an individual’s own anatomy and physiology. To regain definition, most will place a little dermal filler into the vermillion border, and in other areas of the lip to add shape, structure and volume.
Ears
As we age, so do our ears. As we get older the lack of cartilage and bone support can begin to show and our lobes can easily lose their shape – becoming thinner and longer.
Hyaluronic acid can be used to reshape and correct, and it can also increase skin quality. Furthermore, it is also commonly used to correct years of wear from earrings – which has caused damage or when the lobe has become stretched or even split.
Hands
As we age, skin becomes thinner, including the skin on hands. Dermal fillers can be used to help reduce the appearance of veins and bones in aged hands with thin skin to give a more youthful appearance.
The use of this treatment is becoming more popular with many people citing hands as the place they go to look to tell a woman’s or man’s real age – especially in a society where more and more people are having treatments on their faces, disguising their actual age.
Bust
One of the newer and more obscure ways individuals are turning to Hyaluronic Acid dermal filler is to give their breasts a lift, or more shape.
Certain aesthetic practitioners are now offering this within their treatment range, providing a short-term solution for patients.
This is a great option for those that want a much simpler, safer alternative than implant surgery. It is more of a change in contour and shape, than completely changing the look.
Another trend on the rise is nipple injections. This treatment involves HA based dermal filler being injected into your nipple. Usually, it’s done to make nipples more pointy and perky. A similar procedure can be done to add colour.
People may get nipple injections to increase nipple projection after breast reconstruction surgery. Breast reconstruction can flatten the nipple, but injectable fillers can make it look more natural and pointier. Other people get the injection to make their nipples more visible through clothing. This is often done for small or inverted nipples.
Bottom
Finally, HA is now becoming the new injectable turn-to as an alternative to a surgical butt-lift, and requests for gluteal augmentation fillers are continually rising. Non-invasive options are available due to the power of hyaluronic acid when injected, as it can induce the body’s own collagen to grow around the product to volumize the skin.
Using dermal fillers regularly will not stop nature taking its course, but it holds a lot of power when it comes to helping individuals look and feel more confident as they do get older. While all the above procedures are quick, easy, and most find them pain-free with minimal down time, it should always be done by a registered and accredited practitioner and with products that are safe and certified.