Like in other fields of surgery, non-invasive and minimally invasive procedures are becoming ever so popular in cosmetics and plastic surgery. Modern minimally invasive procedures are simple to perform, don’t require a lot of anesthesia, reduce the worry of going under the knife, minimize complications, and most importantly, provide excellent results.
Injectables are among the best ways to non-surgically lift, pump, and contour the face and neck. Injectables minimize signs of aging like volume loss, wrinkling, and sagging to define your facial features.
There are three injectables commonly used in the cosmetic industry: dermal fillers, BOTOX injections, and Kybella.
What are Dermal Fillers?
Dermal fillers are Gel substances injected under the skin to replace lost volume. Dermal fillers smoothen lines, plump the lips, reduces wrinkling, softens creases, and enhances facial contours to restore a youthful appearance.
Cosmetic surgeons use a wide variety of fillers approved by the FDA. It is vital to make sure you are receiving a filler that is FDA approved.
- Hyaluronic Acid (HA)
- Juvederm products: Juvéderm XC, VOLUMA, VOLBELLA, VOLLURE
- Restylane products: Restylane Silk, Restylane Lyft, Restylane Refyne, and Restylane Defyne
- Calcium Hydroxylapatite (CaHA)
- Poly-L-Lactic acid (Sculptra)
- Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)
What Are Neurotoxins and Botulinum Toxin Injections?
Neurotoxins, when injected into selected muscles, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Botox® is a well-known neurotoxin used in the cosmetic industry.
Botox® is a toxin extracted from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The botulinum toxin is the same toxin that causes botulism. In cosmetics and other non-cosmetic surgical procedures, the botulinum toxin is used to block nerves or paralyze muscles to relax them. Selectively paralyzing portions of muscles in the face can reduce the tightness that causes wrinkles and fine lines.
What Is Kybella?
Kybella is a bile acid (deoxycholic acid) which is a natural molecule that breaks down fat in the body.
Kybella is FDA-approved to reduce fat in various parts of the body. Unlike Botox and Dermal fillers, the results of Kybella are permanent, but most patients will need multiple sessions.
Now how can these procedures be used to improve your profile? Here are six ways
1. Voluming Up The Cheeks With Fillers
Your cheeks play an essential role in having an attractive profile. Aging reduces the fullness and flattens your cheeks. Some are genetically predisposed to having less prominent cheekbones. Nevertheless, if you are conscious about your cheeks, you can consider dermal fillers.
Dermal fillers are excellent ways to plump up your cheeks, lift your cheekbones. and add volume to your face minimizing fine lines and wrinkles.
Hyaluronic acid (Juvederm, Restylane) and Polylactic acid (Sculptra) are recommended dermal fillers for the cheek. Their effects last from 6 months to 2 years.
The injection site is disinfected, and a topical anesthetic is applied. Then the filler is injected, and it will last only 20 minutes. The results can be appreciated immediately.
2. Redefining the Chin and Jawline with Fillers
Although not as popular as cheek and lip fillers, Chin fillers have recently increased in popularity.
Optimizing the chin improves the facial contour, defines the lower portion of the face, and provides an attractive profile. As we age, we lose some bone, our jawbones shrink and regress, and the lower face starts to get saggy. Some are genetically predisposed to having a soft-looking chin and jaw.
A filler placed in the chin’s underside can elongate the chin and help define the jawline improving its contour and giving it a sharper appearance. Jaw and chin fillers can balance asymmetrical jawlines, add proportion to the chin and provide a strong foundation and frame for the face.
The most commonly used jaw fillers approved by the FDA is Hyaluronic acid (Juvederm).
3. Double Chin Reduction with Kybella®
Kybella is a compound injected underneath the chin (the submental area) to dissolve the fat and disappear the double chin effect. The main combination in the Kybella injection is a bile acid known as deoxycholic acid. Deoxycholic acids are naturally produced to absorb fat.
The mechanism by which Kybella gives a permanent effect is by destroying fat cells underneath the chin. In the absence of fat cells, there is no place for fat to be stored in the chin.
The number of sessions varies for each person, and multiple treatments may be needed to reach optimal results. The average amount of treatments required varies from 4 months to 6 months.
The best thing about Kybella is that the effects are permanent and long-lasting.
4. Lip Augmentation with Dermal Fillers
Lip augmentation is performed to impart a significant fullness and pout to the lips. Non-surgical lip augmentation is performed with dermal fillers such as hyaluronic acid (Juvederm), Restylane, and belote balance.
The advantages of using dermal fillers for lip augmentation are:
- The lip volume can be controlled. The volume of filler injected can be controlled.
- It can be performed over several sessions. Therefore, the effect can be monitored and controlled.
- Bumps disappear easily.
- Less bruising.
- Long-lasting effects. The effects may last two years.
5. Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty to Reshape the Nose.
Your nose is probably the most crucial part of your facial profile. It takes up a large portion of the outline when looked at from the side. Being present in the center of the face makes the nose an essential parameter of attractiveness.
Non-surgical rhinoplasty is also known as liquid rhinoplasty. A filler is injected underneath the skin to change the structure of the nose temporarily.
The procedure is suitable for smoothing out bumps, correcting misalignment, making the nose’s tip more prominent, lifting the tip of the nose, and adding volume to the nose.
It is important to note that liquid rhinoplasty cannot reduce the size of the nose.
Non-surgical rhinoplasty uses a dermal filler (usually hyaluronic acid) is inserted under the skin to hold and maintain its shape. The effect lasts from 4 months to 3 years.
6. Botox for the Forehead and Brow.
Forehead drinking and facial creases are signs of aging that people can’t seem to run away from. Wrinkling and facial creases such as forehead frown lines, crow’s feet, prominent nasolabial folds form because of excessive tightness and immobility of facial muscles underneath.
Therefore the treatment is aimed at loosening the related muscles. Botox is a toxin that can paralyze the muscle and bring about the desired looseness.
The botox injection takes only a few minutes. Anesthesia isn’t required, and it takes around 7-14 days to take full effect.
The effect of botox lasts from 3 to 6 months, and the toxin’s impact wears off.