Fillers are injectable implants. These are mainly for wrinkles and folds at rest. "We'll also use them for volume to fill up certain areas where patients have lost fat, lost collagen. There are multiple types of fillers and they're described by the material in the filler," Facial Plastic Surgeon Dr. Etai Funk explains.
He says HA fillers, or hyaluronic fillers, are the most popular because they are probably the safest and most effective. Hyaluronic acid is found naturally in our body in our ligaments, tendons, in our connective tissues. These fillers are Restylane, Perlane, and Juvaderm.
Synthetic hyaluronic acid fillers work to plump lips, fill smile and marionette lines, and lighten under eye circles. However, Dr. Funk warns the under eye area has a lot of room for error. "The skin in this area is extremely thin. It needs to be a deep injection, otherwise, the filler may show just underneath the skin," he says.
The cost of Restylane, Perlane, or Juvaderm ranges from $500-$700 per syringe. One to two syringes is the norm, and it will last about six months.
"Other types of fillers are Radiesse and Sculptra. Radiesse is made of calcium hydroxyl appetite, which is an injectable form of bone.
This is an excellent filler for volume, when you've lost fat, collagen, where we can structure more fullness around the cheeks," says Dr. Funk.
Radiesse costs between $650-$850 per syringe and can last about a year to a year and a half.
"Sculptra is a different filler all together. The other fillers are like planting sod, whereas with Sulptra, we're planting a seed. What Sculptra does is allow your own collagen to build upon the injectable filler in the area. Sculptra is injected differently than other fillers. It's done in sessions -- one month apart, and typically you'll use one to two vials per session," he says.
Each vial is $700-$900 dollars. It costs two to three thousand dollars in total, but can last up to two years.
A good question to ask about fillers: what is the best filler for me and the areas I'm most concerned about? Dr. Funk also adds, "Whether you are going to a plastic surgeon, facial plastic surgeon, dermatologist or a nurse injector, what is critical is that they've been trained well in terms of injections and they're knowledgeable about the products and had plenty of experience injecting these products."
Next, ask: what is your experience and product knowledge? Make sure to go to a plastic surgeon, facial plastic surgeon, dermatologist or nurse injector who knows about the products and has experience using them.
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