Injectable wrinkle fillers Texas, Collagen, Radiesse, and Restylane

You look in the mirror and see tiny wrinkles and laugh lines, but they're barely noticeable right now.

And you want to keep it that way. You may want to look into the no-scalpel approach--anti-aging solutions that are ideal if you're not ready for an invasive procedure like a face lift .

Essentially, the way your skin looks relates to the way your skin is supported; wrinkles form when your natural collagen layer thins as you age. Also weakening collagen fibers are sun exposure, disease, injury, heredity, and lifestyle (smoking and poor nutrition, for example).

Because we all eventually see signs of aging in our skin, doctors are doing lots of injections these days-- BOTOX®, Collagen, the NEW Radiesse® (formerly Radiance ) and Restylane® , and GFX are some of the most popular. Some patients choose to have these treatments along the way so that they will never need invasive surgery ; they stay happy with the results of stopgap skin treatments.

What it boils down to is this: Your face may be looking older, but sagging skin may not be the reason. Do you have lines around your lips or mouth, frown lines, acne scars, or other depressions or scars? If so, today you have a number of options to choose from for correcting the problem. Injectable tissue fillers diminish wrinkles and fill in creases, folds, and facial depressions, and many of these can make a big difference in your appearance.

Do note, however, that these treatments don't replace a face lift, laser skin resurfacing, or an eyelid lift, but they are excellent options if you're just beginning to notice signs of aging and these bother you.

For information on how tissue fillers can benefit you, call Facial Plastic Surgery Associates, 713-526-5665.

	Patient before & after Collagen injections

Collagen is the most abundant natural protein in the body, and it provides structural support to skin, muscle, tendons, and bone. Collagen gives your skin texture, resiliency, and shape. Collagen is also a natural protein that is harvested from the deep skin of cows. For 20+ years, collagen skin fillers have been proven safe and effective.

These products, a natural protein similar to that found in your skin and supporting tissues, include Zyplast ®, Zyderm ®, CosmoDerm ®, and CosmoPlast ®.

At Facial Plastic Surgery Associates, Dr. Kridel will use a fine needle to inject collagen into your skin, directly into a depressed area. Collagen is incorporated into the tissue, thus raising the skin and smoothing out the indentation (wrinkle).

Dr. Kridel can also use it to make lips fuller. Your doctor injects in your lips and the result is temporary lip fullness. In about three months, the collagen is resorbed into the body. To get the same effect again, you repeat the procedure.

CosmoDerm® and CosmoPlast® are collagen skin fillers that are injected just below the surface to smooth wrinkles, fill in furrows and folds, and restore the lip border. CosmoDerm® is used for fine lines, while CosmoPlast® is for the treatment of deeper lines and furrows. Most common areas treated with these two products are smile lines around your nose and mouth, frown lines between the eyes, acne scars, fine lines above the mouth, and the lip border (for definition).

Collagen injections are relatively painless. To minimize discomfort, your doctor can apply a topical or local anesthetic. After injections, you may have temporary swelling and redness, but most people are able to resume activities immediately after treatment.

Touchup treatments for collagen injections are usually needed in three to six months . Without repeat treatment, collagen is gradually absorbed by the body, and your face returns to its original contours.

	Patient before & after Radiance ® injections

What's most exciting about this tissue filler is that it lasts the longest of options available today-- up to one or more years in some people.

For many people, Radiesse ® is the answer in staving off the need for a face lift. It successfully softens folds around the sides of the mouth and lip lines. It should not be used to make lips fuller, however.

People like the big advantage of Radiesse ® -- that it doesn't have to be done repeatedly. Naturally, there's a higher price tag due to the fact that it's more longlasting than the other options.

Furthermore, Radiesse ® has a good safety record. It was FDA-approved many years ago, but was introduced and trialed in cosmetic use only recently. However, Radiesse ® has long been valuable for other medical uses.

When Radiesse ® is injected in your face, you may experience mild discomfort, but to ease the treatment, your doctor at Facial Plastic Surgery Associates will use a numbing medication.

	Before & after Restylane ® injection to lips

This crystal-clear biodegradable gel is injected into nasolabial folds, which can benefit greatly from Restylane ®. Some patients report that they think the result "looks better" than the results of collagen. (Incidentally, with injections, more people experience allergic reactions, about two of 100 patients, compared to one in several thousand with Restylane ®.)

Restylane ® is also used for sculpting lips. You may want to have a more pronounced mouth or a soft pouting look. For a more pronounced mouth, your doctor injects Restylane ® inside the upper and/or lower lip. This is often combined with the marking of the contour of the lip; your doctor injects Restylane ® gel along the lip line. This prevents lipstick bleeding into lines around your lips. Gel may also be injected in the lines that go toward the nose, for an optimal result.

It's important to note that these treatments don't replace the face lift, laser skin resurfacing, or eyelid lift, but can be good options for someone who is just beginning to be bothered by signs of aging. For information on how this can benefit you, call 713-526-5665 .