As we age, we experience inevitable collagen and fat loss in the face, diminishing its youthful fullness. Facial fillers restore volume to the face and rejuvenate the skin for a fraction of the cost of a facelift. Hollows, fine lines, and deeper wrinkles can be corrected in under a half hour, producing results that can last between four months to a year. Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Goretti Ho Taghva of LEA Plastic Surgery offers a wide range of facial fillers and injectables in Newport Beach for patients who want to look younger without surgery. If you live in Orange County and are considering fillers to correct fine lines or hollows, request a consultation to determine the right injectable fillers for your specific concerns.
What Are Dermal Fillers?
Non-surgical cosmetic treatments such as facial fillers are used to restore volume to the areas of the face that have lost structure due to aging. Common uses for injectables include smoothing out lines around the mouth, frown lines, marionette lines, and nasolabial folds.
Fillers are also effective at restoring volume to hollows beneath the eyes, plumping thin lips, restoring facial volume, and even improving the look of recessed acne scars. Other injectables at our Orange County office can address “dynamic” wrinkles, which are caused by repetitive muscle movements, rather than volume loss.
All injectables at LEA in Newport Beach are administered using fine needles and allow patients to get back to their normal activities right away.
Am I a Good Candidate for Facial Fillers?
Men and women in Orange County who are interested in facial fillers to restore facial volume, smooth out fine lines and wrinkles, and achieve facial skin rejuvenation may be good candidates for one or more injectables. Ideal candidates are non-smokers in good physical health who have a positive outlook and realistic aesthetic goals.
The Consultation for Facial Fillers
Before scheduling your first facial filler treatment, an injectables consultation is necessary to determine your candidacy and to make sure you receive the right course of treatment.
During this meeting, Dr. Goretti Ho Taghva will ask you about your cosmetic goals and discuss the options available to you. She will recommend a treatment plan and may suggest supplemental or alternative procedures to help you reach your goals.
Be prepared to go over your medical history and any current medications you are taking. Past treatment of fillers, BOTOX® Cosmetic, and other non-surgical and surgical procedures will be taken into account.
Make sure to bring a list of questions to ask Dr. Ho Taghva during your consultation. The doctor will be happy to help you understand the benefits and risks of your different treatment options.
Injectables at LEA Plastic Surgery
Dr. Goretti Ho Taghva offers the following injectables in Newport Beach and Orange County:
Fillers
Most injectable fillers are comprised of hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring molecule in the body. Hyaluronic acid filler treatments provide natural-looking volume and offer long-lasting, but temporary, results.
Juvederm
Juvederm is a hyaluronic acid filler that is often used to restore fullness to facial features such as the cheeks and to smooth out nasolabial folds and marionette lines. The Juvederm family of products can also fill and soften lines on the lips. HA (hyaluronic acid) in Juvederm works to restore moisture and elasticity while adding volume to the skin. These injections can last between 6 and 18 months.
Restylane
Restylane is similar to Juvederm in that it smooths facial wrinkles and can be used to plump thin lips.
There are a variety of Restylane products, including Restylane Lyft and Restylane Silk. Lyft corrects deep wrinkles and nasolabial folds and can also add volume to the cheeks or fullness to the backs of hands, while Silk is often used as a lip filler.
Restylane products use hyaluronic acid for an immediate smoothing effect and can last from 6 to 18 months, depending on the application.
Bellafill
This injectable filler stimulates collagen to improve the look of wrinkles, smooth facial contours, and treat acne scarring on the face. Bellafill is FDA-approved to treat the cheeks, lips, and nasolabial folds around the nose and mouth.
Sculptra
Sculptra is FDA-approved to build fullness in the cheeks and fill hollows in the face. It can thicken the skin to smooth out lines and wrinkles. Sculptra uses poly-L-lactic acid to promote healthy collagen production. This filler generally takes a few treatments for the best results.
RHA Fillers in Newport Beach, CA
RHA fillers are designed to treat dynamic wrinkles. These are lines that naturally move due to facial expressions. Forehead wrinkles and folds around the mouth are commonly treated with RHA fillers because they restore volume in addition to smoothing the skin.
Unlike other injectables, RHA fillers use fewer chemical modifications. The skin is kept moist due to a formula that mimics hyaluronic acid. By using this base, RHA fillers look natural for both static and dynamic wrinkles and can last for up to 15 months.
Facial wrinkles can be classified in two ways: static and dynamic. Static wrinkles are primarily due to the natural process of aging; a loss of collagen combined with a decrease in skin elasticity creates static lines and sagging skin. Examples of static wrinkles include neck and marionette lines.
Dynamic wrinkles form due to certain expressions such as laughing. The wrinkles solidify when an expression is used over and over again. These lines can be difficult to treat with HA fillers because consistent adaptation to movement is necessary for a natural look. RHA fillers achieve this flexibility by retaining water and volume so that the smile crinkles appear relaxed.
A full range of facial expressions is also necessary to retain an individual’s personality. Instead of using Botox to paralyze the nerves, many choose RHA fillers to reduce particularly deep lines. Common target areas include the corners of the eyes and between the eyebrows.
To make an appointment with Dr. Goretti Ho Taghva, please contact us today.
Neuromodulators
Neuromodulators are injections that correct fine lines and wrinkles by relaxing the underlying muscles of the treatment area. Patients use these injectables to treat sagging skin, frown lines, crow’s feet, as well as horizontal forehead lines. Neuromodulators can also correct excessive sweating.
BOTOX® Cosmetic
Known as the gold standard for wrinkle-relaxing injectables, BOTOX® is a safe, effective treatment option for treating aging skin. The effects usually become visible in 3–7 days and last 3–4 months on average. Many patients continue maintenance treatments indefinitely so that they can enjoy long-term results.
Jeuveau Newtox
The Jeuveau “Newtox” is a new FDA-approved neurotoxin used to temporarily smooth frown lines, crow’s feet, and smile lines. Jeuveau is derived from a different strain of the same toxin that BOTOX® uses.
A big draw for this injection is the price point, which is typically 20%–30% less per unit than BOTOX®. One big difference between “Newtox” and BOTOX® is that BOTOX® can be used to treat certain medical conditions such as migraines, whereas Jeuveau is solely used for cosmetic purposes.
Dysport
Dysport, like BOTOX®, is a type of botulinum toxin injection. This strain is used to correct and prevent wrinkles as well as provide treatment for muscle spasms. The difference between Dysport and BOTOX® lies in trace proteins, which can impact the effectiveness of one over the other on a case-by-case basis. In Newport Beach and Orange County, Dysport is typically less expensive than BOTOX®.
Xeomin
The main difference between Xeomin and BOTOX® is that it is a “naked” neurotoxin. This means that it has just one ingredient, botulinum toxin. It is less likely that the body will develop antibodies (resistance which can limit the effects of the drug) to Xeomin than to BOTOX® since Xeomin contains no additives.
Other Dermal Fillers
Kybella
Kybella is a non-surgical injectable treatment best known for reducing excess fat under the chin. This treatment is an alternative to surgical techniques such as liposuction. Each injectable treatment takes between 15 and 20 minutes. A series of treatments are required for optimal results.
Nanofat grafting
Fat grafting is a relatively new technique that is growing in popularity. This technique allows Dr. Goretti Ho Taghva to use a patient’s fat to treat fine lines, wrinkles and folds, perioral rhytides, scarring, and hyperpigmentation.
Growth factor plasma
These injections use the patient’s platelets found in the blood to encourage collagen production and tighten and improve the skin tone. While its cosmetic use is still relatively new, orthopedic doctors have been using growth factors for many years to speed up the healing process for injured joints. Growth factors are often used in combination with HA fillers and BOTOX®.
Growth factor therapy
This therapy involves reinjecting key cells and proteins into the skin to regenerate facial tissue, reducing the look of fine lines and wrinkles, and improving skin tone.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dermal Fillers and Injectables
Injectable fillers fill in a line or crease whereas BOTOX® relaxes the muscle under the wrinkle.
BOTOX® injections are performed using a fine needle. Dr. Ho Taghva injects a tiny amount of botulinum toxin underneath the skin at different points to affect the facial muscles that are causing unwanted wrinkles.
Patients will recover quickly after receiving fillers. Treatment sessions are brief, and patients typically have no activity restrictions. Following facial filler injections, bruising, swelling, and tenderness are normal but they should subside after a few days to a week, depending on the type of filler used.
There is no recovery time required for BOTOX® and other neuromodulator injections. Patients can return to their normal routine almost immediately.
As with any medical procedure, there are rare risks and possible complications associated with fillers, including infection, numbness, discoloration, and lumps if the injection is not done properly. Facial fillers at LEA are performed by expertly-trained plastic surgeon Dr. Goretti Ho Taghva and rarely result in complications.
Most products are mixed with lidocaine to keep any pain to a bare minimum. A local anesthetic may also be used in the treatment areas if desired.
Dr. Goretti Ho Taghva performs facial fillers and injectables in Orange County at GALEA Center for Advanced Surgery, a Medicare Accredited surgery center located next door to LEA Plastic Surgery. This is the highest level of accreditation for outpatient ambulatory surgery centers.
While facial fillers, BOTOX®, and other injectables can be performed at about any Medspa in Newport Beach, it’s important to choose a licensed board-certified cosmetic surgeon or dermatologist to ensure the best results (and your safety!).
If you live near Newport Beach, CA, LEA Plastic Surgery offers dermal fillers among its services, and is conveniently located at 20360 SW Birch Street Suite 180 Newport Beach, CA 92660