fillers and volumizers

More than any other cosmetic treatment, the success of a filler treatment is based on the artistic skill of the physician. Dr. Brozowski combines her artistic training as a painter with her medical training to produce the most artful, beautiful and natural results. Dr. Brozowski has extensive experience in injectible fillers*, and administers all treatments personally. All fillers are FDA approved and individually prepared for each patient to ensure the highest safety standard.

Fillers are used to restore volume and fullness to the face and lips, and to correct wrinkles and deeper facial folds. Nasolabial folds (smile lines around the mouth) are the deepest lines of the face and arise from loss of elasticity and volume associated with aging and sun exposure.  Recent studies suggest that much of facial wrinkling and hollowing of the face is the result of a loss of facial volume, rather than sagging of the skin.  Filler therapy will restore volume, giving you fuller, smoother, firmer skin. The use of a filler by a cosmetically trained physician will restore a youthful countenance and enhance facial features.

Fillers are placed in specific spots to correct specific wrinkles or fill in the tear troughs(circles under the eyes) or plump lips. Volumizers, on the other hand, provide an overall fullness to the face. This is especially helpful for thin women who have a narrowing of the face, cheeks, or temples. Sculptra has a subtle but significant impact, visually making you look younger and healthier, and lasts up to two years. Radiesse can provide an enhancement of the cheek bones, which in turn, lifts the face and can reduce the appearance of jowls.

We offer all available fillers including Restylane, Juvederm, Evolence, Perlane, and Juvederm Ultra. Longer-lasting fillers include Evolence, FDA approved in March of 2009, and Perlane, which was approved in May of 2007. Radiesse is a volumizer and was FDA approved in December 2006 and also may last up to a year. We also offer Sculptra: it is not a traditional filler, but is recommended for overall loss of facial volume and hollowing of the temples and cheeks. Dr. Brozowski will consult with you regarding the best filler choice for your skin and facial type.

Filler therapy is one of the safest treatments for the reduction of wrinkles and restoration of lost volume associated with aging and is an essential part of any skin rejuvenation program. Filler therapy is safer and less expensive than plastic surgery and is administered in under an hour with a minimal recovery period. Filler injection, as an aesthetic procedure, has been used in the United States and Europe for more than ten years, and is growing in popularity. The use of fillers to smoothen facial wrinkles, augment the lips and cheeks, and fill in dark circles under the eyes or lost volume in the face has become one of the highest-satisfaction cosmetic procedures in our office. Schedule a consultation to find out more about which fillers might be appropriate for you.

*From 1/1/05 to 9/1/09, Dr.Brozowski performed 620 individual injectible filler procedures.

 


 benefits


Fillers can smooth out folds and wrinkles by adding volume, which can make an enormous difference to your appearance. Filler injection can dramatically improve facial lines and wrinkles, depressed scars and a loss of volume in the face and lips. Unlike plastic surgery, the procedure enhances, but does not exaggerate, your natural features, and can be artistically sculpted to give results that vary from subtle to dramatic, depending on your aesthetic and treatment goal. The result is smoother skin and the replaced fullness lost with age. Areas that can be treated with fillers include:

  • Lip border definition and fullness
  • Enhance apples of the cheeks
  • Smile lines (nasolabial folds)
  • Laugh lines (marionette lines)
  • Tear troughs or dark circles under the eyes
  • Smokers' lines around the lips
  • Acne scars
  • Frown lines between brows
  • Creases that turn down the corners of the mouth
  • Straighten a crooked nose
  • Straighten a jaw line -- fill in pre-jowls
  • Fill in lost facial volume or hollow cheeks or temples

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 
Before
After
  

 

 
Filler injected into the nasolabial fold (smile lines)
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Filler injected to eliminate dark circles under the eyes

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Lip enhancement

  
 
 
 

 

Sculptra used to fill in hollow cheeks and temples, to give
the entire face a fuller appearance

 
 
 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

q & a

What are the results of filler therapy?
Smoothing out folds and wrinkles by adding volume can make a significant difference to your appearance. Dramatic results are immediately apparent and last several months to two years, depending on the filler used. All fillers will last longer with repeated treatment. In some facial areas, such as the brow and lips, Botox injection will make the filler last even longer. Touch-ups are recommended to maintain volume and prevent recurrent lines from forming. As with all aesthetic procedures, results vary. Properly applied, fillers enhance, but do not exaggerate features (as does plastic surgery) and do not effect normal facial expression.

What are the different filler options?
All the fillers used in our office are highly purified and have an excellent safety profile and are FDA approved. Hyaluronic acid fillers, such as Restylane and Juvederm, are medium-lasting fillers. They can last as much as two to three times as long as collagen, but may have more associated swelling and discomfort. These fillers are ideal for the area between the brows, the lips and shallow nasolabial folds (the facial lines around the mouth formed by smiling) in younger patients, as well as horizontal lines of the neck.

Evolence is the newest filler, and is considered an 'event filler' because it has minimal bruising or side effects, and the results are readily apparent. Perlane and Evolence have a similar duration -- approximately 6-12 months. Radiesse can last up to 12 months and is appropriate for deeper lines or an enhancement of the cheekbones. Sculptra has an exceptional lasting ability, up to two years, but is not appropriate for filling specific wrinkles or folds. Instead it is used to provide an overall fullness to hollow cheeks or a narrow face. It can be concentrated in areas of the cheeks or temples, as needed.

All fillers last longer with repeated treatments. It is recommended that you consult with Dr. Brozowski, who will determine what results you may achieve with each of the filler options and recommend the best filler enhancement for your facial contours and aesthetic.


What are the safety concerns and possible side effects?
Safety is of utmost importance.  Therefore, cosmetic services are performed exclusively by the physician, who has extensive experience; you are never passed off to technicians or nurses for medical care. With injectibles, such as fillers and Botox, is especialy important to have a licensed physician trained in Cosmetic Dermatology administer the procedure.

When used by an experienced doctor for wrinkle therapy or lip augmentation, the most commonly reported side effects are temporary redness and swelling at the injection site. Longer-lasting fillers such as Perlane, Radiesse and Sculptra may also cause transient bruising with some downtime. These typically resolve within a few days. The use of ice, ibuprofen and arnica can minimize swelling or bruising after the procedure, and are recommended.

What is collagen?
Collagen is a natural substance that provides strength and elasticity to the skin.  Young, healthy skin contains an abundance of collagen and hyaluronic acid.  As we age, we lose approximately 1% of our dermal collagen per year.  This is exacerbated by overexposure to the sun and the loss of volume and fat beneath the skin.  Where collagen diminishes, unwelcome lines, wrinkles and sagging skin begin to appear.  Resurfacing procedures such as photofacial laser therapy and medical microdermabrasion can increase the collagen level in your skin overall, and fillers can provide collagen replacement to specific areas for a fuller effect.

What is the level of discomfort during and after the treatment?
Depending on the area treated, topical or injected anesthesia may be used to minimize discomfort. Immediately after the treatment, you can expect a slight redness, swelling, tenderness or itching in the treated area. This is a normal result of the injection. The discomfort is only temporary and generally disappears in a few days. Patients are able to continue their daily routine after the treatment.

What are patients saying about their experience with fillers in our office?
Patient comments include:

"I am thrilled with the results from the filler treatments I have been receiving from Dr. Brozowski. My forehead and brow were beginning to show the signs of aging. I now look much more relaxed and have had many compliments on how good I look."

"My lips make me look like a teenager! Thank you."

"I can't believe the difference! It still looks natural! It's like sculpture. I would recommend this to friends!"

"I've had the following done by Dr. Brozowski: microdermabrasion, filler, Botox and a Blue Peel -- and loved them all, in particular the filler, which in combination with everything else has really made me look younger and feel better about myself. I would highly recommend all of the above."

Cosmetic treatments are not covered by insurance; therefore, payment is due at the time of service. Some aesthetic procedures and skin care product purchases are eligible for Flexible Spending or Health Care Savings Account benefits. Please ask any of our staff for more information.