Your Guide to Injectables

You’ve probably heard of injectable treatments and may have some idea of what they can do. Products like Botox are so well-known that it’s harder to find a person who doesn’t know what it is than one who does. There are several reasons why injectable treatments are so popular. The treatment takes less than thirty minutes and incurs no downtime. Some injectables have an immediate effect on the skin and some last for up to two years. With these benefits, we frequently receive questions from patients who are exploring injectables for their cosmetic goals. Here, we put together a brief guide to help you get familiar with the various injectables that are available and how they work.

Types of Injectables

There are a few types of injectables. The most common are neuromodulators and dermal fillers. Neuromodulators are products that are used to ease dynamic wrinkles. These are the wrinkles that form when you move your face. Examples include crow’s feet and frown lines. Dermal fillers are injected into the soft tissue of the face, lips, and hands. They work by plumping the upper layers of the skin to smooth away wrinkles and add contour where it is needed, like the cheeks. Examples of dermal filler use include lip augmentation, correction of nasolabial folds and smile lines, and cheek enhancement.

Common neuromodulator treatments include:

• Botox. The original cosmetic injectable, Botox, reduces or eliminates frown lines, forehead lines, and crow’s feet. It is also used to subtly lift a drooping brow.
• Dysport. A newer-generation neurotoxin, Dysport is primarily used to correct frown lines but may be used in other select cases.
• Jeuveau. The newest neurotoxin product to gain FDA approval, Jeuveau also treats frown lines and may be used off-label for other corrections.

Botox, Dysport, and Jeuveau have slightly different characteristics, from the way they are stored to the way they are injected. We are proud to offer all three options in our friendly, professional office.

Common dermal filler treatments include:

• Juvederm is a family of reversible dermal fillers made of hyaluronic acid. These can be used to smooth creases, sculpt the cheeks, plump the lips, and more.
• Restylane also has multiple products that are designed for specific uses, including the cheeks, lips, and more severe facial folds.
• Radiesse dermal fillers are made of calcium hydroxyapatite microspheres that increase tissue volume and support ongoing collagen production.
• Sculptra is a unique injectable made of poly-L lactic acid. It achieves mild immediate effects and is designed primarily to increase collagen production for a prolonged period of time.

Neuromodulators and dermal fillers represent some of the most frequently performed aesthetic procedures. To learn more about the products that we offer and which may be right for you, contact us at 805-434-2828. We proudly serve patients from Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, Paso Robles, and surrounding areas.