Dermal Fillers: How Do Fillers Work on the Face?

They restore volume and enhance facial contours.

The Paradigm Shift from Wrinkle-Chasing to Structural Volumization

Within the field of aesthetic medicine, the use of dermal filler has developed in parallel with the change in understanding of the aging face. The old technique focused on injecting filler directly into the wrinkles in an attempt to hide them. Yet the face undergoes three-dimensional changes with deep bone resorption, and the fat tissues around bone and between muscles shrink and fall down. Clinically, it has been well-documented that aging is a result of bone loss and atrophy of fat compartments rather than just the appearance of wrinkles.

Besides filling, the current practice is also an internal construction of the face. Using a very viscous and cohesive filler at the periosteum (the outer layer of bone), top aesthetic doctors can re-establish the lost structural base of the cheekbones, jawline, and chin. This method of deep volumization not only physically pulls and re-sculpts the descended skin but also results in smoothing out of surface wrinkles as an additional outcome without the puffiness or overfilling effect.

Hyaluronic Acid: The Master Hydrator and Sculpting Matrix

The biggest category of dermal fillers comprises hyaluronic acid (HA), which is a naturally occurring molecule in the body. HA exists in our skin in very high amounts and has the unusual ability of drawing up to 1,000 times its weight in water. The short lifespan of HA in natural conditions is the reason laboratories have to use chemical processes that 'cross-link' HA molecules in order to have a long-lasting structural implant. Cross-linking HA results in a durable gel-like network of bonded HA.

What makes HA fillers so good is the variety of their rheological (thickness and elasticity) properties. HA gel with a high density that is tightly cross-linked has a hard consistency similar to bone and can be used to create jawlines with sharp edges and define the cheekbones. On the other hand, low-density, easily deformed HA gel is designed to become a part of the skin where the face is in a lot of movement, like the upper lip area and the tear trough region where it seamlessly moves with the skin. More importantly, HA fillers do not carry any risk because they are completely and very easily dissolvable; it is possible to undo a filler injection with hyaluronidase, an enzyme.

Biostimulatory Fillers: The Stimulation of Cellular Renewal

Biostimulatory Fillers have emerged in the industry as the next step if patients want to achieve substantial, long-lasting results in increasing skin thickness. Unlike HA gels, which merely fill in the space, biostimulators such as Calcium Hydroxylapatite (a CaHA in Radiesse) or Poly-L-lactic acid (a PLLA in the case of Sculptra) are active biological catalysts that trigger an inflammatory response leading to collagen production. The active particles are encapsulated in a carrier gel that is biocompatible.

After deep injection into the dermis or subdermis, the carrier gel delivers a very mild lift that is only temporary. After that, the really important part is that the active particles cause a carefully managed, mildly inflammatory reaction of a few months' duration that leads to a massive increase in collagen production, mainly type I and III, from fibroblasts that would normally be asleep, slow, and sluggish. As your body processes the biostimulators slowly, it is replacing them with your very own biological material, a matrix of very strong collagen fibres, resulting in the skin becoming plump, elastic, thick and resilient again.

Protecting Mechanical Integrity and Procedural Post-care Rules

It is very important to strictly follow protective and behavioral restrictions during your post-treatment window if you are a perfectionist and want to get the maximum out of your cosmetic investment. The mechanical support of the filler material is crucial for these injections to be properly integrated by the surrounding tissues during that first period of about two weeks after injection. Physically manipulating the injection area can displace the filler product leading to contour imbalances and filler product migration from one spot to another.

To achieve the best possible anatomical definition of your facial sculpture and avoid any distortion of your newly placed filler, you must restrict high-cardio exercises, the use of intense heat (saunas) as well as the consumption of large amounts of alcohol after the facial injection, since these activities can significantly increase blood circulation resulting in localized swollen tissue. Moreover, complete avoidance of nicotine and tobacco-related products should still be a main requirement; nicotine is a strong systemic vasoconstrictor that will severely limit the supply of oxygenated blood needed for the skin to be fully integrated and the tissue to be remodeled and replenished by the newly born collagen at an early phase.

LIN Europe Clinic

With LIN Europe Clinic, an exquisite cosmetic experience is at your fingertips at a luxury clinic that brings together high technology and skilled medical practitioners to achieve the perfect balance and a naturally attractive look. We understand that handling cross-linked HA, deep-plane biostimulators, and a complex network of small blood vessels requires an environment that is scientifically open-minded and fully supportive.  LIN Europe Clinic in Turkey sets the benchmark for advanced facial sculpting and aesthetic recovery. Here is a sanctuary for your health where the quality of medical care and the safety standards set around the globe are the most prioritized elements of your well-being.

At  LIN Europe Clinic, your team of experts will take care of your facial anatomy in the smallest detail. We offer you thorough individual pre-surgery mapping, detailed tissue reviews using the highest clarity images, and a custom healing plan as you progress through the phases of the healing process, the regeneration of your skin, and the readjustment of your lifestyle. The medical department at  LIN Europe Clinic ensures you are safe regarding cosmetic surgery and your overall health so that you enjoy every stage of your rejuvenation journey to the fullest without having any regret about any aesthetic treatment.