Cosmetic Surgery & Beauty #72

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Do you know your neurotoxins from your
HA fillers? We simplify the jargon and give
you the what’s what of injectables.
Plump cheeks, smooth foreheads and perfect pouts have led many of us down the cosmetic
medicine path. Injectables – anti-wrinkle muscle relaxants and dermal fillers – are usually the go-to
treatment for beautifying our looks and defying age, with minimum discomfort and no downtime.
The surge of minimally invasive procedures has been significant and with an ever-expanding and
increasingly sophisticated array of options available today, you need to know your options.
We now have an enormous range of fillers, many of which can last a long time and be used to revolumise
and sculpt ageing faces. We also have neurotoxins to reduce lines and wrinkles, as well as
lasers to effectively treat a wide range of skin conditions.
‘In the past 10 years, we have seen significant improvements in the technology and design of soft
tissue fillers,’ says Sydney plastic surgeon Dr Steven Liew.
‘There are now different grades of fillers designed specifically for use in different parts of the face and
different anatomical levels of facial structure.’
all about
Fillers
Fillers are used to plump out lines and smooth skin, restore
volume to areas where tissue commonly degenerates with age, fill
in pockmarks and acne scars, contour or reshape facial features
and add volume to the lips. They are also a popular adjunct to
treatment with anti-wrinkle injections to create a universal result.
Fillers are gel-like in consistency, and the type of filler
(composition and viscosity), the area of injection and the depth
of injection all influence the final result, and how long they last.
Fillers can be made with biodegradable substances, such
as collagen or hyaluronic acid (HA), or non-biodegradable
substances like silicone.
Fillers can be used in multiple areas. ‘There is a lot of science
behind soft tissue fillers that make them customisable to each
patient’s individual requirements and to different areas of
injection,’ says Dr Liew.
As with most cosmetic procedures, a holistic approach using
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