Dermal fillers and ultherapy are both treatments intended to reduce the signs of aging in the skin. Both can be used to reduce wrinkles and are used by people who hope to postpone getting a facelift.
What are dermal fillers?
Dermal fillers or wrinkle fillers are used to make the face fuller or eliminate lines and wrinkles. Like BOTOX®, they are injected in the skin. Unlike BOTOX®, they don’t work by paralyzing muscles but by filling in an area. Dermal fillers are used on cheeks, lips, temples, jaws and hands.
What kinds of dermal fillers are there?
Hyaluronic acid wrinkle fillers are the best-known and most popular dermal fillers. The acid is a substance that occurs naturally in the human body, and the treatments seem to work by stimulating the body’s production of collagen. The treatment usually lasts from a few months to two years. Brands include Juvederm®, Belotero Balance, and Restylane®.
Synthetic wrinkle fillers are made in the lab and do not use anything found in the skin. They tend to last longer than other wrinkle fillers — but they are also more likely to cause side effects that include redness, swelling, bruising or bumps under the skin. Silicone, Sculptra, and Radiesse are examples of synthetic wrinkle fillers.
Autologous wrinkle fillers are made from the patient’s own body. In most cases, the doctor will use fat from the patient’s thighs, stomach or buttocks. He will then purify it and then inject it into the target area. In a so-called “vampire lift,” the doctor will use blood drawn from the patient’s arm. While the results of a vampire lift last 12 to 18 months, the results of fat injections can last years.
What is Ultherapy?
Ultherapy is a non-invasive skin treatment that uses ultrasound to lift and tighten the skin on the neck, eyebrow or under the chin. It can also be used to reduce lines and wrinkles. The ultherapy device delivers ultrasound energy to the skin and stimulates collagen production. The new collagen lifts and tightens the skin over a two or three-month period. Ultherapy is not a substitute for a facelift, but it can extend the results of one.
What happens during an Ultherapy treatment?
Before any procedures, the patient’s skin will be assessed to determine if they are a candidate. The patient will not have to undertake any special skincare regimens or preparations before the procedure.
On the day of the procedure, the talented team at Mariposa Medspa will cleanse your skin and then apply a cool gel to the treatment area. Afterward, we will locate the best area within the skin layers for the treatment energy. After finding it, focused ultrasound energy is delivered to the chosen area.
Your skin may be flushed for a few hours after the treatment, but the redness will fade. Usual routines may resume immediately after treatment. Depending on the size of the area being treated, an Ultherapy session takes between 30 and 90 minutes.
The Next Step
If you’ve been frustrated with finding a solution to reducing wrinkles, look no further. At Mariposa Medspa, we offer a variety of skin treatments, aesthetician services, and more. Contact us today for a consultation and we will be able to review your goals and customize the right treatment for you.
