Dermal Filler
Dermal Filler, what is it, what does it do
Faces do not age by wrinkling alone. Over time the fat pads that sit beneath the skin shrink and shift downward, bone remodels, and the scaffolding that once held everything in place loosens. What you notice in the mirror is a flatter cheek, a shadow under the eye, a corner of the mouth that turns down even when you are not frowning. Filler works on that structural layer rather than on the surface.
Most of the fillers we use are made from hyaluronic acid, a sugar molecule your body already produces and uses to hold water in the skin. Placed in the right plane and the right amount, it restores support where support was lost. Different products behave differently, some firmer for structural areas like the cheek or jaw, some softer and more flexible for the lips and finer lines, and part of the consultation is matching the product to your tissue rather than reaching for whatever happens to be on hand.
The part that matters most is restraint. Filler done well is quiet. It should read as rested and balanced, not as a face that has obviously had something done to it. We would rather place a small amount, let you live with it for two weeks, and add more if you want it than overfill in a single visit and spend the next several months undoing it.
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What to Expect at Your Appointment
Every filler appointment starts with a conversation and an honest assessment. Our board certified nurse practitioner will look at your face at rest and in motion, ask what has actually been bothering you, and talk through whether filler is the right answer at all. Sometimes it is not. Volume loss in one area can be a symptom of laxity somewhere else, and occasionally the better plan is skin quality first and filler later.
Once there is a plan, the treatment itself is straightforward. A topical numbing cream goes on for about twenty minutes, and most of the products we use contain lidocaine, so the injections register as pressure more than pain. Depending on how many areas we are treating, the appointment runs somewhere between thirty and sixty minutes.
Afterward
Swelling and some tenderness are normal for the first few days, and bruising is possible, particularly around the lips. Plan around anything important on your calendar and give yourself two full weeks before judging the result. We schedule a follow up at that point to look at everything once the swelling has settled and decide together whether anything needs refining.
Restored volume and softer contours, placed conservatively and reviewed at two weeks so the result settles into something that still looks like you.
