Injectable Fillers

Soft tissue augmentation with injectable wrinkle fillers is a common practice among plastic and reconstructive surgeons today. With a simple injection, your surgeon can reduce the appearance of wrinkles, lines and contour depressions caused by aging.

There are many different injectable fillers with FDA approval in the United States. Some are designed to provide short-term or temporary results, while others can provide a long-term correction. Dr. Morse can recommend the best product for you based on your condition and your goals.

Common Indications for Injectable Filler Treatment

Most of the popular fillers on the market are FDA approved for the correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds. In general, these conditions are caused by lipoatrophy, the loss of tissue volume that occurs as a result of aging.

Plastic and reconstructive surgeons commonly use injectable fillers to treat the following related conditions:

  • Nasolabial folds
  • Marionette lines
  • Glabellar lines
  • Hollow tear trough
  • Lip lines or thin lips

Types of Injectable Fillers

Hyaluronic acid fillers have become extremely popular options for the temporary correction of wrinkles and folds. They're also useful for lip augmentation. As a natural component of your connective tissue, hyaluronic acid binds with water beneath the skin to increase tissue volume. The results typically last about 6 to 12 months.

Collagen wrinkle fillers are being used less frequently than in the past, but you still may find plastic surgeons offering them for certain treatments. Different types exist including bovine, porcine and human derived collagen.

Fillers made with polymers or calcium hydroxylapatite can stimulate collagen deposition in the tissue, providing a long-term correction. With a series of injections, one of these filler can provide results that last 2 years or longer.

Your Injectable Procedure with Dr. Morse

Before injection, the doctor identifies the areas targeted for correction. To provide a comfortable experience, a numbing cream or dental block can be administered beforehand. With a special technique, the filler is injected beneath the skin at an appropriate depth. A brief massage of the treated area may then be performed to ensure a smooth result. After the injection, you may experience swelling, redness, bruising or another side effect (depending on the product). With most of the popular fillers, side effects are mild and resolve within 7 days.

To learn more about injectable filler treatments, contact the office of plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Martin Morse.