Posted by: Clemson Eye in News
The Easley Progress, May 22, 2015
Lines, wrinkles, a bit of sag. These are the inevitable signs of aging. While we can’t stop that process, we don’t have to be stuck with its outward signs either.
A number of injectable treatments that fall under the umbrella of “dermal fillers” or “liquid lifts” are now available and FDA-approved.
Liquid lifts involve injecting fillers under the skin to plump up areas where collagen loss and gravity have caused features to sag and lines to form.
Treatments are sought by men and women who say they want to “be less saggy”, according to Tammie Masters, a registered nurse who works with Clemson Eye’s Aesthetics division based in Greenville, SC. The goal, she says, is to be “the best 50-year-old you can be.”
Juvederm and Voluma are injectables manufactured by Allergan, which also makes Botox, but they are not the same class of product. Botox works by relaxing muscles in the face that cause wrinkles, thus lessening them, while fillers augment lost volume and smooth wrinkles.
There are three products in the Juvederm line that Masters uses. Each has a slightly different property and may be used exclusively or in combination to achieve the desired effect. It takes some art and science to design the right combination of injectables for each individual’s problem areas, and to achieve the natural look that her patients want.
Liquid lifts are generally best suited for people between 30 and 50 years old. They are not a permanent solution. The effective length of correction ranges from a year to two, depending on the product.
Key areas addressed by liquid lifts are:
- Forehead and frown lines.
- Crow’s feet around the eyes.
- Smile lines that run vertically from the bottom of the nose to the corners of the mouth.
- Marionette lines are the vertical facial wrinkles and folds that form below the corners of the mouth.
- Vertical lip lines above and around the lips. These can be deepened by exposure to sunlight, smoking and stress.
Curious? Download the Juvederm app for iPhone or Android and get a “visualization” of your post-liquid lift appearance.View the article on The Easley Progress’ webpage.
