Juvéderm® is North America’s most popular facial filler and is more popular than Restylane. It consists of a smooth gel formulated with hyaluronate (aka HA), a substance that aids the skin in maintaining proper hydration and volume. The substance is also responsible for giving the eyes their shape and lubricating the joints.
HA is a naturally occurring linear polysaccharide that is able to bind 1,000 times its volume in water. When healthy amounts of HA are present in the body, spaces that exist between elastin and collagen fibres are sufficiently filled to provide a good supportive structure to your skin. As we age, our bodies not only produce less HA, but the substance also begins to break down in response to the exposure of free radicals. A natural, internal process called hyaluronidase also occurs. The end result of decreased HA levels is the development of typical signs of skin aging, namely wrinkles, lines, sagging, dryness and roughness.
Juvéderm® injections can compensate for a decrease in HA by reintroducing the substance to your skin by injection. Once it has been injected, it binds with the water present in a patient’s skin and immediately works to fill in wrinkles or lines and restore facial/lip volume. It is also capable of stimulating collagen production.
Results last up to a year, but, since Juvéderm® hyaluronic acid fillers are made with natural substances, it does eventually reabsorb. Patients who wish to prolong the benefits of Juvéderm® typically follow a regular injection schedule.
Juvéderm® fillers are composed of a bacterium-derived non-animal stabilized hyaluronate. The product was created due to a need for fillers that would last longer, be suitable for use without prior skin allergy testing and be associated with fewer side effects while still volumizing the skin and achieving a high rate of patient satisfaction.
A 2007 study that compared the efficacy of Juvéderm® Ultra and Juvéderm® Ultra Plus to other fillers helps illustrate this. Research showed that Juvéderm® was better able to remain in the target/treatment area after injection. Because of its high viscosity and cohesiveness, Juvéderm® did not shift from the treatment site during the study. The researchers publishing the study concluded that Juvéderm® was more effective than other fillers in accurately targeting a patient’s problem areas. Another clinical study monitoring treatment satisfaction also found that 90% of a sample group of patients prefer Juvéderm® to collagen fillers.
Since the loss of HA is responsible for the signs of aging, reintroducing HA itself (and not collagen) through a Juvéderm® injection is a better option for more naturally restoring a patient’s appearance.
The Juvéderm® family consists of Ultra, Ultra Plus, and VOLUMA, all formulated as a gel that’s smoother than other HA-based fillers. To create such a smooth, viscous gel, Hylacross™ technology is used. Essentially, this technology creates a higher concentration of cross-linked hyaluronate to allow for longer lasting benefits and improved patient results.
Ultra is ideal for patients who require lip augmentation, facial contouring or the correction of medium depth wrinkles. Ultra Plus is better suited to more intensive volumizing and can treat deeper folds. For severe loss of facial volume, VOLUMA® is recommended.
The entire injection procedure is carried out in 15 to 30 minutes and provides immediate, natural looking (and feeling) results. Since it’s a minimally invasive treatment, Juvéderm® recovery is limited to minimal swelling and bruising. Patients who undergo Juvéderm® injections are able to return to their normal life as soon as they leave Edelstein Cosmetic.
Treat smile lines, forehead wrinkles and facial folds. You can also modify the jaw line, enhance the cheeks or lips, restore cheek and chin volume and generally rejuvenate the face.
Dr. Jerome Edelstein is listed on the juvederm.ca website as a licensed provider of this dermal filler. More information can also be found on juvederm.com
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