Top Benefits of Fillers

As time passes, your skin can lose elasticity and firmness. The natural layer of fat just beneath the surface of your skin can diminish, and your skin can get thinner, less resilient, and crepey. Add to that the years of exposure to sunlight, smoke, pollutants, acne, and gravity, and you can have skin that makes you look and feel older than you are. That’s the bad news. 

The good news is that you can turn back the clock — or at least look as if you did. 

Frederick H. Watkins, MD, specializes in the science and artistry of aesthetic procedures. From our offices here in Rockville, Maryland, and McLean, Virginia, he practices a unique class of plastic and reconstructive surgery and other cosmetic procedures that are refreshingly patient-focused. He listens carefully to his clients personal stories and goals and helps them choose the right cosmetic treatments for their life and lifestyle.

Often, that choice is a dermal filler, a gel-like substance that’s injected under the skin to add volume and smooth out wrinkles. He offers several brands, including, Restylane®, Juvéderm®XC, Radiesse™, and Perlane® to provide a full range of options. Each has subtle differences, but all are safe and effective. Here are the top benefits of choosing injectable dermal fillers.

1. Results right away

The best perk of dermal fillers is instant gratification. You walk out our door with fresher, firmer, younger-looking skin.

2. No downtime

No scalpels and no stitches means no downtime. You may experience some very minor redness or swelling that quickly subsides by the end of the day, but there’s no reason you can’t get right back into your regular routine.

Sessions generally only take about 15-30 minutes, which is why many people like to call dermal fillers their “lunchtime facelift.”

3. Subtle changes, natural results

If you’re interested in changing your look dramatically, talk to Dr. Watkins about his state-of-the-art surgical procedures, including facelifts, rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty, and otoplasty.

But, if you’re going for a more subtle shift that improves your skin’s texture and tautness, then dermal fillers are for you. You can expect friends and family to notice how good you look, not how different you look.

4. Good for your skin

Many dermal fillers contain substances that are native to your skin, such as hyaluronic acid and collagen, so the filler will feel right at home when it’s injected. 

Some fillers can even stimulate your own production of collagen, the main building block of healthy skin. 

5. Lasts for many months

The longevity of your dermal filler’s effects will depend on several factors, but in general, you can expect to keep your smoother skin for about a year.

If you start to see the wrinkles coming back, simply come in for touch-up injection to keep your look going even longer.

6. Loves your lips

Dermal fillers can plump up thinning lips and erase the lines around them. But it’s important to carefully choose who performs your injections. In the hands of an experienced physician, such as Dr. Watkins, you can reclaim the full, natural lips of your youth, but in the wrong hands, you can end up with painful, overfilled and unnatural appearing lips. 

7. Works on scars

If you have a minor scar or acne scars, dermal fillers may be able to reduce their appearance. Fillers don’t remove scars, but they can smooth them out by filling in the skin.

8. The plumping effect

As a pre-adolescent, you may have longed for the day when your “baby fat” would give way to a leaner, more mature look. Now, you’d give anything to get it back. That’s what fillers help do. In addition to improving the texture of your skin, they can also fill in your cheeks, chin, and forehead just enough to give you your youthful contours back.

9. Great to combine with Botox

Dermal fillers are great for tackling static wrinkles, the kind that appear because of environmental damage and the process of aging. But Botox® works differently. It targets the muscles that contract when you make facial expressions and cause dynamic wrinkles. 

Both products address different types of lines with a completely different approach, and together they do a complete job.

10. Boosts your confidence

People come to us for dermal fillers and other cosmetic treatments for many reasons, but the one thing they all walk away with is confidence. Improving your self-image and feeling good about how others see you can change the way you walk, talk, and view your life. This newfound confidence may positively impact your relationships and your work. In this way, the benefits of dermal fillers can far exceed your physical appearance and actually enrich your quality of life.

To see how dermal fillers can help you, book an appointment online or over the phone with the practice of Frederick H. Watkins, MD, today.