Category Archives: Dermal Fillers

Who Is a Good Candidate for Juvederm® Volux™?

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Although you may have heard about this revolutionary new facial filler, you may be wondering: “Am I a good candidate for Juvederm® Volux™?” Our Albuquerque, NM-based The Spa @ Western Dermatology Consultants is now offering this filler for jawline contouring—and is at the frontline of the new treatment for New Mexico.

A person’s jawline has a major impact on their appearance. Juvederm® Volux™ is the newest addition to the family of Juvederm® fillers and the first injectable hyaluronic acid filler to receive FDA-approval for enhancing the jawline area specifically.

Plenty of people wish that their jawline had a more chiselled appearance, but—due mostly to genetics—they may have a weak or recessed bone structure in the lower face. Aging can also cause the jawbone to lose volume. Alternatively, some people already have a fairly defined jawline, but want to give it a more sculpted look.

Volux™ has been approved for addressing moderate to severe loss of jawline definition. Some of the ways Juvederm®Volux™ can enhance your look include:

• Improving harmony by altering facial proportions

• Giving the jawline a more sculpted or defined appearance 

• Making the facial structure look more masculine

• Lifting the jawline to achieve a more youthful appearance

• Adding more definition to a chin that is “weak” or recessed 

• Addressing the appearance of jowls

Almost anyone over the age of 21 could be a good candidate for this filler, though those who are allergic to ingredients in Volux™ or who have a history of allergic reactions to other hyaluronic acid fillers may need to explore other options. 

One of the characteristics of Juvederm® Volux™ that sets it apart from other fillers is that it has a greater level of structure, cohesivity, and lift capacity. This makes it ideal for achieving a more chiselled jawline. In fact, Volux™ is significantly firmer than Voluma™, which used to be the thickest filler in the collection.

Our certified nurse injector Bianca Meza was part of an exclusive group of nurse injectors nationwide who were given early access to training in Juvederm® Volux™.

Interested in Volux™ and what this new filler can help you to achieve? The team at The Spa @ Western Dermatology Consultants can explain more. If you have questions or would like to find out more about how this jawline filler works, call us at 505-855-9267 or submit a contact form to schedule a consultation. 

How Do You Prevent Sleep Wrinkles?

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Injectables are commonly used for targeting different types of wrinkles, which leads many people to wonder: Can fillers help sleep lines? Our Albuquerque, NM-based team at Western Dermatology Consultants explains that hyaluronic acid facial fillers such as the Juvederm® collection—and other treatments—can be helpful for softening sleep wrinkles on the face. Here’s what you should know. 

Chronological aging causes wrinkles to develop on the face and elsewhere, but there are also some lesser-known, more recently discovered causes of lines and creases in the skin that patients should be aware of. Too much unprotected sun exposure is one of the most likely causes of premature aging, since the ultraviolet radiation burns the skin, causing lasting damage that can result in the development of wrinkles and pigmented spots. 

The constant movements of the skin during facial expressions—such as frowning, smiling, squinting, and blinking—also stretch the skin and can cause certain types of wrinkles called dynamic wrinkles to form.

Sleep wrinkles, however, are caused by constant pressure when you press your face against a solid surface while you’re sleeping. In fact, skin care professionals now believe that the “way” you sleep is the second-most external cause of wrinkles, after sun exposure.

Sometimes when we wake up in the morning, the first thing we notice is “pillow face.” These lines and creases result from the position we slept in the night before, and they usually fade within a few moments. Over time, however, wrinkles can get etched into your skin. We spend thousands of hours asleep each year, during which our faces are squished into pillows or moved around, creating friction when the skin can’t glide easily against fabrics. 

To address these sleep wrinkles, injectable fillers plump the tissue beneath the skin, making it smoother and more even. Chemical peels promote collagen production and skin cell turnover to soften wrinkles.

Focusing on prevention is also important. Since sleep wrinkles occur due to the position of the skin and pressure from high-friction fabrics, use silk or satin pillowcases that slide easily against the skin rather than gripping it. You should also sleep on your back and avoid sleeping on your hands. 

Learn more from the Albuquerque, NM-based The Spa @ Western Dermatology Consultants. For more information about reducing wrinkles with facial fillers, call us at 505-855-9267 or submit a contact form to schedule a consultation with us. 

3 Interesting Facts about Facial Fillers

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Many of the visible changes that occur in the skin as you age—such as wrinkles and hollowed or flattened areas in the midface—develop because of a loss of volume. In addition to a decline in collagen over time, our skin also loses moisture and a significant percentage of facial fat as we age. Dermal fillers—one of the most well-known options for temporarily improving facial contours and lines—are injected beneath the skin’s surface to essentially “replace” the volume that has been lost. These small injections are ideal for enhancing the appearance of the skin. They can also be used to maximize the effectiveness of botulinum toxin injections when combined. Considering all of this, the first thing on your mind when you’re thinking about having a cosmetic treatment may be a common question: Is it worth getting fillers? Our Albuquerque, NM-based team believes that these injectable treatments can be highly beneficial for many patients, making them well worth the effort.

See below for some of the most fascinating facts about fillers you may not have heard before. These interesting tidbits can help you understand the treatment better, as well as inform you as you consider your options for facial rejuvenation.

1. Dermal Fillers Can Be Natural or Synthetic

Many of the most common facial fillers contain naturally derived substances. For instance, most formulas contain hyaluronic acid, which is a version of the same molecule your body produces to regulate moisture in the skin and lubricate tissues in the body. Hyaluronic acid can hold onto 1,000 times its own weight in water. 

2. Results Are Visible Right Away

Everyone wants fast results from cosmetic treatments if possible. Unlike botulinum toxin injections, which can take several days to start having a visible effect, the impact of facial fillers is visible almost as soon as the injections are finished. Patients may sometimes experience swelling that can initially obscure the results and make the treatment area look slightly overinflated, but this will resolve on its own after a few days and reveal more pleasing contours.

3. They Produce Natural Looking Results 

Since many fillers are made of naturally derived substances, this means your skin will look and feel natural after a treatment session. Our experienced injectors used advanced techniques to make results look subtle. 

Is it worth it getting fillers? Our team at the Albuquerque, NM-based Spa @ Western Dermatology Consultants is available to answer any of the questions you might have about these treatments. Call us at 505-855-9267 or submit a contact form to schedule a consultation. 

What’s the Best Way to Treat Laugh Lines?

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Vertical lines that located on either side of the mouth are often called smile lines or laugh lines—because they’re most noticeable when you’re smiling and laughing—but the technical term for them is nasolabial folds. These lines develop between the bottom of the nose and corners of the mouth, and their severity varies from person to person. Dermatologists can help you find the best technique for treating your nasolabial folds based on their severity and what’s causing them to deepen. There are several types of skin treatments—including hyaluronic acid facial fillers at our Albuquerque, NM, practice—that can help make these wrinkles less noticeable. 

Nasolabial folds are perfectly normal. In fact, almost everyone has these facial features (except for newborns and people who have certain medical conditions) so you wouldn’t want them to be completely erased, as it would look unnatural. The most common causes include sun damage, deficiency of collagen due to aging, a loss of fat, and frequent facial expressions like smiling.

The folds themselves contain dense bundles of fibrous tissue and muscle. For many, these laugh lines are no laughing matter as they become more prominent as time goes by, and the tissue becomes thinner while losing its elasticity. Fortunately, there are plenty of solutions for correcting them if you would like yours to be less pronounced. 

Although they don’t require treatment and aren’t a sign of a medical condition, some people prefer a smoother appearance without the folds. While minimally invasive treatments can’t get rid of them completely, injectables can enhance the skin and make the lines appear less pronounced. Facial fillers are soft gels that blend in beneath the skin and reduce the severity of nasolabial folds by giving the skin a more youthful, volumized, and lifted appearance.

When treating nasolabial folds, fillers can be injected to smooth out wrinkles or in the upper cheek area to provide a subtle lift. Skin resurfacing techniques like laser skin resurfacing and microdermabrasion can also improve the overall appearance of the skin to offset the appearance of laugh lines. 

Temporary facial fillers from The Spa @ Western Dermatology Consultants reduce different types of moderate to severe wrinkles, including nasolabial folds. Call us at 505-855-9267 or submit a contact form if you’re ready to schedule a consultation. 

Why Are Humectants So Important in Skin Care?

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Our skin is constantly in contact with the environment, so it’s affected not just by sun exposure, but also by all kinds of changes in weather and climate. Once “sweater weather” arrives in Albuquerque, our skin tends to become drier and duller, thanks to increased exposure to central heating and colder, less humid air. One of the best things we can do to maintain healthy, clear skin during these seasonal changes is adjust our skincare routine accordingly. One of the essentials everyone needs in the cooler months is a good face and body moisturizer to stave off parched, irritated skin—especially if you have a naturally dry or sensitive skin type. Chances are good that if you’ve ever looked up skin care ingredients, you may have seen the term “humectants” thrown around. What you might be asking yourself is what exactly do they do and why are they an essential part of your skin care routine? Hyaluronic acid, the same ingredient found in most of the popular facial fillers at our Albuquerque, NM-based practice, is a humectant. Here are some things you should know about the benefits of adding humectants to your skincare regime. 

Humectants Draw in Hydration

Humectants are hydrophilic, meaning that they’re attracted to water molecules. These substances act like magnets to attract moisture to the outermost layer of skin, called the stratum corneum. The water might be drawn from the deeper, middle layers of skin or from the surrounding environment. 

Humectants Are Mostly Used for Moisturizing

These water-loving ingredients are most typically found in moisturizing products for the face and body, such as creams, lotions, and serums, along with shampoos and other beauty products. 

Not All Humectants Are the Same 

Some of the most common examples of humectants used in skin care include glycerin or glycerol, hyaluronic acid (as noted above), urea, sorbitol, alpha-hydroxy acids, salicylic acid, aloe vera, and honey. Some types of humectants simply hydrate, while others remove dead skin cells to regulate moisture levels. 

Want plumper, less wrinkled-looking skin and enhanced facial contours? Call us at 505-855-9267 or submit a contact form to request a consultation if you’re curious about the benefits of aesthetic treatments. Find out more about products and services from The Spa @ Western Dermatology Consultants.

Top 4 Non-Obvious Ways You Can Get Sunburned

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Aside from normal aging, a major cause of wrinkles, hollows, discolorations, and textural changes to your skin is exposure to UV radiation. Once the collagen breaks down and the DNA of the skin cells themselves is warped by this external stressor, people begin to notice static wrinkles appear on areas like the cheeks and the lips. Injectable fillers from our Albuquerque-based practice are ideal for adding subtle volume to minimize these wrinkles. Nevertheless, the best defense against these signs of aging is preventing them from occurring in the first place.

As this generation is more knowledgeable on sun protection than previous ones, more people are taking steps to guard their skin against skin cancer and premature aging than ever before. Even a mild sunburn can cause lasting damage to your skin.

Many people don’t realize, however, that you don’t have to spend hours sunbathing at the beach, exposing your skin to harsh summer sun rays, or use tanning beds constantly to end up with skin damage. Even some of the small things you do every day could be increasing your risk of skin damage. Here are four surprising ways you could be baking your skin without knowing it:

  1. Sitting inside by a window or driving in your car without protecting your skin can be causing skin damage. Although you might think your skin is safer when you’re not outside, UV radiation penetrates through glass, so you may need to wear broad-spectrum sunscreen and install window films or special tinting on your car or home windows.  
  2. Be aware of medications, acne creams, skin care treatments, and foods that increase your sun sensitivity. Take extra precautions about going outside if you know you’re at a higher risk of harming your skin.
  3. Looking at an iPhone, iPad, or similar tablet or device could increase your sun exposure significantly due to the reflected glare.
  4. Wearing the wrong sunscreen or not using it correctly may be almost as bad as not applying it at all. Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen that’s water resistant and high-SPF. Re-apply it every few hours.

Get more information from The Spa @ Western Dermatology Consultants. Call us at 505-855-9267, or submit a contact form to request a consultation, and we can give you further advice or help you put together a treatment plan.

Can Facial Filler Results Be Reversed?

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Facial fillers are a quick way to make your skin appear less wrinkled or to enhance facial contours by adding volume to the cheeks and lips. The satisfaction rate for fillers is very high, and most patients who receive injections from an experienced, board-certified injector are pleased with the way they look. But what happens if you go to a less-experienced injector and end up with a less-than-stellar result, you have a negative reaction to the fillers, or you simply change your mind about having them? Patients are often curious about whether they can potentially get rid of results that they don’t like. The short answer is yes, it is indeed possible to undo certain types of dermal fillers at our New Mexico-based office—if for some reason you aren’t fully happy with results. Hyaluronic acid fillers like Juvederm® are temporary, dissolvable fillers, so they’re an excellent option for people who are trying out fillers for the first time.

Although significant complications from dermal fillers are rare, there are some potential risks. These include acne-like skin breakouts, asymmetry, lumps, redness, rashes, infections, under or over correction, incorrectly placed filler, Tyndall’s effect (filler placed too close to the skin surface that causes a blue discoloration), or palpability of the filler below the skin’s surface. Patients can choose to have the filler decreased or dissolved completely if one of these complications occur or they no longer want their results.

Instead of having to wait for several months for the temporary fillers to metabolize, they simply have to go in for another injection. The reversal agent is known as hyaluronidase, an enzyme that we naturally have in our bodies. Once it has been injected below the skin, it causes a reaction that dissolves the hyaluronic acid contained in the filler. This takes just a few hours.

The skin should return to its normal shape after the filler has been dissolved.

We encourage patients to wait and see how they adjust to fillers before deciding they want them removed. There will always be some initial swelling, so the results don’t truly “settle” for a few days after a session. That said, it is possible to use the enzyme right after getting fillers if you need or want it.

Get more tips on dermal fillers from our team at The Spa @ Western Dermatology Consultants. Want to meet with us to discuss fillers or another cosmetic procedure? Call us at 505-855-9267, or submit a contact form to reach out to us for additional details.