Think fillers and injectables serve the purpose of just erasing lines and filling wrinkles? Guess again. While these “liquid miracles” may have originally made their mark as wrinkle eliminators, they are now just as well-known for their sheer ability to lift and contour ill-defined and aging features.
When injectables and fillers were first introduced, they pretty much served one purpose: to fill wrinkles. Over time, and with safe off-label experimentation, their use has became more widespread as the effects of volume loss is a constant complaint. “In different compartments of our face there is a shifting of the fat pads and reabsorption. Reconstructing the face with filler allows the architecture of the framework of the face to be lifted and restores the youthful contours,” says New York and Miami dermatologist Fredric Brandt, MD. With only a handful of product options available, the main difference between filling and lifting, “comes down to where the filler is placed and how deep,” says Staten Island, NY, dermatologist Michael Kurzman, MD.
1. Straight Lifting With Some Volume
Perlane: Fills in deeper, thicker lines and folds. Because of its denser nature and thickness, it provides good lift to areas of the face like the cheeks and lower part of the face.
Radiesse: Immediately smooths out folds around the mouth to lift the cheeks and the area between the cheeks and the eyes and the jowls. In terms of the longer-lasting fillers, this is said to give more lift.
2. More Volume, Some Lifting
Restylane and Juvéderm: Lift and contour but on a more superficial level for those that don’t need as much structural improvement for areas like under the eyes and marionette lines.
Sculptra Aesthetic: Best suited for those with small amounts of volume loss who need some lifting, too. Multiple treatments are needed, and the filler gradually works over a period of time.
3. Freeze the Muscle
Botox, Dysport and Xeomin: Denervating agents reduce the muscle activity that causes vertical frown lines to form (like those above the eyebrows) so muscle movement is limited (or minimal) to give a lifting effect.
