Juvéderm®

You may have heard the words “facial fillers,” “hyaluronic acid,” or “Juvéderm^®,” but wondered what they mean. Dermatologist Dr. Ellen Turner knows that the subject of fillers can prompt a variety of questions in people looking to smooth out wrinkles, bring youthful volume back to their face, or get a fuller smile with lip injections. Read on to find answers.

First of all, you should know that you already have hyaluronic acid in your body. The chemical found in fillers like Juvéderm^® is also present from your head to your toes, working to keep various parts functioning properly. It helps to lubricate joints and moisturize skin. As you age, however, the levels of naturally occurring hyaluronic acid in your system begin to diminish.

This loss can contribute to the formation of wrinkles and hollows, all of which can make you look older. Juvéderm^® and similar products can introduce hyaluronic acid back into the places on your face where you need it most, filling in wrinkles and rounding out regions that have sunken in.

No! Various facial fillers have different formulas and are designed to treat specific areas and conditions. Juvéderm Voluma^® XC, for instance, adds volume to the area of the cheeks known as the apple. Over time, this region can flatten, causing skin there to sag. Under optimal conditions, Juvéderm Voluma^® XC’s rejuvenating effects can last for up to two years. Juvéderm^® XC, a different formulation, specifically addresses moderate to severe wrinkles, smoothing out the folds and lines that appear around your mouth and nose.

Juvéderm^® and other fillers can be injected in many areas where you need more volume. Juvéderm^® XC, for instance, is designed to address smile lines (also known as parenthesis), corner lines, marionette lines, and vertical lip lines. Some fillers can be used for lip injections, plumping up lips to give them a fuller look. Dermal fillers may be applied to hollows at the temples or under the eyes, and even to correct droopy eyebrows. Dr. Ellen Turner and her team can explain specific treatment areas and help to select the appropriate Juvéderm^® filler. They may suggest other options, too, such as a chemical peel, to bring about the desired results.

Juvéderm^® is an injectable dermal filler made from hyaluronic acid that rejuvenates and refreshes your appearance by smoothing away unwanted lines and bringing back the natural contours of your face.

The active ingredient is based on the hyaluronic acid that occurs naturally in your body. As a sugar, it combines with the water in your skin to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and restore lost volume to such specific regions as the lips (it makes an excellent lip filler), cheeks, jawline, and hollows under the eyes (also known as tear troughs). When used as a facial filler, hyaluronic acid can even naturally stimulate collagen production in your skin. Much like a sponge, its primary function is to bind and absorb water, which creates volume in the face.

Hyaluronic acid can be thought of as the body’s internal moisturizer. As the skin ages and is exposed to environmental pollutants and ultraviolet rays, the cells lose their ability to produce hyaluronic acid. As a result, the skin begins to lose moisture and volume, causing the formation of facial wrinkles and folds.

Hyaluronic acid is typically quickly metabolized by the body, but the cross-linking process that creates the formulation used in Juvéderm^®, known as Hylacross^™ technology, turns it from a liquid to a gel that takes longer for the body to break down. This also sets Juvéderm^® apart from some other fillers that have a grainier consistency.

Lines that develop over time on a person’s face are the result of one of two influences.

First, as mentioned above, a reduction in hyaluronic acid and other vital elements found in the skin—including elastin, collagen, and fat—causes skin to lose its structure and support. In other words, wrinkles and sunken areas form as your skin dries out and thins.

This hyaluronic acid loss also contributes to the second reason wrinkles form: repetitive muscle motion. Every smile deepens the lines that appear to either side of your mouth. Every squint further etches those crow’s feet next to either eye. Wrinkles can eventually grow from moderate to severe, becoming lasting and noticeable features on a person’s face.

Juvéderm^® treatments that work to replace or restore hyaluronic acid, collagen, or elastin can make a significant aesthetic difference, and the reintroduction of even one of the three can help get all of the internal components of skin working to create a more youthful appearance.

The dermal fillers in the Juvéderm^® line are made of hyaluronic acid molecules that have been cross-linked to create a smooth gel. Manufacturer Allergan developed this proprietary process over years of research and practical application, using it as the basis for all of the fillers in the Juvéderm^® family. Different “weights” of molecules are used for specific fillers, giving each a unique property and focus. Though all of the Juvéderm^® fillers are a clear, injectable gel, some are more suited for doing the “heavy lifting” of adding volume to the midface. Others are better suited for finer, more subtle adjustments to facial contours and tone.

All of the fillers here are also made with an “XC” indication, which means they contain a small amount of lidocaine for making the injection process more comfortable.

Juvéderm^® Ultra Plus was first approved as a hyaluronic acid-based dermal filler for cosmetic use in 2006. It is used to reduce moderate to severe lines on the lower face, such as smile lines or nasolabial folds that form near the nose and mouth due to volume loss. The skin-smoothing effects can last up to one year, giving the face an overall more youthful look until the gel breaks down. Repeat treatments can restore volume once again.

Juvéderm^® Ultra is designed to enhance the lips by giving them more fullness. Whether patients want to gain volume they have never had before or are restoring plumpness that has diminished over time, results can be expected to last up to one year.

Juvéderm Voluma^® is uniquely formulated with extensive cross-linking, which gives it an excellent lifting capacity. This special cross-linking also helps to avoid degradation, making Voluma^® last almost twice as long as other fillers: up to two years. Dermatologist Dr. Ellen Turner uses Voluma^® at her Irving and Dallas, TX, practices to restore volume in the cheeks, midface, jawline, and chin areas.

Voluma^® is specifically formulated as a relatively firmer filler for deeper injection to combat volume loss from the aging process. Cheek volume is an important—yet often overlooked—aspect of a youthful and fresh face. A boost from Voluma^® at our Irving or Dallas, TX, practice can leave you looking and feeling rejuvenated.

When people think about the aging process, they are often quick to point to wrinkles and grey hair. But a less discussed—yet very visible—sign of aging is volume loss in the cheek or midfacial area. Over time, the natural production of collagen and hyaluronic acid in our bodies diminishes, leading to deflated cheeks and skin that sags to form nasolabial folds and jowls.

While correcting such folds can make a significant difference, it will not bring back plump cheeks and youthful contours—and this is where Voluma^® shines. Voluma^® is an FDA-approved filler from the Juvéderm^® family that can correct age-related volume loss in this area. With its thicker, longer-lasting formulation, Dr. Turner may also use it on other areas of the face after considering what might work best for each patient.

A little extra volume goes a long way, especially when added to thin lips in need of a boost. Too much, however, can create a puffy and overdone look. That’s why Volbella^® is especially designed to deliver subtle results. Dermatologist Dr. Ellen Turner uses the nonsurgical treatment to give her patients fuller lips that have a natural roundness. The injectable also addresses wrinkles around the mouth for a smoother, more youthful appearance.

Volbella^® serves to temporarily replace the volume lost when collagen and hyaluronic acid levels drop. It can also add volume to lips that have never been particularly full in the first place. Volbella^® is injected into the lips or the area around the mouth with a fine needle. The process takes about 15 minutes. The volumizing results of Volbella^®—both in treating lip lines and creating fuller lips—can last up to a year.

Dr. Turner’s team has used the .55cc syringe size since Volbella^® first launched, since only a small amount of filler is needed for the desired results. More recently, Allergan also began offering 1cc syringes, with more filler available to treat larger areas and create more distinctive results. The effect is still intended to be subtler and less dramatic than the volume possible with other fillers, most of which already come in 1cc syringes. With two syringe sizes to choose from, however, there are now multiple options for patients. This allows for even more customizable Juvéderm^® treatments to suit a wider range of cosmetic goals.

If you want a change to your lips or face and are considering a treatment, you do not have to figure out on your own which filler and dosage would be best for you. That’s what a consultation is for! We will assess your face, listen to your goals, and work together to establish which treatment (and how much) would be best. Our recommendation may indeed be Volbella^®, or it could be a different filler, injectable, or combination of treatments.

While Ultra is intended for patients who want a significant increase, with a thicker gel that can boost volume to noticeable levels, Juvéderm Volbella^® is made with more subtle results in mind. Anyone who wants to give their lips just a little something more is encouraged to consider Juvéderm Volbella^®, and to discuss its specific benefits and features with a member of Dr. Turner’s team during a private consultation.

The year 2017 brought yet another new member to the filler family: Vollure^™. Dallas-area women and men can choose this injectable, hyaluronic acid-based treatment to address moderate to severe parenthesis lines at Dr. Ellen Turner’s office, where a knowledgeable and experienced team works with each patient as an individual to customize results.

Juvéderm Vollure^™ adds volume to “fill in” lines for a smoother, more even surface. The hyaluronic acid also encourages moisture retention, allowing the skin to move freely and look naturally healthy. Common conditions to address include nasolabial folds, oral commissures, and marionette lines. Results are typically noticeable after the first treatment.

While Vollure^™ is not the first Juvéderm^® product to focus on parenthesis lines that appear around the mouth, it does extend the duration of the skin-smoothing results by half a year: up to 18 months. Patients’ ability to enjoy a year and a half of smoother-looking skin depends on multiple factors, including the skill of the injector. This is one of many reasons it is important to select a qualified and experienced Juvéderm^® provider, since someone who has performed numerous Vollure^™ injections—as well as administered related injectables—has a better sense of what the filler can and cannot do, as well as how it may react to the unique characteristics of an individual’s face.

Juvéderm^® is an excellent option for:

Click on the image below to view our Juvéderm^® before & after photo gallery.

Patients who use Juvéderm^® should be free from all severe allergies, as well as any allergies related to lidocaine, an anesthetic. Women who are pregnant or expect to be pregnant soon should discuss that situation with Dr. Turner and her team.

Candidates for Juvéderm^® may also be interested in other dermal fillers, such as Restylane^® and Sculptra^®, as well as muscle-relaxing agents such as BOTOX^® Cosmetic. Dr. Turner prides herself on outstanding patient care. She is very diligent about choosing appropriate candidates for each procedure, and you can expect your consultation with her to be comfortable, informative, and respectful. She will listen to your concerns and carefully evaluate you for this procedure and/or other appropriate interventions based on your clinical needs and personal preferences. To ask Dr. Turner if you are a candidate for Juvéderm^®, you can book an appointment online or call the office to make an appointment at (214) 373-7546.

Dr. Ellen Turner and her team are experienced in assessing patients’ aesthetic needs and administering the best cosmetic solutions, including Juvéderm^®. Dallas-area patients who come to Dr. Turner seeking a dermal filler such as Juvéderm^® are typically looking to correct deep folds, such as those that run from the side of the nose to the corner of the mouth, or marionette lines that extend from the mouth to the chin. Juvéderm^® is also commonly used to bring volume to the lip area, whether by smoothing out small wrinkles that form there or directly plumping up the lips themselves. Another common application is temporary facial contouring, since volume added in just the right place can create new lines that better define a patient’s natural beauty. Juvéderm^® can be used on the jaw, chin, and even at the temples to provide a more balanced, proportionate, and youthful silhouette. Its formulation allows for a smooth injection, long-lasting aesthetic results, and the eventual, gradual, and safe processing of the ingredients. To learn about Juvéderm^® and other options in the same family of fillers, as well as more injectable cosmetics that can be used to complement its effects, contact the Dallas-area team directly to set up a consultation.

Results of dermal filler treatments are temporary, which makes them appealing to many people. Unlike various lifts and other surgical options, dermal fillers like Juvéderm^® are temporary solutions. Depending on the type of filler used and where it’s injected, the benefits will last anywhere from months to years. Over that time, your body will slowly and safely reabsorb the hyaluronic acid from Juvéderm^®. Patients who want to maintain the look can come in for touch-ups and follow-up visits.

Your Juvéderm^® treatment will produce results that are visible right away. Because of its smooth formula and minimally invasive nature, the treatment requires no downtime or recuperation afterward. Patients can walk in, receive their Juvéderm^® injections, and walk out.

Some initial swelling should be expected, but this will resolve quickly on its own to reveal the natural-looking enhancement.

Studies have shown that Juvéderm^® results can be expected to last at least six months to two years—depending on the formula used—though optimal conditions, including administration by a skilled injector, can preserve the effect for longer. Patients who want to extend the aesthetic benefit of Juvéderm^® can return for what are known as touch-up injections, each of which would require roughly half of the gel as was required in the initial Juvéderm^® treatment.

Juvéderm^® is formulated with lidocaine (a local anesthetic, similar to what you receive at the dentist) to minimize any injection discomfort.

Dr. Turner is also very careful to use only round-tipped microcannulas to ensure the Juvéderm^® procedure is even more comfortable. The round tip moves blood vessels aside instead of puncturing them. This minimizes discomfort during the procedure itself, as well as bleeding and post-treatment bruising.

Though Juvéderm^® treatments are not surgical procedures, they do involve injections, which may cause related but mild side effects, including redness, itching, swelling, and tenderness at the injection site. All of these should last no longer than a week at most—if they appear. Anyone with questions about all of the possible side effects and safety information for Juvéderm^® can get answers at their consultation.

Patients are advised to avoid any alcoholic drinks, as well as significant sun exposure or physical activity in the first 24 hours after receiving a Juvéderm^® injection.

Patients can get a FREE Juvéderm^® consultation from a medical esthetician trained and experienced in evaluating your unique needs, ready to determine the best way to achieve the youthful, rejuvenated look you want. If it is determined that you are a Juvéderm^® candidate, the cost will depend on the specific area or areas to be treated, as well as the degree of correction needed.

CareCredit is available to our patients looking for direct, outside financing to help pay for Juvéderm^® or other elective procedures. It is simple to navigate the online application for approval. CareCredit allows you to begin your treatments right away and then pay for them over time with low monthly payments. A full range of payment plans can be customized for your needs. It takes only a few minutes to apply online or ask our staff for more details.

BOTOX^® is also an injectable that temporarily smooths out wrinkles, but it accomplishes this via a very different method from Juvéderm^®. While Juvéderm^® adds volume to address lines, BOTOX^® stops contraction-causing signals from reaching wrinkle-forming muscles on the forehead and elsewhere. If the targeted muscles no longer contract, they no longer create dynamic wrinkles.

BOTOX^® is most commonly used to treat forehead lines and crow’s feet. Patients can discuss whether using a combination of injectables—each targeting a different region of the face—is a viable option for their own rejuvenation needs, as well as whether various cosmetics can be used simultaneously or should be spaced a certain amount of time apart.