From The Straits Times    |
Review Facial fillers from Juvederm and Restylane at Cutis Laser Clinic THUMBNAIL

What: Facial or dermal fillers are made of a variety of non-reactive materials like hyaluronic acid and are used to “plump-up” areas in the face that have started to sag due to aging. They are often called the “liquid facelift” but unlike the surgical procedure, fillers are non-invasive and do not require a great deal, if any, down-time.

Cutis Laser Clinic’s Dr Sylvia Ramirez, the Harvard-trained the medical and scientific director of the clinic, uses fillers from two major brands Juvéderm and Restylane, to create a “refreshed” look to the face.

Dermal and facial fillers – prices depend on the variety and amount of filler used – are performed by Dr Ramirez at Cutis Medical Laser Clinic, Pacific Plaza #03-06, 9 Scotts Road. To contact the clinic, call 6327 9700 or email info@cutislaser.com. For more information about Cutis Medical Laser Clinic go to www.cutislaser.com or follow it on www.facebook.com/cutislaser.

Review Facial fillers from Juvederm and Restylane at Cutis Laser Clinic DECOR

Review: Although I’ve tried just about every kind of non-invasive aesthetic procedure involving a laser, I had yet to try having a facial filler done; however I had heard great things about the results and was interested to try it out.

As we age the face loses definition as our collagen recedes; this is what leads to wrinkles actually, as the loose skin remains after the volume disappears. This is where dermal fillers come into play, they return the volume, “plumping up” the areas and therefore “filling out” the wrinkles.

Fillers can also be used to return – or add – shape and definition to areas like the cheekbones, the nose bridge and especially around the lip area. K-Pop stars are renowned for using fillers to “sharpen” their features.

For me, Dr Sylvia Ramirez at Cutis Laser Clinic used two kinds of fillers – Juvéderm for the larger areas that needed firmer assistance like the cheekbones and the nasolabial folds and different formulations of Restylane for the areas that needed “softer” applications like under the eyes and the lip area.

I had the two types of fillers used about two days apart; the Juvéderm first followed by the Restylane. A numbing cream is applied and then the doctor injects the fillers into your dermis at different depths depending on the type used.

It really doesn’t hurt at all. I admittedly have a fairly high pain threshold, but the injections feel similar to a needle prick; there’s some “weirdness” while the cannula is being manipulated under the skin but you really only feel this around the mouth area.

The Juvéderm filler that’s used in larger areas of the face comes with lidocaine – a pain relieving agent also used by dentists – incorporated so you are already getting some preemptive pain relief. Restylane is much softer and you’ll hardly feel its existence at all.

You need to sleep on your back for a week to 10 days to make sure the fillers aren’t “squashed” out of shape or pushed into the wrong area; ditto for extreme exercise and getting a back massage lying face down.

Yes, there is some bruising. The amount differs between skin types and if you have a tendency to bruise easily please make sure you let the doctor know in advance. You also need to refrain from taking any aspirin-based medications as these thin the blood and can lead to the bursting of blood vessels in the skin when the fillers are injected.

Within a week all my bruising had gone and, in fact, a month after getting the fillers done I’m only aware of the Juvéderm in my cheekbone area if someone tries to air-kiss me and misses, banging into my newly sharp cheekbones.

As for the results … Just about everyone who saw me after I’d had the fillers inserted assumed I’d been on a long, relaxing holiday, far from the maddening world of work. In reality I’d been in freezing cold temperatures wearing painful shoes standing around on bumpy cobbles at London Fashion Week.

The fillers will last between eight months to a year; I’ve made my top-up appointment in advance.

Rating: 5/5

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