According to the Plastic Surgery Statics report, a staggering 13 million noninvasive procedures were performed in 2020, with dermal fillers among the top procedures. Dermal fillers inject a substance—typically hyaluronic acid—into the face to improve or restore certain facial traits.
Still, the durability of hyaluronic acid fillers remains one of the most often asked issues. Although these fillers have become incredibly popular, various factors affect their longevity.
But with so many alternatives, how long can one expect these fillers to last? Are they an ongoing investment in beauty or just a temporary fix? To find the truth, let’s examine hyaluronic acid fillers: What factors affect how long they stay, and what are the different types of fillers and their longevity?
What are Hyaluronic Acid Fillers
It’s essential to comprehend what hyaluronic acid fillers are and how they function before discussing how long they last. However, have you ever thought about whether our bodies naturally produce hyaluronic acid?
Well, my answer is yes, your body naturally produces hyaluronic acid! It is a sticky material found in all body parts, particularly the joints, skin, and eyes. It functions as a lubricant and is essential for maintaining the hydration and health of your tissues.
There’s a catch, though. As we age, our body’s natural hyaluronic acid production decreases, one reason wrinkles and dry skin grow more.
Hyaluronic acid is well known for retaining moisture and plumping up skin. It is manufactured and injected into particular facial locations to improve facial features, smooth out wrinkles, and restore filler volume.
The Versatility of Hyaluronic Acid Fillers
Hyaluronic acid fillers are versatile. They can add volume to cheekbones and plump lips and fill nasolabial folds. They are also renowned for their safety profile. Hyaluronic acid is generally well-tolerated by the body and is biocompatible.
There are several main reasons why hyaluronic acid fillers are highly adaptable.
- HA fillers come in various forms, each with a unique thickness and density. This enables them to be customized to address specific issues. While more minor fillers work better to smooth out tiny wrinkles around the eyes, thicker fillers provide more volume and structure, making them perfect for the jawline and cheekbones.
- HA fillers can treat facial cosmetic issues in distinct regions. They can enhance lip volume rather than just boost the definition of your jawline and cheekbones.
- Plus, hyaluronic acid can enhance the appearance of lines that connect the corners of the mouth to the nose, known as nasolabial folds.
- Your doctor can adjust the filler injected to produce subtle or more intense effects depending on your preferences.
- Unlike certain permanent fillers, HA fillers can be dissolved with hyaluronidase enzyme if you’re unhappy with the results or there are issues. And if you hate long-term adjustments, they are your safer choice.
Factors Affecting Longevity
While hyaluronic acid fillers have exquisite results, their duration can vary greatly from individual to individual. Several factors influence their longevity, including:
1. Metabolism
Your body breaks down hyaluronic acid fillers at different rates depending on individual metabolic rates. Faster metabolisms can lead to speedier absorption and, hence, shorter half-lives.
Fillers are often processed and removed from systems more quickly in those with higher metabolisms. It implies that people with faster metabolisms could not experience the long-lasting effects of hyaluronic acid fillers as opposed to people with slower metabolisms.
Age, heredity, degree of exercise, and general health are some factors that can affect metabolism. Younger people and those who exercise more frequently tend to have faster metabolisms, which causes hyaluronic acid fillers to break down more quickly.
2. Injection Technique
Fillers are a great technique to reclaim volume and accentuate your features, but how long they last depends on the injector’s skill. It is the reason why:
Accuracy is essential. A competent injector carefully injects the filler into the proper skin layer. It guarantees correct integration and avoids leaks or uneven distribution, which reduce the filler’s lifespan and produce less-than-ideal outcomes.
Consider fillers as minuscule components. A proficient injector employs a layering approach, injecting the filler in several thin layers rather than a single large clump. It may help your fillers last longer by enabling a more natural mix with the surrounding tissues.
Besides, an expert injector is knowledgeable about the complex map of your face, much like a professional cartographer. With this knowledge, they may customize the injection method to the treated location, extending the filler’s lifespan and producing the best cosmetic outcome.
Selecting a knowledgeable injector reduces the likelihood of touch-ups being necessary sooner and ensures a longer-lasting transformation.
3. Product Characteristics
Not every hyaluronic acid filler is created equal. The viscosity, particle size, and cross-linking of various formulations differ, influencing how long they stay in the skin and how durable they are.
Now, a filler’s thickness or density is called viscosity. Higher viscosity fillers are often thicker and more durable, which can help produce effects that last longer. Compared to less viscous fillers, these fillers typically give the treated region more volume and structure, which results in longer-lasting benefits.
And size matters, too! The size of the HA particles in the filler formulation may impact its durability. Larger particle fillers may take longer for the body to digest and break down, which could result in an extended period of action. On the other hand, fillers with smaller particles might be broken down faster and have effects that wear off sooner.
Furthermore, there are varieties of HA acid fillers. A good example is the cross-linked and non-cross-linked HA. The cross-linked HA fillers describe the chemical bonding between the HA molecules in the filler. Cross-linked fillers have a longer half-life than non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid because they are more resilient to the body’s enzymes breaking them down. For a considerable amount of time, these fillers retain their volume and structural integrity before progressively degrading and metabolizing.
4. Treatment Area
Fillers may be metabolized more quickly in some places of the face than others, such as areas with thinner skin or greater mobility. For example, fillers injected in regions such as the mouth that experience a lot of muscle action may degrade more quickly.
You and your injector need to know how mobility impacts longevity. It makes a more tailored strategy possible. For more extended volume, your injector may, for example, suggest a thicker HA filler for the cheekbones and a thinner filler—which requires more touch-ups—for the lips.
It’s critical to remember that other factors exist in addition to movement. The particular issue can also influence longevity in a specific place. For example, whether they treat fine wrinkles or hollowness under the eyes, under-eye fillers may last 12 to 18 months.
5. Lifestyle Factors
What is your skincare routine? Bad skin care practices, smoking, and prolonged sun exposure degrade hyaluronic acid fillers more quickly. However, sustaining a healthy lifestyle and skincare routine can help extend their impact.
Besides, a range of behaviors and environmental factors may help or impede the duration and efficacy of filler treatments.
Let’s get back to smoking. It is known to hasten the skin’s aging process by decreasing blood flow to the skin’s tissues and producing oxidative stress.
Furthermore, smoking might hinder the creation of collagen and elastin, two substances necessary to preserve the firmness and suppleness of skin. Therefore, compared to non-smokers, smokers may see a quicker deterioration of HA fillers and shorter-lasting results.
6. Age
Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers degrade and are reabsorbed by the body more quickly as we age. This is due to a decrease in the natural HA production that occurs in our bodies, which is crucial for maintaining the plumpness and hydration of our skin.
As mentioned, our bodies produce less HA naturally as we age. So this means less natural HA can bind with the injected filler and help it maintain its structure. With insufficient natural HA, your injected filler is more vulnerable to breakdown by the body’s enzymes.
Well, age increases hyaluronidase activity. The enzyme hyaluronidase is naturally found in our bodies and is responsible for breaking down hyaluronic acid. Research indicates that our bodies become more adept at breaking down the injected filler and natural HA as we age.
The combined effect of these two factors is a lower level of natural HA production and an increased level of hyaluronidase activity. It leads to a faster breakdown of hyaluronic acid fillers in older people, which may shorten their shelf life.
7. The Type of Your Skin
The state of your skin is essential. If your skin deteriorates further, more filler may be required. You need skin treatments to keep your skin in good condition. If your skin is excellent, you will need less makeup over time to reach your aesthetic goals.
For instance, more filler may be necessary if there is hollowing in particular facial areas, such as the temples. In this case, your budget for this skin treatment is higher.
So, balancing the requirement for a sufficient product and financial concerns can take time, though. Many vials and combination therapies are frequently required. Patients may receive five to twenty vials to get the desired effects.
How Long Do Hyaluronic Acid Fillers Last?
While individual experiences may vary, on average, most hyaluronic acid fillers will last from 6 to 18 months before gradually being metabolized by the body.
Moreover, hyaluronic acid fillers have varying longevity in different treatment areas. Areas with more movement—such as the lips and the area surrounding the mouth—break down more quickly. These fillers usually last six to twelve months, but touch-ups may be necessary sooner.
For instance:
- Mouth & Lip Lines: 6–12 months
- Smile and Cheeks Lines: 12–18 months
- Area under the eyes: 12–18 months, depending on the particular issue
Note that these are approximations. Speaking with a board-certified dermatologist is essential to determine what to anticipate. Depending on your need, they can suggest the best HA filler and customize the injection technique to enhance longevity.
Extending the Longevity of Hyaluronic Acid Fillers
While the duration of hyaluronic acid fillers is finite, there are strategies to prolong their effects and maximize investment in beauty treatments:
You have a few options for extending the benefits of your hyaluronic acid (HA) filler:
Follow-Up Treatments
As advised by your practitioner, make touch-up appointments. These consultations enable the evaluation of filler longevity and any alterations required to sustain ideal outcomes.
Combination Therapies
Have you heard of Botox or laser therapy? Botox softens expression-related wrinkles by immobilizing muscle activity, while light beams are used in laser therapy to target uneven skin tone, wrinkles, and sun damage. Therefore, consider combining your Botox or laser therapy with your HA filler treatment. This multimodal technique addresses various elements of facial aging and can improve outcomes and prolong the life of your filler.
Appropriate Skincare
Adhere to a regular skin care regimen with sun protection and hydrating products. Healthy skin supports the effects of HA fillers and can slow down their breakdown over time.
Healthy Lifestyle
Develop habits that will help maintain the health of your skin, such as eating a balanced diet, drinking plenty of water, exercising frequently, and quitting smoking. These routines can prolong the life of your HA filler and improve your skin’s condition. Well-hydrated skin is ideal for HA fillers.
A well-balanced diet of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants promotes skin renewal.
And refrain from smoking. It shortens the life of fillers and speeds up the aging of the skin.
Preventing Extreme Conditions
Reduce exposure to harsh weather conditions, such as prolonged sun exposure and extremely low temperatures that might hasten the deterioration of HA fillers.
Can I Use Hyaluronic Acid Fillers in Combination with Other Skin Treatments?
Of course! Most aestheticians couple HA fillers with other procedures to achieve the desired cosmetic result more thoroughly. It is the reason why:
- Some procedures have effects that complement each other. Fillers alleviate volume loss, Botox relaxes wrinkles, and laser therapy improves the skin’s texture. When combined, they address several aging indicators at once.
- Plus, you get lasting results. According to specific research, fillers may last longer when combined with other therapies.
However, to ascertain the best course of treatment, visit a licensed dermatologist. They can offer advice on safe and efficient combinations for your particular requirements.
Summary
Hyaluronic acid fillers vary depending on individual circumstances, product attributes, and treatment methods. Although most fillers only last 12 to 18 months, there are a few ways to make them last longer. Hyaluronic acid fillers efficiently rejuvenate wrinkles, volume loss, and facial contours. Speaking with licensed aesthetics is essential to ascertain the most effective course of treatment. Knowing the science behind fillers and implementing measures to extend their effects ensures long-lasting attractiveness and optimal results.
Purchase Hyaluronic Acid from Diaminy
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