Unfortunately our skin develops more and more wrinkles with age. Old age has its price and you can take that quite literally. So what are our options? We asked dermatologist Dr Fraipont. In the interview below she explains how fillers can promote skin rejuvenation.
Fillers and skin rejuvenation
Dr. Fraipont: "External and internal factors cause the skin to age over time. As we grow older, we develop wrinkles, our skin becomes drier and there’s a loss of elasticity. As the years progress, the dermis - the part of the skin that contains collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid - loses these key structural components, causing the skin to sag and wrinkle.”
Dr. Fraipont: “When the media talks about injections to make us look younger they often refer to muscle relaxants, wrinkle fillers or restoration of volume loss, but very little is published on actual skin rejuvenation. However, injections to rejuvenate the skin itself through hyaluronic acid do exist. These are administered across the entire face instead of locally.”
ARE FILLERS PERMANENT?
Dr. Fraipont:“I’m often asked why there aren’t any products that are permanent. Back in the day there were permanent fillers but they often led to problems that were also permanent. That is why nowadays we mainly use hyaluronic acid. This acid breaks down over time and this is not always such a bad thing. For instance, people who have second thoughts about a lip augmentation know that the results only last for twelve months.”
"Here at our practice we use stabilised hyaluronic acid. Since this takes several months to break down the results last longer, contrary to non-stabilised hyaluronic acid, which breaks down in a matter of days. The treatment varies according to the brand that is used. Personally I implement a start-up phase of 3 treatments in one-month intervals followed by a maintenance treatment of 2 sessions a year.”
WHAT IS HYALURONIC ACID AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
Dr. Fraipont: “Hyaluronic acid retains water and is present in our skin but hyaluronic acid levels drop with age. Injecting it in the right place rehydrates the skin and superficial wrinkles will fade but injections with hyaluronic acid in the dermis also boost collagen production by your fibroblasts. This means the injections impact both the hyaluronic acid level and the collagen level of your skin. The injections deliver a significant improvement in skin quality, skin elasticity and hydration."
TREATMENT
“The entire face is treated so that involves quite a few pricks. First, we apply a numing cream that makes the pricks less painful. A possible side effect of the treatment are small bruises. In highly exceptional cases the body will react unfavourably because it’s not your own hyaluronic acid that’s being injected.”
AGE
“The treatment can be started at a fairly young age, even patients in their twenties are eligible. Starting at young age offers the advantage of counteracting the skin aging process. So starting early is actually a good idea but the youngest patients I see are mainly in their thirties who have noticed the first few wrinkles. There’s no maximum age to start the treatment. I even have a few fit eightiers coming in!”
What about the price tags?
Dr. Fraipont: “The price depends on the quantity that is being injected and that depends on the condition of your skin. In the long term and taking into account the cost of two treatments per year you’re looking at €40-60 per month.”
Thank you very much Dr. Fraipont for this clear explanation.
Curious to find out if this treatment is for you?
Feel free to contact Dr. Fraipont via the website or follow Dr. Fraipont via @dermatofraipont
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