The Purpose of Dermal Fillers

The main uses of dermal fillers are to improve the appearance of deep facial folds or lines and to restore fullness to the temples, midface, and the lower face. Different formulations of facial fillers have different textures, firmness, and duration. This variety allows Sumi Kim, our aesthetic nurse injector, to give the appropriate “feel” and appearance to different areas of the face and lips. Treatment with dermal fillers can:

Correct moderate-to-severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds (also known as “smile lines” or “laugh lines”).
Add volume to lips for overall fullness, create more definition around the vermillion border, and/or smooth the wrinkles in the lips.
Add volume to the cheeks and temples for a softer, lifted, and more youthful contour.
Add projection to areas such as the chin and lips to create a more balanced and proportional aesthetic.
Give the face a smoother, softer, and overall balanced and younger appearance.

La Jolla patients who receive dermal fillers see fullness and lift immediately. Depending on the areas treated and type of filler used, the effects should last 6 to 18 months. Patients can, and often do, opt for subsequent treatments to maintain the results they have achieved with dermal fillers.

Your Experience with Dermal Fillers

In your initial consultation with our nurse injector, Sumi Kim, will conduct a comprehensive examination of your skin and features and review the different treatment options available. If you are a good candidate for dermal fillers, she will describe how the treatment works, discuss what you can expect from your results, and answer any questions you have.

She uses dermal fillers to fill in deeper lines and wrinkles, restore volume loss in the cheeks and temples, and balance and add volume to the lips. She commonly uses the filler to target the nasolabial folds (the lines around the nose and mouth, also knows as “parentheses”), and the anterior jawline as it transitions into the pre-jowling area (near the mouth and chin).

Sumi will apply her aesthetic eye, as well as her knowledge in adding volume to features and contouring the face in a natural and attractive way. She takes care in not overfilling any area, and prefers to add volume in stages, building over time. The process requires very little downtime, which makes it an excellent option for patients in La Jolla who want improvement but who aren’t ready for a more involved procedure.

Treatment with dermal fillers takes place in our La Jolla practice, often on the same day as the initial consultation. The procedure usually takes less than 30 minutes. Our nurse injector will:

Desensitize the areas of treatment using ice or a skin-numbing medication if you prefer. The product itself has a numbing agent mixed into it so most patients find the treatment very tolerable with very little to no discomfort.
Use very small needles to administer dermal filler injections in targeted locations.
Evaluate the changes that the gel is making as she treats each site, adding volume and reducing the appearance of wrinkles as she introduces the product.

You should be able to return to normal daily activities after treatment, though you may experience some minor swelling and possible bruising near the injection sites. It is advisable to avoid aspirin and ibuprofen and other blood thinners for at least 10 to 14 days before your treatment to reduce the likelihood of bruising.

You should see some of the benefits of your treatment immediately, but optimal results usually appear once the swelling has subsided in a week or so. At that point, you will be able to enjoy a refreshed, natural appearance and more youthful, fuller features.