Know Your Injectables

October 21, 2012 - By Dr. Jules Feledy

People who are on the fence about plastic surgery, or are just looking to make some subtle changes to their appearance, tend to favor cosmetic injectables. They’re non-invasive and often require little downtime afterwards.

If you’re in the market for cosmetic injectables, there are a variety of options to suit your needs.

Botox

This is the most popular injectable on the market in the U.S., sitting pretty at nearly six million procedures in a year. Botox is best used cosmetically for treating forehead wrinkles and crows feet by relaxing the facial muscles that cause wrinkles in the first place.

Juvederm

Derived from hyaluronic acid, a naturally-occurring substance in mammals, Juvederm is great for adding volume to lips. Hyaluronic acid is used to fill and expand tissue, since it’s capable of absorbing a great amount of water, thereby adding volume. It’s also good for scar revision and decreasing smile lines.

Restylane

Since it’s also derived from hyaluronic acid, Restylane shares a lot of its treatment areas with Juvederm. Besides reducing wrinkles, crow’s feet and lip enhancement, it’s also used to treat facial hollows (such as the areas under and around the eyes), and is known to enhance skin elasticity to the face and hands, without adding volume.

For a fuller understanding of the benefits of these or other treatments, and which best applies to you, contact your plastic surgeon to book a consultation.