You’ve seen the five-star results that dermal fillers can achieve by plumping lips, smoothing facial lines, and creating more striking proportions in the face. But the question many of our first-time patients ask is an important one: At what age do fillers stop working?
The answer is a little complicated, since your numerical age does not necessarily line up with your individual complaints about your skin. To help you determine if you may benefit from an appointment with an injector, our Asheville aesthetics team is explaining what you need to know.
How dermal fillers are used
To have realistic expectations for your dermal filler results, it’s key to understand the ways that these injectables are used. Dermal fillers are injected beneath the skin, where they subtly “lift” the skin, creating the effect of added volume or a flattened wrinkle. Dermal fillers work only by adding volume; they cannot otherwise tighten the skin or erase imperfections.
Dermal fillers are used with additive techniques, lifting the skin to smooth a wrinkle or adding volume to sunken cheeks or lips.
Still, the incredible results you may have seen from dermal filler are thanks to the advanced additive techniques that licensed injectors use; these techniques create an improvement in isolated areas of the face that ultimately leads to an overall improved appearance. Here are 3 primary ways we use fillers:
- Increase volume or contour in areas where plumpness is an indicator of youthfulness, like the cheeks and lips
- Smooth static lines where they are becoming etched into the skin, such as the naso-labial folds, marionette lines, or perioral lines
- Subtly adjust facial proportions to create balance by injecting in the chin, nose, jawline, temples, or other areas
Am I a candidate for dermal filler?
If you are a non-smoker in good overall health with mild signs of aging in the face, then it’s possible you are a candidate for dermal fillers, such as Juvéderm®. It is cosmetically important that your signs of aging are mild, early, and/or isolated enough that hyaluronic acid-based filler is sufficient to address them. Your overall health is also key, as any underlying conditions or smoking may hinder results.
While we can use dermal filler to replace a small amount of lost volume for patients with advanced signs of aging, the results will likely be underwhelming.
Who is not a good candidate for dermal fillers?
You may not be a good candidate for dermal fillers if you have advanced volume loss in the skin, since no number of syringes of dermal filler will correct loose skin or fallen fat pads. The skin can only handle so much dermal filler; when we use the methods that work well on mild signs of aging, you may find the results to be barely noticeable if your signs of aging are more advanced. Further, injecting filler beneath thin or crepe-like skin may result in a lumpy or uneven appearance.
At what age should you get fillers?
You can get fillers at any age if your signs of aging make you a candidate. While you shouldn’t get fillers if your signs of aging are severe, there is no set age limit for fillers: a 60 year-old patient who has carefully protected their skin from sun damage and used retinol or other anti-aging treatments or procedures (like laser skin treatments or even a surgical facelift) may be a good candidate for dermal filler. However, patients whose facial aging includes thin, crepe-like skin, jowls, skin laxity, and deep lines may not see satisfactory results from the injection areas and amounts in which dermal filler is safely used.
Alternatives to dermal filler
Whether or not you are a good candidate for dermal filler, you have other anti-aging options, as well! Our Asheville medical spa offers Botox® and non-surgical skin treatments for natural-looking, holistic facial rejuvenation without surgery or significant downtime:
- Dynamic wrinkles & prevention: Botox continues to be useful at any age to soften dynamic wrinkles—the kind that appear when you make a facial expression, like frowning—and to prevent the formation or worsening of these wrinkles.
- Overall skin improvement: A series of laser skin resurfacing and/or microchanneling treatments improves the overall appearance of your skin by promoting collagen production for plumper skin and softened fine lines and wrinkles.
- Dark spots and pigmentation: Intense pulsed light, or IPL, is a form of laser skin rejuvenation that improves irregular pigmentation—dark spots, sun spots, or hyperpigmentation—for a younger-looking complexion in addition to some of the collagen-boosting benefits of laser treatment.
Certain patients with more advanced signs of aging may be happier with the results of a surgical facelift. While a consultation with a cosmetic plastic surgeon is required to learn if you would be a good candidate for a facelift, our medical spa team is happy to evaluate your skin and discuss the possibilities and limits of our non-surgical options in light of your personal goals for your skin. It is common for our patients who undergo a facelift to visit us afterwards for treatments to enhance and protect their investment.
Visit our Asheville medica spa, Mountain Radiance, for sound advice and effective treatments
When it comes to medical-grade skin treatments and injectables, it’s key to choose an ethical provider who will offer you realistic expectations for your results and technically expert injections. At Mountain Radiance, located just south of Biltmore Village, our friendly team is led by physician Dr. Mark Chandler. Our licensed nurse injectors and aestheticians specialize exclusively in non-surgical methods for addressing aging, brightening your look, and refreshing your confidence. Schedule your appointment today by calling (828) 627-2711 or contacting us online.
