Aging is a process that comes with many privileges: you get to know yourself better, make wiser choices, and can look over your accomplishments with pride. But aging is not without its negative consequences, including the lines and wrinkles that develop on your face. You can fight back with Juvederm, a dermal filler available at Dr Young Forever in Shavano Park, TX.
What Does Juvederm Do?
Made with hyaluronic acid (HA), this filler is injected below the skin with a very fine needle. Knowing what it’s made of is important; HA occurs naturally in the body as a complex sugar that improves skin hydration and elasticity. High levels of HA, like those we enjoy in our youth, contribute to a soft and supple facial appearance.
But HA levels don’t remain constant throughout our lifetimes. They drop with age and leave skin vulnerable to wrinkles, fine lines, and other undesirable effects. Juvederm combats these effects with its biocompatible formula to supplement the body’s HA levels and restore vibrancy to the skin.
Common Treatment Sites
While a number of injectable fillers exist on the market today, few of them have this treatment’s versatility. We attribute this to the different formulas that fall under the Juvederm umbrella; Voluma, for example, is a gel that specifically restores volume to flat, sagging cheeks.
Other issues the family of fillers address include:
- Nasolabial folds
- Wrinkles
- Crow’s feet
- Lip lines
- Frown lines
- Worry lines
Avoid These Activities Before and After Juvederm Treatment
This therapy is non-invasive, quick, and nearly pain-free. But we understand that choosing to have any cosmetic treatment can be a little intimidating at first. Following these recommendations will make your treatment nearly seamless, and you’ll enjoy results that keep you looking younger for longer.
Pre-Treatment Suggestions
One week before treatment, stop taking NSAIDs (such as Motrin and Advil), products that contain NSAIDs (such as cold medicine and Midol), and aspirin. These common medications have multiple effects on the body, including blocking platelets. When platelets are prohibited from sealing capillaries that are disturbed by injectables, you may develop bruising.
Other foods and beverages that can impede platelet activity and should be avoided prior to treatment, include:
- Alcoholic beverages
- Salmon
- Mackerel
- Chia seeds
- Nuts
Stop All Supplements
In addition, a number of supplements – including vitamin E, fish oil, St. John’s Wort, and green tea – thin the blood in ways that are similar to prescription medications. Many vitamins and herbal supplements can have unpredictable effects when used before a cosmetic therapy, and for this reason, we urge you to stop taking all of them at least one week prior to treatment.
Avoid Topical Skin Irritants
Around 48 hours before treatment, you should stop using topical anti-aging ointments, serums, and creams. This essentially boils down to products that contain glycolic acid, retinoids, retinol, and Retin-A. These can irritate skin and negatively impact your treatment outcomes.
The same is true of most hair removal actions and products. Again, about two days prior, do not tweeze, bleach, or wax hair that is on or near the treatment site. Also avoid hair removal creams, which commonly contain harsh chemicals.
Post-Treatment Suggestions
It may sound a little strange to hear a healthcare provider recommend you stop your exercise routine, but we can assure you it’s only temporary. For up to two days after, avoid activities that raise your heart rate above 100 bpm. This allows damaged capillaries to repair themselves after treatment so you can enjoy the full benefits of Juvederm injections.
If you do exercise, keep it to a light walk or easy yoga; no inversions or hot yoga. Intense exercise elevates blood flow and heart rate so that capillaries do not have the chance they need to repair.
Stay Out Of the Sun
Sun exposure can cause swelling and redness in the treatment area. It is therefore important you avoid this as much as possible. If you do plan to be outside, frequently and properly apply sunscreen and wear a hat or other protective clothing. Also skip tanning beds, hot tubs, and saunas, which emit intense heat and can irritate the skin.
No Touching
You may feel some itching near the injection site, which is completely normal. But we recommend you not scratch, pick, or rub the area. Also avoid massaging, which can inadvertently move the gel injectable before it’s completely settled.
Put Down the Glass
Drinking a glass of wine after your injectable treatment might sound like a great idea, but it’s not. You already know that alcohol can contribute to bruising before your session, and it can do the same after as well. Leave the alcohol for about 48 hours, and underlying tissues and blood vessels will heal more quickly.
Activities You Can Do
Now that you know what to avoid, you can start to focus on steps that are recommended before and after treatment. We’ll start with before, and our first advice is to eat fresh pineapple or drink pineapple juice on each of the three days leading to your appointment. This powerful fruit contains bromelain, an enzyme that can:
- Speed healing
- Reduce inflammation
- Fight bruising
For medicinal purposes, the best way to enjoy pineapple is raw and unprocessed. Once canned, it tends to lose some of its enzymes. Pineapple is also a great source of vitamin C, dietary fiber, and other nutrients.
Speak Candidly With Our Staff
Openly communicating with us can ensure your treatment is as effortless as possible. This means telling us about your current and previous health conditions, especially if you’re prone to developing facial cold sores. We also ask that you let us know if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Finally, provide us with information about your allergies so we can deliver a safe treatment.
Delay Dental Procedures
Once injected, fillers essentially work as implants inside the body. This means they are susceptible to localized infections like biofilm.
Dental procedures can cause bacteria to migrate into the bloodstream, which can in turn contribute to infections like those we just mentioned. We avoid this by asking you to delay all dental procedures for about two weeks before and after your treatment.
Time Accordingly
Planning is an essential part of your treatment. We suggest you schedule your injectable treatments at least two weeks before any major event or celebration you’ll be attending. This gives the treatment site time to heal so you look your best.
After Treatment
Among the most proactive steps you can take after treatment are:
- Use acetaminophen as needed for pain
- Take an antihistamine, such as Benadryl, to help reduce swelling
- Wear skin-friendly makeup
- Drink plenty of water
How This Injectable Works
Juvederm essentially restores volume to the face. In so doing, it also corrects static and dynamic wrinkles, fine lines, and creases (folds) that develop naturally as we age. The aging process is, in fact, the result of many factors: sun exposure, gravity, genetics, diet, and even the environment. Rather than try to address each of these factors individually, this injectable works from within the body to plump skin, like blowing air into a balloon.
A distinct difference with this therapy is its longevity; it is the only injectable FDA approved to deliver results that last at least one year. This reduces the number of maintenance treatments you need and also keeps your skin rejuvenated for longer.
The Importance of HA
By incorporating HA into its formula, this injectable is proven safe and effective. The body eventually processes it just as it does naturally-occurring HA, and that’s why repeat treatments are necessary.
But HA does more than provide temporary, if long-lasting, results. It also stimulates the body’s production of collagen. In tandem with elastin, this protein forms the structural network that supports our skin. Collagen production naturally wanes as we age, and that supportive structure slowly breaks down. Wrinkles and lines then develop.
Product Line
As mentioned earlier, each product within this family is developed to target a specific concern. We briefly talked about Voluma, which is injected deep into the cheeks to plump and smooth the skin there. It can also augment the chin to restore a contoured appearance and correct dimpled and/or sagging skin.
The texture of Vollure – another filler in the same family – is much less dense than its Voluma sibling. This makes it slightly more versatile and, in turn, more malleable. It can be injected both deep and superficially and is suitable for correcting wrinkles and folds in the cheeks and around the mouth.
For the Lips
Volbella and Ultra are signature fillers under this umbrella intended to plump lips. The former delivers more subtle results and is ideal for women who want to enhance their pout without adding a lot of volume. Volbella can also be used to smooth lines around the mouth. The latter can be used to give lips a full, pillow-like effect that is still natural but more dramatic.
Factors to Consider
In considering when to have treatment, the answer is, really, anytime. We have patients in their 20s who use injectable fillers to maintain their smooth, refined appearance. Those in their 30s generally want to correct fine lines, such as those around the eyes or in the forehead. Patients 40 and older use this treatment in all the ways already mentioned: to restore volume, smooth lines, and provide youthful contours.
Maintenance Appointments Are Important
You already know that fillers are not permanent solutions to aging concerns, although this treatment does last longer than most on the market. Nonetheless, as effects fade, you’ll want to schedule maintenance appointments that can keep skin firm and plump. Otherwise, your skin will return to its pre-treatment state, and you’ll lose the effects you’ve already gained.
Describing Treatment
Fillers require little treatment time; you’ll likely be in and out of the office within an hour. This time may vary depending on the number of areas you want to be treated, but regardless, we’ll get you back to your normal schedule as quickly as possible.
Ideal Candidates
This juvederm filler is suitable for almost any patient who wants to look younger. Allergic reactions are rare, thanks to its formula, and it is safe for all skin types – even sensitive. We do advise women who are pregnant or breastfeeding to delay treatment, simply to be cautious.
Before your treatment appointment, we will schedule a consultation that allows us to assess your skin. We can discuss ways to complement this therapy, such as with other injectables or skin peels, and then determine the best course of treatment.
The Nearly Fool-Proof Solution
For a therapy that corrects multiple concerns without the preparation or downtime associated with surgery, we fully recommend Juvederm injections. It is safe, delivered easily and quickly, and allows you to enjoy most of your routine activities immediately after treatment. Call the professionals at Dr Young Forever in Shavano Park, TX, today to schedule your appointment.
