Okay, so by now we have all heard about “preventative botox”which refers to starting botox before wrinkles form at rest. Depending on your genetics, skin type, and life style this can mean starting botox anywhere from your early 20’s to early 30’s.
Something that I have found to be much less talked about, but just as revolutionary, is preventative filler.
First, lets talk about what filler is exactly. The term “filler” refers to hyaluronic acid based dermal fillers that are injected into the face to restore volume. This is different than botox which is used to weaken or paralyze facial muscles to prevent dynamic wrinkles, and it is typically used on different areas of the face. For example, typical areas to treat with botox are the frown lines (11’s), forehead lines, crows feet. Whereas filler is typically used in the cheeks, nasolabial folds (smile lines), lips, chin, jaw, and more!
Filler is a gel-like consistency and is made of a magic ingredient called hyaluronic acid.
Hyaluronic acid packs a major punch as it not only restores lost volume in the skin, but it stimulates collagen and holds 1000x its weight in water to exponentially improve the skins ability to retain hydration (hello, solution to Denver dry skin!). This key ingredient is how filler can work preventatively, and I am going to explain it even further so keep reading…
As we age, we slowly lose volume in our face. This includes collagen, adipose, and the famous hyaluronic acid. We lose it first in our mid-face (the area right between your cheekbone and nose) which then causes a sagging and shadowing effect in our tear troughs (under eyes) and nasolabial folds (smile lines).
For most of us, this process happens so slowly that we don’t really pay attention until we have severe volume loss. The problem?
If we wait until we have severe volume loss to treat, it is much more difficult to get a natural result and that is where the risk of “filler face” comes in. When we dump that much volume of filler in at a time it is much more difficult for it to integrate into the tissue which means it doesn’t move natural with the rest of your face and just looks “off”. So our fear of looking like a ” real house wife” and waiting years to get filler actually leads that to be our only choice down the road. Scary right?
So, hear me out.
My approach is different, and preventative facial filler is one of the most common things I do in my practice as the majority of my patients are in their 20-30’s.
I like to use 1-2 syringes and split them between the 3 main areas where we lose volume: the mid-face, the nasolabial folds (smile lines), and the lips. If you are stress-breath-holding right now let me remind you that each syringe of filler is 1/5 of a teaspoon. We are talking about a tiny amount of volume here but it can make such a huge difference when placed strategically in someone with very early signs of aging.
I’ve shared before about starting my journey with botox and filler very young as I am genetically more prone to wrinkles and worked as a night shift nurse for many years. When I was just 25 I got preventative filler in my smile lines so I can personally attest to the revolutionary results of preventative filler. Because of the volume replenishment combined with the collagen stimulation and increased hydration, I haven’t had to get filler in my smile lines since and its been almost six years. And guess what? No one would guess I had anything done!
I hope this post helps take the fear out of filler and inspires you to start your own journey with preventative filler! If you are in the Denver area, skin DEN aesthetics is THE premier Medspa for preventative botox and filler so come see us!
Xx,
Michelle Paty FNP-C
Wife. Mom. Injector. Entrepreneur. Skinthusiast.
