Juvederm

Juvederm is one of the latest dermal fillers introduced to the U.S. market by Allergan, the company which manufactures Botox. It is a hyaluronic acid based filler similar to Restylane. However, JUVÉDERM™ injectable gel employs its unique manufacturing process to provide the highest concentration of cross-linked hyaluronic acid of any currently available hyaluronic acid dermal filler for long-lasting results. This advanced manufacturing process also creates a smooth consistency gel that flows consistently and easily into the skin and provides a smooth, natural look and feel.

Recently approved by the FDA, Juvéderm™ injectable gel is a “next-generation” dermal filler. The smooth consistency gel helps to instantly restore your skin’s volume and smooth away facial wrinkles and folds, like your “smile lines” or “parentheses” (nasolabial folds—the creases that run from the bottom of your nose to the corners of your mouth).

With Juvederm, the results are immediate with minimal downtime. Most patients need one treatment to achieve optimal wrinkle smoothing, and the results last up to 6 months or more. Juvederm can be used virtually anywhere on the face, with most success in the lips, nasolabial folds (lines from the nose to the corners of the mouth), and the marionette lines (lines from the corners of the mouth downward to the jawline).

Before Procedure

To better understand your overall health, we will carefully evaluate your medical history prior to treatment. In addition, a complete examination of your face is made in order to decide the most effective injection sites. All issues and concerns will be addressed.

The areas that will be treated may be marked and photographs may be taken in order to follow the improvement after the procedure. To avoid bruising and bleeding, drugs, vitamins and herbs that thin your blood or prevent platelets from clotting should be avoided.

The Procedure

These injections are performed very comfortably in the office under local anesthesia. At most, only a very slight sting may be felt when injections are made. Injection procedures usually take only 10-20 minutes. Because this is a substance that is also naturally-occurring in the body, results are not permanent. Initial results typically last 6-12 months; however, with repeated injections on regular intervals, the results can become progressive.

Post-Procedure Information

After the procedure, patients may experience slight bruising around the area that quickly fades. Swelling, redness and tenderness after the injections is minimal and also resolves quickly. Normal activities can be resumed almost immediately. One of the benefits of a reversible injectable filler is that the effects will dissipate and disappear over months, such that should a patient desire their pre-procedure appearance, they can achieve it once more.

What are the differences between Botox ® and Juvederm®?

There is a synergistic relationship between Botox® and wrinkle fillers such as Juvederm®. When restricting muscle activity with Botox®, and filling wrinkles with Juvederm®, the effects achieved may last longer. Hand-in-hand they are ideal companion treatments as each boosts the effect of the other. One can seemingly take years off your life in the matter of minutes with the two products, thus giving rise to such names as the “15 minute face lift”.