What do fillers feel like

I don't think anyone, save for a woman in labor, has ever sweat so hard while sitting perfectly still in an air-conditioned room. The crunchy paper on the exam chair had turned to mush and was disintegrating under my legs, my black thank god dress was damp with sweat, and my water bottle — my only hope at this point — was slipping out of my clammy hands.

The room was starting to move and the lights seemed way too bright, but I couldn't drift away. The show must go on. I wanted my injections, damn it. Two months ago, if you'd asked me if I'd be in the office of dermatologist Whitney Bowe , MD, getting fillers with one of my best friends, I'd have told you not a chance in hell.

Fillers were for getting lips like you-know-whose and adding volume to cheekbones that had lost the collagen reserves of their youth. Fillers only made you fuller.

Not so, I learned on a recent trip to Stockholm with Restylane. Sure, many people get dermal fillers — injections of hyaluronic acid in gel form — to enhance their lips and fill out sunken cheekbones and smile lines.

Those are the on-label uses, after all. But a large percentage of the ways in which doctors use them are "off-label" i. On the trip, I watched, with equal parts fascination and nausea, as a Swedish derm completely reshaped patients' jawlines, chins, and noses with a few pushes of the syringe.

The effect wasn't plumped so much as sculpted, contoured, sharpened — like a Mario Dedivanovic contour on steroids. I wanted in. My friend, a fellow filler virgin, did, too. When possible, always employ the buddy system for cosmetic procedures — a true friend will hold your hand and tell you when you're starting to go a bit too far.

So a few weeks ago, we ditched work a few hours early and met at Dr. Bowe's office. I confirmed my friend would be there on time, then gave myself permission to lag a bit — "train delays" — so she'd have to go first. Sorry, boo. You would have thought she was taking a polygraph test as Dr. Botox and other neurotoxins such as Xeomin and Dysport paralyze the muscles of the face. This prevents wrinkles that show as a result of frowning, squinting, or raising the eyebrows.

Botox is most commonly used over the forehead and around the eyes. Dermal fillers , in contrast, are used to fill out wrinkles around the mouth, add volume to the cheeks, or create fuller lips. Fillers can even be used to make hands look younger, or to smooth out crepey skin on the neck, chest, legs, and arms.

Getting filler is a little bit uncomfortable, but I have several techniques to make it as close to pain-free as possible. First, I use topical numbing cream to numb the skin prior to injection.

Letting the cream sit in place for at least 10 minutes prior to injection makes a huge difference in the comfort level, especially for lip filler. Second, I apply an ice pack to the area for a few seconds before each injection. Not only does this decrease the pain, but it also constricts the blood vessels to decrease bruising.

Finally, I use a nifty little tool called a beauty bar. This gadget is the size and shape of a Bic razor, and when turned on it creates a small vibration. The end result? Less pain. The longevity of a filler product depends on what it is composed of.

Hyaluronic acid fillers like Juvederm, Restylane, and Belotero last an average of months. Some specialized formulations can last up to a year. Radiesse is a different type of filler composed of calcium hydroxylapatite.

It adds volume as well as stimulating the body to make more collagen, and results last 9 months to a year. Sculptra works entirely by stimulating collagen formation, so it may last a couple years.

And there are two permanent fillers on the market: Artefill and Bellafill. With the exclusion of the permanent fillers, your body gradually breaks down the filler material over time. And repeated filler injection does not cause any sort of permanent damage to the skin or soft tissue. Immediately after filler injection I have patients apply an ice pack for a few minutes to decrease swelling. I also recommend staying well-hydrated and taking a Benadryl or Zyrtec before going to bed to help decrease any swelling.

If you notice little lumps and bumps after filler injection this is almost always swelling, and goes away after a few days. Light massage starting a couple days after your treatment can help the swelling resolve more quickly. The vast majority of patients only experience mild bruising and swelling after filler injection. You may also notice the area feels a little tender to the touch for a couple days after, especially if you had filler injected in your lips.

There are two more serious side effects worth mentioning, however. While fillers are typically used to add volume and plump the skin, Botox which is a brand name for botulinum toxin temporarily blocks nerve signals in the muscles where it's injected to restrict movement and treat 'expression lines'. By Marie-Claire Chappet. Fillers are a gel-like substance that is injected into different parts of the skin. The depth of injection and consistency of the filler dictates the results that will be achieved: deep injections with firm fillers create volume and shape to the face, mid-depth injections with medium-firm fillers reduce the appearance of creases, superficial injections into the dermis with soft fillers help to smooth out wrinkles, plump and hydrate the skin.

It is also worth nothing that fillers can be injected in different ways: using a needle or a cannula. A cannula is a blunt tube that deposits filler underneath the skin and can be used to treat any part of the face e.

The results following a filler treatment will, of course, vary from person to person and the areas treated. It is normal for there to be some swelling and possibly even some bruising for a few days after facial fillers but generally you will see an immediate difference in volume and shape of the treated area.

The results tend to improve as the swelling settles and the filler begins to sit more naturally in the skin. This may take around two weeks.

In reality, it is practically impossible to "over-do" fillers in a single cautious treatment so long as you have a qualified, responsible practitioner. Where things can go wrong is when people keep adding filler over numerous sessions until their results look disproportionate and unnatural.

While it may seem easy to avoid, it's easier than you may think. Every face is different and some people break down filler faster than others. How long the filler lasts will depend on the type of filler used and where it was injected. Most filler will last for between 6 and 18 months. The best filler to use will depend on the area to be treated. There are some commonly used and well-recognised brands of fillers such as Juvederm, Belotero, Restylane and Teosyal.

There are many other brands and types of fillers available and practitioners will often have a tendency to use one particular brand. In order for fillers to gain FDA approval, the pharmaceutical company must prove safety as well as efficacy.

So, if you are looking for a safe and effective filler, start by checking if it is FDA approved for the area you want treated.