Why do we get facial folds as we get older? To understand this process, we must first discuss something called hyaluronic acid. This substance attracts and binds with water molecules to keep skin smooth, tight, fresh, and volumized. It is naturally produced by the human body.
Unfortunately, the production of hyaluronic acid slows down with age, leading to a loss of facial volume and the creation of deep facial folds. Facial folds are also caused by stress, a drop in the production of elastin and collagen, age-related facial fat loss, sun exposure, and smoking.
The solution to treating deep facial folds at Houston Oculofacial is an injectable dermal filler called Juvederm. Injections of Juvederm by Dr. Mirwat Sami give the skin a beautiful and natural youthfulness.
Juvederm Treatment
The active ingredient in Juvederm is hyaluronic acid. When the filler in injected into the skin, it replenishes hyaluronic acid. It attracts the water present in the tissues and plumps up the skin, which fills in facial folds to create a more youthful appearance.
The injection procedure for Juvederm is quite simple and only requires about 15 minutes. First, Dr. Sami will mark out the areas that need to be injected with a marker. The more areas there are to treat, the more injections must be given; this will determine the length of the treatment procedure.
Once that’s done, Dr. Sami will begin to inject the Juvederm into the marked regions. In order to prevent any discomfort that would otherwise be felt during this process, Juvederm contains a local anesthetic called lidocaine. The inclusion of lidocaine helps to numb the treatment areas.
After the injections have been administered, the injected areas may be massaged to aid even distribution of the Juvederm solution. This will help create satisfactory and natural-looking results.
The results of Juvederm are immediately obvious and appear in the form of smoother skin and a reduction in the appearance of wrinkles. Juvederm results typically last for six months or in some cases up to a full year. After this time, follow-up treatments may be available.
Post-Treatment Directions
Once the procedure is complete, you will be able to return to your daily duties. This stands in sharp contrast to surgical procedures, which typically require a fair amount of downtime and healing. Because of this, Juvederm and other injectable treatments are seen as very convenient. In fact, many are known as lunchtime treatments, since they can easily be done during a patient’s lunch break.
Strenuous activities like heavy exercise must be avoided for a short time, along with exposure to the sun or any other source of heat. You may experience some mild swelling or bruising for a few days, but these will fade quickly.
Talk to Dr. Mirwat Sami to learn more about proper post-treatment care directions.
Learn More About Juvederm at Houston Oculofacial
Dr. Mirwat Sami, a board-certified ophthalmologist specializing in Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, will be available to discuss Juvederm during an informative consultation. For your consultation, contact our office and schedule an appointment.
