Anyone looking for a non-invasive and effective way to maintain a more youthful appearance should consider looking into a filler like Belotero. At ICT Eye & Beautiful Eyes in Wichita, KS, we can safely apply this filler to help you regain your confidence. Here’s what you need to know.

How Soon Does Belotero Start Working?

Almost immediately after your appointment, you should notice a change in your appearance as the product takes up space under your skin.

Over the next 14 to 21 days, you should continue to see improvements to your skin until the final results are visible.

What Exactly Is Belotero?

This is a filler made with hyaluronic acid as the main ingredient. It’s applied to the desired areas of your face using a fine needle.

Specifically, this filler is designed to target the lower face and decrease signs of aging like wrinkling and sagging.

What Does Hyaluronic Acid Do?

This sugar can be found naturally in various parts of your body, including your skin. Its main job is to provide hydration to these areas by attaching itself to moisture molecules. As you age, however, your body loses amounts of its natural hyaluronic acid. This can cause issues like a loss of volume which can, in turn, exacerbate wrinkling and sagging.

This filler puts the hyaluronic acid back into your skin to help it appear full again. Additionally, hyaluronic acid can help to stimulate collagen production. Collagen is a protein that helps skin maintain elasticity, so its presence is crucial for maintaining a youthful appearance.

Where Can You Use This Filler?

Smile Lines

One of the most prominent wrinkles on a person’s face are smile lines. These are the lines appearing between your nose and your mouth. They are also often called laugh lines or nasolabial folds.

Getting injections of this filler will put more volume and elasticity into the area, significantly reducing the appearance of these folds.

Cheeks

Cheeks are one of the areas where a loss of volume can be particularly noticeable. As your cheeks get thinner, this can also age your appearance.

Injections of this filler will put more volume into your cheeks, plumping them. It’s also a good way to add a little more definition to them.

Lips

Another common area to get injections of this filler is the lip area. You may have lips that have gotten thinner as you’ve aged, or they may have always been thin as a result of your genes. Regardless, this filler will inject volume into your lips to help them appear fuller and plumper.

Many people also use this filler to decrease the appearance of lipstick lines or smoker’s lines. These are small, vertical lines that appear on a person’s lips with age and volume loss.

What Is Getting Treatment Like?

How to Prepare

The first thing we’ll do is hold a consultation with you. During this time, we’ll discuss several things, including your medical history, to ensure this is the best option for you. We’ll also talk about your goals and address any questions or concerns that you might have.

This is also an opportunity for us to inform you of things you’ll need to avoid during the 24 to 48 hours before your appointment. This includes alcohol, tobacco, and certain supplements and medications.

Your Treatment

We’ll begin the treatment by thoroughly cleaning the areas where you will be getting the injections. At this point, we may also apply a topical numbing cream to the areas. You will feel no pain during treatment. There will only be a small pinch as the needle is applied.

You’ll receive multiple injections of the product in specific locations. Doing this allows us to provide you with the accurate results you’re looking for. Most appointments only take around 30 minutes, and you can leave as soon as your treatment is complete.

Post-Treatment Care

There is very little you need to worry about after receiving treatment since it’s non-invasive. You’ll just need to be mindful of the fact that your skin will be slightly more sensitive than usual. This means that you’ll need to stay away from direct sunlight as well as strenuous physical activity.

Other than this, you’ll be able to return to your regular life. The skin around the injection sites should heal within a week or so.

How Long Do Results Last?

The amount of time you get to enjoy your results will depend on several factors, including where you get your injections and how your skin reacts. Typically, most people find their results last somewhere between 6 to 12 months.

How Can You Get Results to Last Longer?

Take Good Care of Your Skin

A healthy skincare routine is one of the best things you can do for your skin overall, but especially after you’ve gotten cosmetic treatment. Wash your skin twice a day with a quality cleanser to remove any buildup, and apply moisturizer afterward.

Look for moisturizers that contain ingredients like hyaluronic acid or glycerin to help support your skin’s health.

Live a Healthy Lifestyle

Staying generally active and eating right are good for your overall health as well as your skin. Look for foods that contain lean proteins, like white meat and fish, and get plenty of healthy fats as well as fruits and vegetables.

Drink Lots of Water

Keeping yourself hydrated immediately after your appointment will help to support the hyaluronic acid in this filler and allow you to see results sooner. Staying hydrated will also ensure that your results last for as long as possible.

Wear Sun Protection

The sun’s UV rays can negatively affect your skin. Unprotected exposure to the sun can result in your treatment being less effective. You may notice more wrinkling and sagging along with other concerns like dark spots. There is also the risk of skin cancer.

Applying sunscreen with at least 30 SPF and wearing gear like hats and sunglasses will provide you with the protection you need to help your results last.

Will Results Look Natural?

Some people want to see a major change in their appearance when they get a treatment like this one. On the other hand, others want something more minimal. We’ll discuss what your goals are and customize your treatment to get you exactly what you’re looking for.

Regardless of how major or minor you want your changes to be, you can count on this treatment looking completely natural.

Belotero vs. Surgery

If you’re looking for permanent results, then your physician may recommend surgery. However, surgery can be highly invasive and carry many risks with it.

If you’re uncomfortable with the risks of surgery, but you still want to get long-lasting results, this injectable treatment is a great alternative.

Can You Combine It with Other Treatments?

This treatment option can be safely combined with many other cosmetic treatments. For example, you may be able to combine it with another injectable designed for the upper portions of your face, like your eyes and forehead.

It’s also possible to combine it with products like BOTOX. These products work by blocking signals that come from your brain and tell your muscles to over-contract. This keeps the muscles relaxed which, allows the skin on top to stay smooth and wrinkle-free. When combined with a filler like this one for more volume, this can provide patients with even more dramatic results.

Who Is a Candidate?

This filler is carefully formulated and is approved by the FDA for patients over the age of 21. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should avoid this treatment. You should also stay away for the time being if you currently have any skin conditions around the areas you are looking to treat.

Since most people begin to see wrinkling around their late 20s and early 30s, this is a good time to consider getting this treatment. However, it can also be helpful for people looking to prevent signs of aging before they appear or as a way to enhance certain features.

Get in Touch Today

If Belotero sounds like what you need to feel confident in your appearance again, then all you need to do now is choose the right clinic. Our team will be excited to welcome you. Learn more when you call us at ICT Eye & Beautiful Eyes in Wichita, KS.

Collagen induction therapy (CIT) is an effective treatment for wrinkles, age spots, acne scars, uneven pigmentation, and other forms of scarring. The treatment works by using microneedles to cause controlled micro-injuries to the skin, stimulating your body’s natural healing process. At ICT Eye in Wichita, KS, we offer this therapy to help our patients achieve firmer, healthier, and younger-looking skin.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Collagen Induction Therapy?

Patients who want to fight signs of aging and improve their overall skin complexion without resorting to surgery or dermal fillers are usually good candidates for this treatment. If you’re considering CIT, the best thing to do is schedule a consultation with us here at the clinic.

During this consultation, we can assess your individual case and determine if CIT is right for you. Our team has years of experience in providing effective treatment solutions perfectly tailored to each patient’s unique needs. We’ll guide you every step of the way if you decide that CIT might be the right choice to meet your aesthetic goals.

What Skin Conditions Does Collagen Induction Therapy Help?

Reduced Collagen Production

Collagen is a crucial structural protein found throughout the human body, but is especially abundant in the skin. It serves as a major component of our connective tissue and makes up the extracellular matrix, which provides structure and strength to our skin.

Collagen has three main roles in skin health: it acts as a support structure by providing strength and resilience; it helps keep skin hydrated by supporting capillary walls, which retain water content; and it aids in wound healing by providing essential building blocks for new tissue growth.

Effects of Reduced Collagen Production

Various factors can lead to decreased collagen production. Aging is one of the most common causes since our body’s natural ability to produce collagen decreases significantly with age. Furthermore, free radicals generated from environmental pollution can damage collagen fibers, leading to a further decrease in production. When collagen production decreases, it leads to sagging skin that appears dry and wrinkled.

Additionally, lack of adequate collagen can lead to poor wound healing, which can cause scarring or other forms of hyperpigmentation. Collagen induction therapy is one potential solution for stimulating collagen production to reduce these signs of aging. During micro-needling, tiny needles are used to create microscopic channels in the dermis layer of the skin. This triggers an inflammatory response which encourages fibroblast cells to produce more collagen as part of the healing process.

Sun Damage and Hyperpigmentation

Hyperpigmentation is a condition in which areas of the skin become darker than normal due to increased melanin production, resulting in uneven skin tone, dark spots, or discoloration. There are several types of hyperpigmentation that can be triggered by excessive sun exposure, including melasma, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), photodamage, actinic lentigo, and solar lentigo.

Melasma is characterized by symmetrical patches of light to dark brown pigment on the face. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) occurs when an injury or inflammation to the skin affects the melanocytes in that area, resulting in darkening of the spots. Photodamage happens due to excessive sun exposure.

Other Forms of Hyperpigmentation

Actinic and solar lentigo occurs when you have been exposed to UV radiation for many years without proper protection from sunscreen or clothing, leading to age spots on different parts of your body, such as face, arms, hands, and neck areas. Apart from these cosmetic effects, prolonged exposure to UV rays can also cause irreversible damage to our skin structure through collagen breakdown.

Micro-needling is an effective treatment for reversing signs of aging due to sun exposure. By stimulating collagen production within the dermal layers using tiny needles that penetrate just deep enough into your skin without causing any major discomfort or pain, we are able to correct various hyperpigmentation issues.

Fine Lines and Wrinkles

Fine lines and wrinkles are a natural part of the aging process, but they can occur much earlier in life than many people realize. It’s not uncommon for the first visible signs of aging to start appearing as early as one’s mid-20s. There are several possible causes that can contribute to premature wrinkle formation. Environmental exposure is one of them, with frequent exposure to UV rays from the sun or other sources like tanning beds increasing one’s risk for wrinkles.

Smoking also accelerates the breakdown of collagen and elastin in the skin, leading to more pronounced wrinkles at an earlier age. Additionally, genetics plays an important role in how quickly a person’s skin may start showing signs of wear and tear. Some individuals may be predisposed to developing wrinkles much earlier than others due to genetics alone.

Intervention

Early intervention is crucial when it comes to reducing fine lines and wrinkles. Collagen induction therapy works by creating micro-injuries in deeper layers of the skin where new collagen production is stimulated. CIT also helps increase blood flow throughout facial tissues, which promotes quicker healing times after each treatment session.

Stretch Marks

Stretch marks are stripes or lines that occur when the skin is stretched beyond its normal capacity. This excessive stretching causes an inflammation response in the body, leading to scarring of the dermis. This scarring leaves behind visible lines or patterns on the skin’s surface. The most common causes of stretch marks include pregnancy, extreme weight loss or gain, certain medications, genetics, and hormonal changes due to puberty or menopause.

Stretch marks will usually fade away on their own over time, but this process can take anywhere from several months to years. In some cases, however, they may never completely disappear, necessitating the need for cosmetic treatments like micro-needling. Increasing collagen production helps even out the surface of the skin, which helps reduce the visibility of existing scars while also preventing new ones from forming.

Large Pores

Large skin pores are noticeable openings in the skin that can appear on different parts of our body, although they are usually concentrated on the nose and cheeks. These enlarged openings are caused by a few different things, such as excess sebum production and dead skin cells getting stuck in the pores. Hormonal changes due to puberty or menopause can also cause larger pores. Additionally, genetics can be a factor in determining how large your pores become.

Having enlarged skin pores can come with several problems. While you may not feel any physical discomfort from having large pores, it can make your skin look unhealthy. Additionally, whiteheads or blackheads can become more noticeable, especially when these enlarged pores become clogged with dirt and sebum.

Intervention

Unfortunately, large skin pores cannot revert to their normal size on their own. However, there are many cosmetic treatments available that can help reduce large pore size. These treatments include chemical peels, which exfoliate dead skin cells and clear away debris from inside the pore. Furthermore, increasing collagen production through micro-needling can help minimize pore size.

Acne Scars

Acne is a common skin condition that affects nearly all people at some point in their lives. The exact cause of acne is a complex combination of several factors. Increased hormone levels can cause the sebaceous glands to produce more oil than normal, leading to blocked pores, inflammation, and breakouts. Certain medications, such as those containing lithium, can also trigger or worsen acne symptoms.

In addition, certain foods with high sugar content may increase hormone levels and oil production, leading to clogged pores and breakouts. Acne scars occur when collagen fibers beneath the skin’s surface are damaged due to excessive inflammation caused by actions such as popping pimples or picking at blemishes. These damaged collagen fibers leave behind pits and depressions on the skin’s surface known as atrophic scars or ice-pick scars.

Intervention

Treatments such as micro-needling can help stimulate collagen growth while helping reduce discoloration caused by acne scars. Chemical peels can also exfoliate dead skin cells while encouraging new cell growth, resulting in smoother skin texture without discoloration or pitted marks left behind from previous breakouts.

Improve the Look and Feel of Your Skin Today!

Your skin can be smooth and glowing with the help of collagen induction therapy. This treatment harnesses your body’s natural healing powers to stimulate the production of fresh collagen. This helps smooth out fine lines and wrinkles while revealing renewed, youthful-looking skin. The results are usually seen within a few days but full effects can take up to four weeks after the first session. Contact ICT Eye in Wichita, KS, to find out if this treatment is right for you.