There are certain parts of aging that are wonderful, like long relationships, great experiences and tons of memories. What’s not always so great are the signs of aging that creep onto our faces as the years go by. Lines, wrinkles, folds and areas of lost volume can take a toll on our skin and our self-esteem. If you’re unhappy with the signs of aging you see in the mirror, you don’t have to just live with it. Call ICT Eye in Wichita, KS and ask about how Juvederm could address your areas of concern.
What Causes Those Signs of Aging?
There are several things that contribute to the appearance of lines and wrinkles but only one real root cause: we lose production of three important components necessary for young-looking skin.
Collagen
Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies and makes up 80% of our skin. When we’re young, we have an abundance of collagen in the middle layer of our skin, and it forms a strong and tight foundation for our complexion to lie on. Because collagen is such a fibrous protein, it packs tightly together, not allowing our surface skin to fall. Collagen also provides a solid anchor that keeps our layers of skin tightly adhered to each other.
The deepest layer of our skin, the hypodermis, is where our fat layer and fat pads lie. These fat pads give our high cheekbones some of their prominence and the apples of our cheeks their contour. The strong collagen in our skin keeps this layer tightly attached to our deeper tissue and our bone structure. Collagen works hand in hand with elastin and hyaluronic acid.
Elastin
Our bodies create this protein to keep our organs flexible and elastic. Elastin is the reason our organs, including our skin, can flex and return right back to their original position. When we make expressions or tug at our skin, it snaps right back to place. As we’re young we can continuously make expressions and our skin won’t show it. This is partly because of the strong foundation of collagen underneath the surface and because elastin keeps it looking taut.
Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is a sugar our bodies make to keep our skin, eyes and connectives tissues lubricated and hydrated. The molecules of this sugar hold up to 1000 times their weight in water, so when this sugar is abundant in our skin, it actually attracts water to it, keeping our skin looking young, dewy and supple. This is the component that gives young skin a “bounce” when it’s pressed.
Losing Our Support
About the time we turn 20, we lose about 1% production of all three per year. Because collagen is the most prominent protein, we can see the effects of its decline first and most dramatically. That strong layer of skin that used to be packed tightly together becomes looser, allowing weak spots to form. As our faces move with our expressions, the collagen we have remaining will get pushed around by our muscles and the surface of our skin.
Eventually, crevices will form and the surface of our skin will fall to fill those areas creating lines, wrinkles and folds. Our collagen isn’t strong enough to fill those places back in, and as time goes on and we lose even more collagen, those lines and wrinkles become deeper and more prominent.
Lost Areas of Volume
Because the collagen that acted like an anchor keeping everything in place weakens, those fat pads can slip. This is why, as people age, it can look like the bottoms of their faces become heavier than the upper part. The fat pads that kept our contours prominent, youthful and proportionate slip, and those once-curvy parts of our face can flatten.
We lose bone mass as we age, so this makes our cheekbones less dramatic and adds to a gaunt look. This overall change is so subtle we may not notice until it becomes dramatic. It’s often when we look at a picture of our younger selves that we notice this difference. As we lose thickness in our fat layers, it can leave us with bony areas like at the temples, and that just adds to the disproportionate appearance between our upper and lower face.
Dermal Fillers
Luckily, all hope is not lost. Dermal fillers have quickly become one of the most requested cosmetic treatments in the world. This is because they offer immediate, natural-looking and transformative results. The appointments are quick and comfortable and well-tolerated by most people. Dermal fillers are a very versatile treatment, addressing multiple areas of concern. The most popular brand of dermal fillers is Juvederm.
What Is Juvederm?
Juvederm is a family of dermal fillers made from hyaluronic acid suspended in a smooth and pliable gel. The flexibility of the gel varies depending on where it’s injected. Some areas will need to be more soft and supple than others. Juvederm is a big family of dermal fillers that can address multiple areas of concern.
Lip Enhancement
We all envy supermodels and celebrities for their full sets of lips, but guess what? Many of them weren’t born with those lips either. If you’re ready to have the lips of your dreams, we can make that a reality. The first step is to talk about how much volume you have versus how much you would like. These fillers provide not only natural looking but also natural-feeling results. We can make your results as subtle or as dramatic as you’d like.
Shape
If you envy the cupid’s bow at the top of some people’s lips, we can give you that. We can also help you define the edge of your lips. Often, as we age, our lips thin, and this can cause us to lose the definition of our lips. We can plump the area up around the edges of your lips for more definition.
Gravity can pull the corners of our mouth down, giving us the appearance of looking sad or angry when we’re not. This treatment expertly injected into this area can add a subtle upturn to those corners. It’s a small change, but it brightens your entire expression. If you have an uneven or crooked smile you’re unhappy with, sometimes a dermal filler can help even it out by adding subtle volume to one side.
Lines
Many of us will develop vertical lines around the edges of our lips known as “smoker’s lines.” These small lines can make wearing lipstick and gloss very frustrating because the color will bleed onto the surrounding skin. By just plumping up the area, those lines become less noticeable and makeup is fun to wear again.
Wrinkles and Folds
There are many lines our clients would like addressed when they walk in our doors. Juvederm makes a family of injectables that offer the most natural and amazing results. Each one is made of hyaluronic acid, so your skin’s appearance will improve beyond just plumping up the wrinkles. The hyaluronic acid in the dermal filler attracts water so your skin will take on a dewy appearance in certain areas.
If you’re suffering from moderate-to-severe lines, wrinkles and folds, this is the treatment for you. The most common areas for these treatment are:
- Nasolabial folds from the nose to the mouth
- Marionette lines from the mouth down the chin
- Chin wrinkles, including the deep line that forms between the chin and bottom lip
- Bunny lines
- Crow’s feet
- Neck bands
Jowls
There may not be a more dreaded sign of aging than jowls. As fat repositions itself near the bottom of our face, it settles on either side of our chin. The strategic use of dermal fillers can smooth out the shape of jowls and make your chin area smoother and evener. When you combine this treatment with the upturning of the corners of the mouth, it’s an immediate and transformative result.
Lost Volume
When we’re young and we smile, the apples of our cheeks plump out and give our faces a youthful and happy contour. Those fat pads that kept our cheeks elevated, plump and full have now migrated down our face. We’ve also lost volume in the fat layer in our deepest layer of skin, so our once prominent features can become quite flat, giving us a tired and aged appearance.
This treatment injected into the areas where we’ve lost volume can restore the youthful profile we remember or give us the appearance of striking bone structure that we never had. Because of the gel used in these treatments, even large areas look and feel natural.
What to Expect
We’ll first have a consultation where we’ll examine your areas of concern, talk about your desired results and go over treatment options. If we decide Juvederm is the right option for you, there isn’t a lot of prep work for you to do for this minimally invasive treatment. We may ask you to pause taking any blood-thinning over-the-counter medications and supplements to reduce the small risk of bruising. These can include but aren’t limited to:
- Aspirin
- Ibuprofen
- Naproxen
- High dose vitamin E
- Ginseng
- Gingko Biloba
- Fish oil
During Treatment
When you arrive, we’ll numb the injection site just to make sure this already comfortable treatment is as pleasant as possible. Many of the Juvederm injectables have lidocaine in the mixture, so as treatment progresses, it’s even more comfortable. We’ll then make a series of injections to your areas of concern.
We can see the progress as we go because the results are immediate. When we’re done injecting, you’re ready to go back to your normal routine with no downtime. You will have walked in looking your age and will walk out with a younger complexion, more volume and youthful contours.
How Long Does Juvederm Last?
The length of each client’s results will vary depending on age, the condition of the treatment area and metabolism rate. On average, you can expect results to last up to nine months, with some clients reporting continued results after one year. Unlike some injectables that may take a few days to work, these results are immediate.
It’s best to follow our recommendation for follow-up treatments so your results are continuous. When you see your areas of concern appear again, you know it’s time to come back in for treatment.
Why Put It Off Any Longer?
If you’re unhappy with certain signs of aging, there’s no reason to put off feeling great about your appearance again. Call ICT Eye in Wichita, KS to make an appointment for a consultation. We believe in helping our clients look and feel their best and are committed to giving them the highest level of service and care.
