What Is Dermal Filler?
Dermal filler is the group term used to describe the various types of treatments available using fillers.

Dermal fillers are effective at making areas of the face look plumper, or making other areas look slimmer by comparison – for example making your jaw look more defined by emphasizing your chin – making dermal fillers a great alternative to costly cosmetic facial surgery options.

The most popular areas we offer dermal fillers for are:

Lips – Lip fillers are a widely popular treatment thanks to social media. Lip fillers are primarily used by women to create a ‘pouty’, full-looking lip, but they have also seen an increase with men looking to create a more youthful appearance. Lip fillers can be varied to create a more natural look or a fuller, thicker look depending on your desired appearance.
Cheeks – Cheek fillers help to restore a youthful look by making the face appear fuller. As we age, our skin loses collagen and elastin which can cause sagging – especially around the cheeks and jaw. Cheek fillers give your face back the support it needs to make your skin look younger and give your face definition.
Specialised areas – Dermal filler can also be administered to certain more localised areas such as the jaw, tear-trough, or under eye area to reduce the appearance of dark circles. They can also be effective at lessening the appearance of acne scarring.

What Is Dermal Filler Made From?
At Synergy, we primarily use Juvederm dermal fillers for our facial aesthetics procedures. Juvederm is the top chosen filler band in the USA. Juvederm’s formula is free from animal products. Made using a synthetic hyaluronic acid, a product naturally produced by our bodies that helps retain moisture, Juvederm is specially designed for making skin appear more plump. With the addition of lidocaine, a numbing agent, Juvederm’s formula may be more comfortable for patients compared to other dermal filler brands that do not contain lidocaine, giving you a relaxing and pain-free experience.

Juvederm’s semi-permanent dermal filler formula lasts between 9 months to 1 year before needing to be topped up.

Who Can Have Dermal Fillers?
Dermal fillers are for almost anyone, no matter their gender, over the age of 18.

Despite pressures of social media that often drive teenagers towards wanting dermal fillers, younger patients should not have dermal filler treatment – it is illegal for providers of dermal fillers to offer treatment to under 18s for cosmetic purposes as they are not legally adults and cannot consent to the procedure, even with parental permission.

Patients with skin conditions, on certain medications or with various medical conditions such as autoimmune disorders, bleeding disorders or those on blood thinners should consult a medical professional to ensure they are suitable for the procedure.

If you have any allergies, make sure you tell your facial aesthetics trained dentist – even if you’ve had dermal fillers before – and ensure that you are not allergic to any of the ingredients in your chosen dermal filler.

What To Expect From Dermal Fillers Treatment?
When in the hands of an experienced medical professional, dermal fillers are a quick, painless and effective treatment to achieve natural looking enhancement. No matter what type of treatment you’re having from the various options we offer – lip fillers, cheek fillers, jaw fillers, under eye fillers or fillers for acne scarring – almost all fillers are administered in the same way.

Here’s what to expect from dermal fillers in 3 simple steps

Step 1 – Consultation With The Dentist
Before we provide dermal fillers treatment, we want to understand what your aesthetic goals are and provide you with realistic expectations as to what your final appearance will look like. Remember, dermal fillers are designed to enhance your appearance, not completely change it!

Step 2 – Numbing Cream
Your facial aesthetics trained dentist will administer a local anaesthetic numbing cream across the area you are having dermal fillers. This will make the treatment more comfortable for you, though you may still experience a mild pinching sensation.

Step 3 – Filler Injections
Your facial aesthetics trained dentist will then begin to inject the dermal filler into your chosen area. Our dentists are trained to create a natural looking result – we do this by injecting multiple very small doses evenly across the area being filled, building up to your desired result, rather than risking over-injection and creating an unnatural appearance. This can make your treatment take a bit longer – depending on the area you are having filled, appointments can last between 20 minutes to an hour – but it ensures a better looking result, so the wait is worth it! Once your dermal filler treatment is over, you will be given advice to follow regarding proper aftercare.

What Are the Side Effects Of Dermal Fillers? 

Dermal fillers can have a wide range of side effects – but by choosing to trust one of our medically trained facial aesthetics practitioners, you can minimise the risks. 

Most horror stories regarding dermal fillers treatment come from scenarios where the person administering the dermal filler is not medically trained and has not injected the filler safely – either by over-injecting, or by injecting incorrectly. Our dental professionals are medically trained to administer dermal fillers so that this doesn’t happen. 

The most common side effect of dermal filler treatment is bruising and swelling immediately within the first 24 hours of treatment. This usually goes down within the first week. Continued swelling or tenderness may indicate a more serious concern such as an allergic reaction – contact your aesthetics provider or a medical professional immediately. 

Despite taking the utmost care, sometimes dermal fillers can have unwanted side effects such as an allergic reaction. You can minimise the chances of this happening by checking the ingredients of your chosen dermal filler, even if you have had filler before, and discussing any allergies before treatment. 

Whilst we perform our dermal fillers treatments under strict hygiene regulations, there is a small chance of developing an infection after dermal fillers treatment – this might be feeling unwell, a fever, or chills. Contact a medical professional immediately if you suspect an infection. You can prevent infections by following all advice that we give you regarding correct after care. If your medically trained aesthetics practitioner has prescribed antibiotics to prevent infection, remember to take them – though we may not always recommend them in all cases. 

Are Dermal Fillers Painful? 

Dermal fillers should not be painful thanks to the use of numbing cream. Our Juvederm treatments also contain lidocaine, a numbing agent, as part of the filler formula, making treatment more comfortable. 

During the treatment, you may experience a mild pinching feeling and pressure. After the treatment, your skin may feel tighter due to the added volume. You may also experience some minor bruising or swelling around the injection site, which should fade within a few days. 

How Should I Take Care Of My Dermal Filler? 

Whilst our dermal fillers offer semi-permanent results, there are a few things you can do to make sure your filler treatment goes well, speed up your recovery time, and help your fillers last longer. 

Within the first few days, follow all care instructions we give you and make sure to avoid: 

• Pressing, poking, excessive pressure, or sleeping on the area where filler has been administered
• Side sleeping – this can cause the filler to move, instead you should sleep flat on your back
• Excessive heat such as baths, hot-tubs, saunas, and steam rooms 
• Strenuous exercise
• Makeup 
• Certain skin care such as chemical exfoliants – retinol, vitamin C and AHA
• Alcohol, NSAIDs (such as ibuprofen and aspirin) or any other blood thinning medications or substances. 

To help your filler last longer, protect your skin by adopting a healthy lifestyle, avoiding smoking, managing stress, keeping hydrated, and wearing an SPF sunscreen daily. Some people’s bodies will naturally break down filler faster than others, but scheduling top up appointments can help maintain your look for longer. 

Why Shouldn’t I Get Dermal FIllers From A Beauty Salon? 

All of our dermal fillers are administered in a hygienic and sterile setting by fully qualified medical professionals who take the utmost care in maintaining high standards of safety. 

In a delicate area such as your face, everything is interconnected, and a small mistake with dermal filler placement can lead to serious medical consequences such as swelling and even blindness in some cases where filler has been incorrectly administered by people who are not medically trained. 

Our dentists have undergone years of medical training to understand how the human body functions, and have undertaken additional qualifications to be able to perform dermal filler treatment. 

At a beauty salon, you have no guarantee that the person performing your treatment has the training and the medical knowledge to perform your procedure safely. This can potentially lead to poor aesthetic results and serious medical complications – costing you hundreds to have these problems corrected. 

It is always safer to find a trustworthy medical professional and make sure you are in safe hands before going ahead with any treatments – don’t be afraid to ask the person administering your filler about their qualifications, their training, the procedure, and the products they’re using. Ask to see before and after cases of their previous patients and find reviews before going ahead with any treatments – be wary of anyone offering cheap or free treatments on social media. 

Your safety should always be your primary concern, make sure you are choosing a facial aesthetics practitioner you trust to take your safety seriously.