What filler, what area?
As fillers become the popular treatment of choice amongst the many to plump, soften and sculpt the areas of your desires. We asked a few individuals if they knew the compounds of what was being injected into their body.
Surprisingly, out of the 10 people we asked, 9 of them thought the same filler was used for all areas of the face and 4 of them knew names of different brands (always nice to see consumers doing their research)!
So, what types of fillers are there?
The most common fillers used on the market today are Hyaluronic Acid (HA) fillers, these are a more natural and ‘lighter’ type of filler, they can typically last between 6 months – 18 months and degrade by the body over time by free radicals. Hyaluronic acid fillers are also reversible, so, in cases where a client doesn’t like the end result or, in rare cases that the filler needs to be removed this can be achieved by using an enzyme called Hyaluronidase. Hyaluronidase breaks down the bonds of the filler resulting in the filler becoming more liquid and loosening its form.
Are all hyaluronic acid fillers the same?
There is a multitude of different brands of hyaluronic acid fillers, each having its own chemical compound to which each individual injector or prescriber prefers to use. Furthermore, hyaluronic acid fillers all have a different G Prime.
What is a G Prime?
The G Prime of a filler is in simple terms its density. The higher the G Prime, the firmer the filler and the less fluidity it will have. The lower the G Prime in the filler, the thinner and greater spread ability it will have.
So, the question is, what filler for what areas?
Generally speaking, the denser fillers (the ones with a higher G Prime) will be used in areas such as the jaw, chin, nose and temple areas. The less dense fillers (ones with a lower G Prime) will be used in areas such as the lips and tear trough as these areas are made up of thinner more delicate skin.
In part 2 we will look at non reversible fillers. For now, next time you go to see your aesthetic practitioner, ask them if they can tell you what fillers they are using and why.
