JUVEDERM ® is a relatively new cosmetic process in which a gel is injected into areas of the face that suffer from deep wrinkles. Some of these areas include creases around the mouth and the lines that extend from the nostrils to the corners of the lips. It may also be used as a plumper for the lips, as they tend to lose volume with age. JUVEDERM ® is an injectable gel that is composed primarily of hyaluronic acid.
Hyaluronic acid is a substance which is naturally found in nearly all mammals. It is one of the main components of the extracellular matrix that makes up skin, muscles and tendons. It helps promote elasticity, fullness and migration of cells. It has been used since the 1930's for things such as joint health in both human and equine patients. Since it is naturally occurring in the body, it?can be safer than many other injectable wrinkle fillers available. This means that a patient can have treatments of both JUVEDERM ® and Botox without risk of the two reacting with each other. However, other dermal fillers are not the only treatments that JUVEDERM ® can be combined with.
1. Microdermabrasion
JUVEDERM ® can be combined with treatments such as Microdermabrasion in order to make facial lines even less noticeable. Microdermabrasion is a technique in which a ?microderm machine? uses a pressurized stream of crystals to gently slough away dead skin. Another way of performing this technique is to use vibrating paddles that do the same thing and produce the same results as using the crystals. This treatment also stimulates the tissue underneath the outer layer in order to promote cell growth and rejuvenation. Microdermabrasion, in conjunction with JUVEDERM ® , is a very successful combination as it helps to promote skin health from both the inside and outside.
2. Laser Skin Rejuvenation
Laser skin rejuvenation treatments can also be used along with JUVEDERM ® . This treatment works differently than microdermabrasion in the fact that is does not affect the outermost layer of the skin. Instead, gentle lasers penetrate the upper layers of the skin in order to stimulate the lower layers. The gentle heat provided by these lasers gently promotes the production of collagen in the lower layers. This in turn helps the body to naturally fill in lines and creases, since it itself is producing a filler. Again, this, in combination with JUVEDERM ® , can help a patient see more drastic and possibly prolonged results in terms of their wrinkles being diminished.
3. Fractional Laser Resurfacing
Fractional laser resurfacing is yet another form of skin renewal that can be used with JUVEDERM ® . This treatment uses higher powered lasers compared to those used for laser skin rejuvenation. This is due to the fact that the treatment only targets select points instead of the entire face. This means that while some spots are targeted and the cells are destroyed by a high powered laser, the surrounding cells are left untouched and intact. This is to support the area so that new cells can grow in place of the ones that were just destroyed by the laser.
