Juvederm®
Introduction
Juvederm® is injectable dermal filler used to rejuvenate your aging skin and smooth away facial wrinkles and folds. It is made from hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance found in your body that maintains hydration and add volume to your skin. Juvederm® provides the highest concentration of cross-linked hyaluronic acid available in dermal filler, which gives results that are long-lasting. It also creates a smooth gel that flows easily into the skin and produces a smooth, natural look and feel.
Indications
Juvederm® has been FDA approved and is indicated for restoring skin volume and smoothening facial wrinkles and folds such as nasolabial folds (the folds running from the sides of the bottom of the nose to the outer corners of the mouth). It can also be used to treat fine lines, crow’s feet (little lines on the side of the eyes), frown lines, acne scars, forehead creases, and dark under eye circles. In addition to this it can also be used for lip augmentation, to rejuvenate the aging skin, and to make up for the fat loss in the face. It is also safe and effective for people with darker skin color.
Juvederm® comes in two different forms, Juvederm® Ultra and Juvederm® Ultra Plus. Juvederm® Ultra provides volume and fills wrinkles in the facial area. Juvederm® Ultra Plus can be used for providing volume and correcting deep folds and wrinkles.
Benefits
Benefits of Juvederm® include:
- It is fast and safe procedure with no increased risk of hyperpigmentation or hypertrophic scarring
- It is formulated for pain free injection
- Requires no allergy testing prior to injection
- Results are long-lasting up to 6 months or more
- Minimal side effects
Treatment procedure
Juvederm® is injected using a fine needle into the area to be treated. It is infused with lidocaine which further reduces the discomfort during the injection procedure. To decrease the risk of bleeding at the injection site, you may be recommended not to take other medications such as aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) the week before the injection session. Following the injection, an ice pack may be applied to the treated area in order to prevent swelling.
After the procedure
After the procedure some patients may experience pain, redness, tenderness, swelling, bruising, or itching, lumps and bumps and discoloration. All of these adverse effects are usually mild and temporary, lasting less than seven days. There may also be a risk of infection, as seen with all skin injection procedures.
In the first 24 hours following the injection your doctor may recommend you to avoid excessive sun or heat exposure, any strenuous exercise, and alcoholic beverages in order to decrease the risk of developing temporary redness, swelling, and/or itching at the injection sites.