There are many patients who treat getting fillers and botox the same as getting a haircut. They assume that the injector knows what they are doing and understands each filler that they use, what the properties are, what all the risks are, how to treat those risks and how to inject these materials.

In Denver Colorado almost anyone can inject facial filler in patients. Any medical (MD, RN, NP) professional who does a weekend course can set up a shingle and call themselves a cosmetic injector. There are a lot of injectors who use the “carpenter’s approach” to fillers: “No matter what the problem is I need to use a hammer”. The use of filler is analogous. Different areas of the face and body need different products depending on their properties. Why is that important? Let me explain below the different properties of filler and why each property is important.

G prime

This is hardness of the product. It is the opposite of elasticity. Theoretically products that have a higher G prime can hold tissue in place. In general that is true. Harder consistency fillers tend to hold and lift tissue more. Physician injectors use these different properties to assess which fillers are better for lifting up tissue (in the cheek) versus expanding tissue (in the lip). G prime alone does not determine lift of tissue. Voluma which lifts the cheeks has a low G prime though it lifts the cheeks and cheekbone area extremely well.

Cross Linking

Cross linking is related to the the bonds between filler particles. If the filler material has a lot of cross linking it tends to last longer and not break down as fast. Voluma, Vollure and Volbella are very cross linked resulting in last longer and also be smoother on injection. Voluma in the cheeks and Vollure in the laugh lines can last up to 18 months.

HA concentration and Hydrophilicity

This is the concentration of the hyaluronic acid which is the “medicine” in the filler. A higher concentration of the HA the more water it absorbs. Juvederm has an HA concentration of 25 whereas Prevelle Silk has a concentration that is as low as 5.5. This effects how much water is absorbed by the product. Juvederm can expand 300% after injection whereas prevelle silk doesn’t inject at all. Volbella which I use under the eyes has an HA concentration of 15 which has a much lower chance of causing bumpiness under the eyes than higher concentration fillers.

Injector skill

Injector skill and comfort with products are critical to giving patients the best facial filler outcome. In our earlier carpenter analogy, not everything requires a hammer but you don’t want a carpenter necessarily using an oil drill if they are not comfortable. Skill and experience of a injector does count. The foundation for being a good injector is training and knowledge. Then experience and skill is layered on that to create a great injector. Injectors who choose not to do their homework on understanding products and fillers tend to inject the same products over and over. Their patients may not be getting the most up to date products.

The picture above are my products of choice for different area based on the properties of the different products along with my comfort. As a patient, it is not important that you know each products properties but it is definitely critical for an injector to know these things. It is the minimum requirement to have the privilege of treating patients by injecting filler into their face. If you would like to try a filler to revitalize your look call our office now for an appointment 303 468 8844.