Dermal fillers in Medellín

Fillers, dermal fillers or “HA filler”: that's what people usually call this treatment, although fillers also come in other materials. It's a gel injected under the skin to restore volume or define a contour. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), hyaluronic acid is a sugar found in your own body, and these fillers are temporary because your body breaks them down and absorbs them over time. When it's used to shape the nose without surgery, it's called non-surgical rhinoplasty, or a liquid nose job.

It's used on the lips, under-eye hollows, folds, cheekbones, chin, jawline and nose. There's no set menu for which areas to treat, which product to use or how much of it: your aesthetic physician decides at your in-person consultation, after examining your face. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), at your consultation you should be told which type of filler is recommended for you, why and how long it usually lasts. It's a single session of 30 to 60 minutes. You see the effect right away, and it lasts 6 to 18 months depending on the area.

Hyaluronic acid is a filler. If you're looking for something else, another option may suit you better:

• Expression lines on the forehead, between the brows or at the corners of the eyes (crow's feet): Botox (botulinum toxin), which relaxes the muscle instead of filling.
• Dull or dehydrated skin: skin boosters, which are also hyaluronic acid but are used to hydrate and improve skin texture, not to fill.
• Loss of firmness or mild sagging: collagen biostimulators or a thread lift.
• Fat under the chin: chin liposuction.
• Changing the structure of your nose or chin, or treating significant sagging: surgery (rhinoplasty, chin surgery or a facelift), with our plastic surgeon.

At your consultation, we'll tell you what makes sense for you.

According to the FDA, before treatment you should tell your doctor if:

• Your skin is inflamed or infected. Treatment is postponed until it's under control.
• You have a bleeding disorder.
• You have severe allergies or have had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).
• You're allergic to lidocaine or other local anesthetics.

The FDA also notes that the safety of these products is not known during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or in people who tend to form keloids or thick scars. With that information, your doctor will tell you whether it's right for you or whether it's better to wait.

Every procedure carries risks, and this one does too. The FDA and the ASPS list these, among others:

• Bruising, redness, swelling, pain or itching.
• Bumps or nodules.
• Asymmetry, or a correction that falls short or goes too far.
• Infection or allergic reactions.
• Rarely, filler getting into a blood vessel and causing skin loss, blindness or a stroke.

According to the FDA, some effects can appear weeks, months or even years later. If you feel unusual pain during or shortly after treatment, notice changes in your vision, or see that the skin near the area looks white, gray or bluish, get medical care right away. Before you decide, we explain each risk, and you sign an informed consent form.

At your consultation, tell your doctor about any medications or herbal supplements you take, your allergies, whether you smoke and whether you've had fillers or Botox before, as the ASPS suggests. Also ask for the name of the product you'll receive. INVIMA, Colombia's national regulator for drugs, food and medical devices (similar to the FDA), recommends making sure it has a current registration, or registro sanitario, which you can look up in its online registry (in Spanish). Afterward, you may have mild swelling for 2 to 5 days. According to the ASPS and the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), it's best to avoid strenuous exercise right after treatment. The AAD also recommends:

• Not touching the area, unless your doctor tells you to massage it.
• Protecting your skin from the sun and staying away from tanning beds.