Procedures » Non-Surgical Procedures
• Lip Enhancement/Wrinkles (Juvederm, etc.)
Wrinkle Treatment & Lip Augmentation
(Bellafill, Juvederm, Restylane, Radiesse, Collagen Injection, etc.)
Because fuller lips and the reduction of wrinkles can be treated with similar materials and techniques, we've grouped these two topics on one page for your convenience.
Throughout recorded history, full lips have been recognized as a sign of youth, beauty, and sensuality. Likewise, the appearance of wrinkles, especially those around the mouth and eyes, detracts from the appearance of the face. Not surprisingly, lip enhancement (lip augmentation/lip injection) or wrinkle reduction are frequent desires of patients seeking cosmetic improvement and the restoration of a more youthful face. This is especially true here in Fleming Island (Orange Park) and the greater Jacksonville, Florida and Ponte Vedra Beach areas where there is an emphasis on looking one's best.
Such procedures are also attractive because the relatively low cost of injections compared to many surgical procedures, and even the best anti-wrinkle creams can't compare to the results of these treatments.
Most commonly, improvement is achieved through the use of soft-tissue fillers (injections) and only rarely through implants. Until very recently, however, patients in the U.S. were restricted to a relatively limited set of options. Not anymore! In this section of our website we will focus on a few of the most common fillers now available.
Natural looking lips (not overdone "duck lips" or "trout pout"!) and wrinkle reduction can now be realized with convenient in-office techniques.
Bellafill® (formerly known as Artefill®)
Approved on October 30, 2006 by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Bellafill®—then called Artefill®—is the first and only permanent injectable filler available in the U.S. The key to Bellafill's long-lasting results is in the microspheres. It is composed of 80% bovine collagen and 20% PMMA microspheres. PMMA is an inert acrylic plastic with a many-decades-long history in medicine as a surgical cement and for intraocular lens implants in the eye because it is so well-tolerated by the human body. What makes Bellafill unique is that the PMMA microspheres become encapsulated in the patient's own collagen as the bovine collagen component dissolves, thus achieving permanent correction with the patient's own tissues without risk of migration.
Like with Restylane® and Juvéderm®, Dr. Pearson gained familiarity with Artecoll (Bellafill's predecessor in Canada) during his training in Toronto. Artecoll has been used in over 400,000 patients world-wide with excellent overall results. But as Dr. Pearson notes, "Bellafill's advantage is that it's permanent...it's disadvantage can be that it's permanent." Because of this, for patients who are candidates for Bellafill, Dr. Pearson may occasionally recommend an initial injection with a temporary filler to confirm the patient's satisfaction with the appearance.
In addition to its use in filling facial wrinkles and folds, Bellafill can also be used for non-surgical rhinoplasty in select patients. You can read more about this use on our Rhinoplasty page.
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Pearson was selected by the makers of Bellafill to be one of the first providers in the greater Jacksonville, Florida and Orange Park/Fleming Island area to offer this unique filler. He as been using Artefill and Bellafill since its introduction in the U.S. and he has instructed other physicians across the southeast United States in its proper use. Please call us with any questions about appointments, cost, etc. for Artefill and "don't let the magic wear off."™
"Don't let the magic wear off."
—David C. Pearson, M.D. regarding the permanence of Artefill
Juvéderm® and Restylane®
Restylane and Juvederm are injectable fillers made from hyaluronic acid gel. Hyaluronic acid ("H.A." for short) is a natural carbohydrate found in the tissues of all vertebrate animals and is chemically identical across all species. Because of this, no skin testing for allergies is required. To further enhance safety, the hyaluronic acid used in Restylane and Juvederm is derived from a non-animal source by using genetically-modified bacteria to produce it. Dr. Pearson first used hyaluronic acid gels during his fellowship training in Canada (where the product had been available for many years before coming to the States), and is particularly pleased to offer it to his patients here in Florida.
The big advantage of the H.A. fillers (hyaluronic acid gels) over collagen is their longevity. Studies, as well as our experience, suggest Restylane® lasts up to twice as long or more versus collagen and Juvederm even longer. Generally patients can expect the products to last about 6 to 8 months when used for fuller lips or used around the mouth for the radial lip lines (a.k.a., smoker's lines). Juvederm XC Ultra and Juvederm XC Ultra Plus can last 8 to 12 months when used around the upper face, nose, and tear troughs under the eyes. Juvederm Voluma, used for adding cheek volume and filling in the submalar areas under the cheek bones, can last as long as a year and a half!
Juvederm seems to be especially good for lip enhancement due to its very smooth consistency and its longer duration of effect. In most cases, Dr. Pearson has largely replaced his use of Restylane in favor of Juvederm.
Radiesse™
Formerly known as Radiance FN, Radiesse™ is a soft-tissue filler made from calcium hydroxylapatite, the same substance that is the major mineral in our bones. Calcium hydroxylapatite has been used for other medical purposes for over 25 years, requires no allergy testing, and is extremely compatible with our tissues. Radiesse's greatest advantage is that it is very long lasting yet not permanent, with resorption taking as long as one to three years (although Dr. Pearson suggests that one to one-and-a-half years is a more realistic expectation).
Radiesse is an extremely good choice for correction of the melolabial folds (the folds that run from the edge of the nostrils to the corners of the mouth.) and it has become Dr. Pearson's preferred temporary filler for this otherwise hard-to-correct area. It's potential drawback when used for lip enhancement, on the otherhand, is the small chance of developing nodules or bumps around the filler which occurs in as many as 10% of patients having their lips treated and may require additional treatment. For this reason, Dr. Pearson never uses Radiesse within the lips, preferring instead fillers such as Juvéderm for lip enhancement.
Like Bellafill, Radiesse can also be used for non-surgical rhinoplasty, which you can read more about on our Rhinoplasty page.
[Note: Merz Aesthetics, the makers of Radiesse, were so pleased with his results that they featured one of Dr. Pearson's patients in their nationwide patient brochures as a "before and after" example of the results achievable with Radiesse injections. Dr. Pearson was one of only three doctors in the entire country selected for inclusion in the Radiesse pamphlet.]
- What to expect:
Two of the most attractive aspects of the various fillers described above is that they are relatively inexpensive and also require little to no "down time" for the patient. The procedure only takes a few minutes to perform, and requires no bandages, dressings, or ointments afterward. And because the fillers are injections done in our office in Fleming Island (Orange Park) and require local anesthesia at most, patients can resume their normal activities immediately.
After cleaning the overlying skin with an antiseptic and numbing the area with a nerve block, the appropriate filler is injected into the selected wrinkles or folds, or into the lips, using a very fine needle to deposit the filler into the tissues. Correction is nearly immediate except for any swelling added by the needle site itself. As always, our goal is to create a natural, softer, more relaxed look, not a "done" or over-corrected look.
Post-procedure, the only patient restriction is to avoid strenuous physical activity for the first twenty-four hours after the injection. It's also important not to rub or massage the treated areas for the first day or two afterwards to avoid displacing the filler. The possibility of swelling or bruising can be minimized by the application of cold packs to the area for the first 24 hours as well. The specific potential risks of injectable fillers will be thoroughly discussed with you before your first treatment.
After cleaning the overlying skin with an antiseptic and numbing the area with a nerve block, the appropriate filler is injected into the selected wrinkles or folds, or into the lips, using a very fine needle to deposit the filler into the tissues. Correction is nearly immediate except for any swelling added by the needle site itself. As always, our goal is to create a natural, softer, more relaxed look, not a "done" or over-corrected look.
Post-procedure, the only patient restriction is to avoid strenuous physical activity for the first twenty-four hours after the injection. It's also important not to rub or massage the treated areas for the first day or two afterwards to avoid displacing the filler. The possibility of swelling or bruising can be minimized by the application of cold packs to the area for the first 24 hours as well. The specific potential risks of injectable fillers will be thoroughly discussed with you before your first treatment.
For more information about wrinkle fillers, lip augmentation, and cosmetic facial plastic surgery here in Fleming Island, Orange Park, and the greater Jacksonville, Florida area, please contact us or call (904) 215-7377 to schedule an appointment.
