Can You Make Fillers Last Longer?

It’s a fact that injectable fillers don’t provide results that last forever. How long the results last depends on the type and thickness of the material in the formula. There are also some differences from person to person, based on individual factors like metabolism. A filler like Juvederm might last for up to 10 months, for example, while the results from Radiesse can last for up to two years.

If you’re thinking about filler treatments, then you’ll know going in that you won’t enjoy permanent results. However, there are things you can do to maximize those results and make them last for as long as possible.

Protect Your Skin

Fillers are just one more reason to protect your skin from the sun’s UV rays. Wearing sunscreen and limiting the time you spend out in the sun can help to extend the life of your fillers.

Sun exposure speeds up the aging process on the skin and is one of the leading causes of wrinkles. Those UV rays can also cause certain fillers to break down faster and being absorbed by the body more quickly. To get the best results, use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 every day. Try to reduce the time you spend outside between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm. If you do have to be outside, wear sunglasses and a hat with a wide brim to keep the sun away from your face.

Eat a Healthy Diet

Remember, you are what you eat. Sticking with a healthy diet, one that’s full of whole foods such as vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins and avoids processed or “junk” foods as much as possible can help to maximize your results. Eating a lot of junk or processed foods can increase inflammation in the body, which can speed up the rate at which your body metabolizes any injections.

Be Careful About Exercise

Here’s one time when you’ll be warned against exercising too much. Although you’re usually encouraged to be active, being overly active and burning a lot of calories after you’ve had injections can actually speed up the rate at which those fillers wear off. How quickly your metabolism works influences how quickly your results fade. The faster your metabolism, the sooner you’ll need a repeat treatment session.

Keep up your regular exercise routine if you have one in place already. Being active is better than being sedentary, even if it means your results wear off more quickly. It’s just important to keep in mind that you might need a repeat treatment sooner rather than later if you’re an athlete.

Stay Calm

Stress is no good under normal circumstances and it can be even worse when you’ve had fillers. When you get stressed out, your body produces extra stress hormones, such as cortisol. Too much cortisol and other stress hormones can actually affect the aging process and interfere with your fillers.

If you do feel stress creeping up on you, try taking a few deep breaths. If stress is a regular problem, find ways to manage or reduce it. You can try meditating, cutting back on commitments or practicing yoga.

Take Care of Your Skin

While skin care products alone often aren’t enough, used along with fillers, they can help improve and extend your results. For example, using moisturizer on your skin on a regular basis can help to trap water and improve the efficacy of fillers made from hyaluronic acid, such as Juvederm. If you’re not sure what products are right for you, your plastic surgeon or filler provider can help you pick best skincare to try.

Schedule Repeat Treatments

Scheduling maintenance or repeat filler treatments might seem like a “cheater” way to extend your results, but it’s really the most effective way to continue to enjoy smooth and youthful skin after an injection. The trick is to schedule the maintenance fillers before the first fillers have had a chance to wear off.

That means if you expect the injection to wear off in about 10 months, you should schedule a repeat treatment about eight or nine months later. Getting a second series of injections before the results wear off will help you continually look more refreshed and youthful.

Dr. Paul Vitenas and the staff of Mirror Mirror Beauty Boutique in Houston, Texas offer a range of dermal fillers to help fill in lines and wrinkles and restore lost volume. To learn more about your options and about what you can do to make your fillers last for as long as possible, call 281-810-9083 to schedule a consultation today.