How Facial Structure Matters When It Comes to Dermal Fillers

You’ve probably heard of dermal fillers, those magical injections of hyaluronic acid (HA) that restore volume to your face, making you look younger by smoothing your wrinkles. I know your mind is screaming, “Run, run, run to get dermal fillers!” Great! But did you know that your facial structure matters a whole lot when it comes to dermal fillers? Let’s step back for a moment and talk about facial structure before you dive in face first. So, how does the structure of your face matter? You may come into Clarity complaining of your jowls, and expect me to start working in that area. Wrong. A great medical aesthetics provider will know to find the “problem behind the problem,” which, in this case, is the loss of volume in the cheeks. Taking stock of your specific facial anatomy and anatomical proportions is an absolute must before any injections begin. Skilled medical aesthetics professionals have started not just looking at wrinkles and problem areas in isolation, but looking at the whole picture, deducing how volume loss in one area of the face affects other areas. (Tip: if your medical aesthetics professional doesn’t do this, run for the hills!)  

A Quick Background on Dermal Fillers

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons states that “Injectable dermal fillers can plump thin lips, enhance shallow contours, soften facial creases, remove wrinkles and improve the appearance of recessed scars.” Here are some of the areas where dermal fillers traditionally work well:

• lines from nose to mouth
• lines from mouth to chin
• lines above upper lip
• frown lines
• add volume or definition to the lips
• restore volume to cheekbones or cheeks
• under the eyes
• fill out the back of hands, making veins look less severe

Think dermal fillers are just for your cheeks and lips? You’re wrong! Here’s the scoop on those under-the-radar areas where dermal fillers can work their magic. Dermal fillers are minimally invasive, which means they’re virtually painless and require little or no downtime. While everyone’s skin sensitivity varies, we can’t promise that you won’t experience a slight amount of discomfort. But nothing some distracting conversation, stress balls and—oh, yes—some topical anesthetic can’t handle! And don’t confuse dermal fillers with BOTOX®. That’s just plain wrong. BOTOX is a neurotoxin, which is used to stop muscle movement that causes wrinkles, while fillers plump and smooth sagging skin. Dermal fillers normally last anywhere from 6 months to 5 years. The reason why there is such a time gap here is because there are many different types of fillers that work best for different areas, and individual results vary depending on your aesthetic wants and needs.  

Facial Structure and Dermal Fillers

Now, back to how facial structure matters when it comes to dermal fillers. Normally, when patients come in for dermal fillers, they have lost the “triangle of youth” and now show off a “trapezoid of youth”—meaning that they have lost cheek volume and height, and bone density. To determine what areas of your face need to be augmented with filler, your medical aesthetics professional should use a system called Phi proportions. You’d probably snooze through a scientific explanation of Phi proportions, so to sum it up, Phi proportions allow your medical aesthetics professional to use measurements to figure out what areas of the face are causing problems. These measurements include brow height and length, the length of the nose, peak of the cheek, size and shape of lip, lip and chin length on a lateral profile, and chin length, also on a lateral profile. Your PA-C will then give you a realistic idea of what you should expect to see after the procedure. Everyone’s face is different. And treating them all the same is a surefire way to create cartoon character faces instead of enhancing what’s already there (and beautiful!). Dermal fillers aren’t one-size-fits-all treatments. Natural-looking filler treatments are created by customizing the treatment areas and filler types for you—and only you. There’s a lot of bad dermal filler advice out there. It’s important to do your due diligence before letting just anyone have at it. Contact us to schedule a complimentary consultation, where we’ll look at your specific facial structure, wishlist and problem areas to determine the right course of action to deliver real, beautiful results!