Klein Dermatology & Associates, 5200 Meadows Rd Ste 250, Lake Oswego OR 97035
Facial Fillers by a Dermatologist
Dr. Marla M. Klein MD had been among the original National Trainers for HA fillers and Sculptra (for physicians) for over ten years, 2002 - 2012. She is regarded as Oregon's Pioneer in Aesthetic Medicine.
There are very important differences between fillers and collagen simulators.
A filler gives an immediate result of plumping an area, works on everyone, and then is metabolized by the patient.
Fillers are thin to thick gels that can occlude blood vessels and carry a rare risk of blindness similar to fat grafting. The safest fillers are HA fillers because they can be dissolved with an enzyme injection of hyaluronidase. There are other fillers on the USA market that cannot be dissolved: Radiesse (calcium hydroxyapatite), Bella-Fill (PMMA) for instance.
A collagen stimulator is a product that stimulates new collagen to form. It works slowly and lasts a long time. Sculptra is a collagen stimulator. It is injected into the skin and while the body works to dissolve it, the body makes new collagen. Sculptra works on about 85% of patients. No occlusions with Sculptra have happened so far in the USA since the product came here in 2004. The results look very natural, and last 2-4 years. Some HA brands like to say they stimulate collagen, but they do not do this anywhere close to the same degree that a product like Sculptra does.
Injecting fillers is an art form - it is also a medical procedure, and should only be done by properly educated and trained medical professionals. Proper anti-septic practices must be followed to avoid infections. (Make up must be cleaned off and the area treated with an anti-septic before injections.)
Hyaluronic Acid (HA) Fillers
Allergan = The Juvederm line = ALLE Loyalty Program
Currently Allergan has 6 different HA fillers. Each has its own properties, and it is best if the patient leaves it up to the injector which to use, where and how. The names of their products are Juvederm Volux, Juvederm Voluma, Juvederm Vollure, Juvederm Ultra Plus XC, Juvederm Ultra XC and Juvederm Volbella. They last 12 - 24 months for most people.
Revance Aesthetics = Immediate Patient Savings
These HA fillers are called RHA2, RHA3, and RHA4. They last 18+ months, are more flexible and move more natural in the skin then the prior available HA fillers. They are made in Geneva Switzerland. Although they don't offer a patient loyalty program like the other two main manufacturers, they do offer a premium product at a slightly lower price point.
Galderma = ASPIRE Loyalty Program
Galderma has the Restylane line of fillers and Sculptra. Their products are Restylane Silk, Restylane Kysse, Restylane Defyne, Restylane Refyne, Restylane Lyft and Restylane Contour. In addition, Galderma is the pharmaceutical manufacturer of Cetaphil, Soolantra and many other prescriptions.
Sculptra®
Stimulating Collagen
Dr. Marla Klein is the region's expert Sculptra® injector and has been using Sculptra since 2004. Collagen is the important protein in the skin that keeps it strong. Part of normal aging is thinning of the skin. The body makes less collagen, and makes it slower than when a child. The result of this is thinner stretchy skin that tears and bruises more easily. HA fillers do almost nothing to improve the texture of skin, they just prop it up. Sculptra injections and aggressive microneedling are reliable ways to improve the synthesis of collagen in the skin. These treatments work on 85% of people, not everyone's bodies respond to treatments. For those that do though, it can turn back the clock, it is real anti-aging medicine.
AquaGold®
AquaGold is a Unique Delivery System
AquaGold is a device that can be filled with products of the injector's choosing. It is a gold-plated one-time use device. Each establishment has their own recipe with the idea of delivering microdoses of a neurotoxin and hyaluronic acid filler via the microchannels in the device. A small amount of microneedling happens simultaneously as the device is pressed into the skin. There is no down-time and the results last a few weeks. This is a classic procedure for the Kardashians.