What Is the Best Age to Start Using Facial Fillers?

Most of us will have to deal with the dreaded aspects of aging skin at some point in life. Skin Wellness Physicians provides customized beauty treatment options for people of all ages in the Naples, FL, area. Dermal fillers, which are used to add volume to the skin to smooth out wrinkles or adjust facial contours, are popular treatments, but many patients want to know if they’re starting “too soon”—or regret not choosing the injectables earlier in life.

So what is the ideal time to start adding injectables to a skin care regimen? Once viewed as an indulgence enjoyed by women in the 40s or older, an increasingly younger range of aesthetically savvy consumers are now showing interest in anti-aging injectables, such as Juvederm^® and BOTOX^®. The trend seems to be bending toward more subtle treatments started earlier in life, as well as preventative anti-aging skincare in an effort to prolong youthful-looking skin by delaying the onset of unwelcome wrinkles, creases, crepey-ness, and sagging that often occur as we get older.

Unfortunately, it’s inevitable that with increased age and exposure to sunlight and gravity, our skin’s overall quality begins to worsen. The production of proteins that provide strength and flexibility decreases along with a reduction in skin cell turnover. Additionally, healthy fat and vital moisture gradually diminish. Consequently, the skin grows frailer, thinner, and less elastic, no longer bouncing back to its original state as easily. Thus, wrinkles begin to form. Tissues droop, and some people develop sunken cheeks or find that their faces look asymmetrical and less balanced due to the changes.

The relative ease and lack of long-term commitment or significant financial investment associated with injectables like Juvederm^® has contributed to their popularity with a new audience. Minimally invasive treatments are less expensive than other, more dramatic cosmetic procedures, and the injections themselves are unlikely to take more than an hour to administer. Also appealing to many is the fact that there’s little to no recovery time involved. Aside from their corrective applications, Juvederm^® injections can often be used in small amounts as a measure to keep the skin looking youthful for as long as possible, as opposed to “repairing” skin that has already lost a significant amount of fullness.

Juvederm^® is a collection of fillers, with each formula created slightly differently to treat various signs of aging. Injections work to restore moisture, volume, and vitality to facial skin, and can also be used to plump up and add definition to the lips. All of the fillers in the line contain hyaluronic acid, a substance found naturally throughout the body, but highly concentrated in the eyes, joints, and skin. The molecule provides cushioning and regulates the levels of moisture in the complexion.

Unlike neuromodulators, such as BOTOX^®, which smooth skin by relaxing facial muscles, Juvederm^® puts a focus on replenishing levels of hyaluronic acid to fill in wrinkles, creases, and depressions.

While using fillers and other treatments at an early age isn’t guaranteed to stop the natural process of aging, they are likely to help make age-related changes to the face look less dramatic later in life. To that end, while everyone experiences the signs of aging differently, the 20s and 30s may be an ideal time for some people to begin using muscle-relaxing neuromodulators and volume-enhancing facial fillers.

That being said, dermatologists typically stress that there is no need to immediately rush into getting injections at the first sign of a fine line or wrinkle. And of course, fillers alone are no substitute for other beneficial skin care habits, such as protecting your skin from harsh UV radiation, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and using topical products where appropriate.

The Skin Wellness Physicians team is highly experienced in administering dermal fillers and other injectables for patients in Naples, FL, and the surrounding areas. For more details or to schedule a consultation, call (239) 732-0044 or fill out a contact form online.