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Soft Tissue Fillers

Birmingham, Alabama

The collagen-based soft-tissue fillers on the market now are Cosmoplast, Cosmoderm, and Fascian. The attractiveness of products based on human collagen is that they represent the filler that is closest to what is normally found in our skin. Fascian is a product for soft - tissue injection derived from human fascia. The particles of Fascian are tiny fragments of purified human dermal tissue that is actually grown in the laboratory under controlled conditions. All collagen products help reduce fine lines in the face and fill out depressions. With these products, you may notice slight bruising, swelling, and tenderness around injected sites. These areas generally resolve in a few days. Touch-ups are usually needed to maintain the desired results. However, four to five sequential injections of a collagen - based product, spaced approximately six weeks apart, gradually deposit a degree of permanent collagen, with long-lasting results.

Restylane is identical to a natural compound (hyaluronic acid) found in our bodies. A gel, Restylane is injected into the skin with a fine needle and is used most effectively to smooth out lines, shape facial contours, or sculpt lips. With Restylane, you should continue to have follow-up treatments at six to eight-month intervals in order to maintain the results you desire. Controlled studies of Restylane have demonstrated its safety; and in fact, it was just approved by the FDA.

Radiance is a new product composed of a permanent synthetic material consisting of tiny spheres of calcium hydroxyapatite. Radiance has been approved in the United States for vocal cord augmentation. Because Radiance is a permanent material, it is recommended that patients initially receive a less permanent injectable material. This allows the patient to know what to expect from a soft-tissue filler injection. Once the patient is satisfied with the cosmetic results obtained through the initial injection, then the more permanent Radiance can be used. Radiance is excellent for enhancing lips and eliminating fine lines and wrinkles in the face, with the benefits lasting many years. However, injectable products that are "permanent" should be used with extreme caution. All the above products are available at Core Plastic Surgery.

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