How to face your facial woes

The signs have been cropping up everywhere lately — on your face, eyes, hands, even in your heart and mind — but they’ve been too subtle to have a shocking impact, even after you have deciphered them fully.

The once-taut, smooth skin, full cheeks, prominent jawline, and full and well-defined lips have been magically erased by a potent potion called “time.” Before you know it, wrinkles start to form, skin becomes coarse, and freckles and sunspots appear. Your cheeks, brow and lips lose volume, which leads to sagging skin and jowls (the skin and fat that sag beneath the jawline) formation. Reality kicks in — you’re now officially “old.” But wait, you’re only pushing 30!

While no fountain of youth exists just yet, there are a variety of ways one can manage those undesirable marks of aging, which manifest in all the areas where we hope we could look young forever.

Look young, feel young

Juvederm Voluma with Lidocaine is fast becoming the treatment of choice among Asians with sagging skin.

In recent years, maintaining one’s facial symmetry and balance was a tall order for those who want to look young and stay beautiful. But today, in order to achieve those, it’s best to consult a licensed plastic surgeon/dermatologist, one who is dedicated to improving the quality of life of patients by enhancing or correcting facial and body features.

In creating facial symmetry, harmony and balance, these physicians are guided by what seem like mathematical equations.

“For example, we divide the face into three parts: from the hairline to the area of the eyebrows, from the eyebrows to the base of the nose, from the base of the nose to the chin. These three parts should relatively be equal in length; the upper lip should be thinner (1/3) than the lower lip (2/3). Creating facial symmetry, harmony and balance is very important because the right facial proportion contributes greatly to what is universally accepted as a beautiful face,” explains Dr. Arnold Angeles, a fellow and board member of the Philippine Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons.

The correction of fine and dynamic lines, restoration of lips and cheek volume, and correction of nasal ethnicity are some of the facial problems Filipinos want to address.

“The younger set usually complains about some pigmentation and fine wrinkles starting to form, and wants their nose and chin corrected. For the older group, it’s wrinkles, sagging skin, and eye bags. Adding volume to the problem areas will rejuvenate the face, and, for the nose and chin, enhance one’s vertical profile, usually with little downtime and with natural-looking results,” notes Dr. Angeles.

So what are the popular treatments recommended/administered to patients who want to undergo facial enhancement without going under the knife?

“The most popular minimally invasive procedures for facial rejuvenation and enhancement are soft-tissue filler injection treatments,” explains the doctor.

According to Dr. Angeles, soft tissue fillers or dermal fillers treatments address specific facial problems. “Dermal fillers restore facial volume because they ‘fill’ the defect or the area where there is fat loss. Restoring volume brings the person closer to having a more youthful and vibrant look,” he explains.

Dermal fillers

Dermal fillers like Juvederm Voluma with Lidocaine are fast becoming the treatment of choice among Asians with sagging skin or volume deficit.

“Asians usually lose fat volume in the midcheek, and this gives them a ‘tired’ look. Injecting fillers like Juvederm Voluma with Lidocaine in this area will correct this problem and restore the ‘ogee curve’ that defines a youthful midface,” relates Dr. Angeles. The product can also be used to address a flat nose, for those who are afraid to or would rather not undergo surgery (rhinoplasty). 

“It may also be used to elongate the chin or give it more anterior projection (Asians usually have a small, retruded chin). Unlike surgery, there is minimum downtime with filler injections like Juvederm Voluma with Lidocaine. In fact, you can go to our clinic and report back to the office after. You may have bruising and negligible swelling that go away for just a few days,” explains Dr. Angeles.

With hyaluronic acid as its key ingredient, Juvederm Voluma with Lidocaine’s formulation helps temporarily restore facial volume that has diminished due to weight loss or age-related facial fat loss.

“Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring, biodegradable complex sugar found in the human body. If in any event, the patient does not like the result or if there is a need to ‘remove’ the filler, we can use hyaluronidase to degrade the filler (as compared to non-hyaluronic acid fillers). It is important to have these treatments done by board-certified plastic surgeons or dermatologists,” adds Dr. Angeles.

Dermal fillers restore facial volume because they “fill” the defect or the area where there is fat loss, creating a more youthful and vibrant look.

The effects of Juvederm Voluma with Lidocaine are temporary and, based on various clinical studies, its amazing aesthetic results last up to 24 months.

“Juvederm Voluma with Lidocaine has been found to last for 24 months, based on a clinical trial published this year. It is safe to have the treatment done several times; repeat sessions are safe as long as they are performed by physicians trained to do soft tissue filler injections,,” says Dr. Angeles.

One of the important things to also consider is good patient selection.

“Not all candidates are suitable for treatment with fillers. Proper assessment by the doctor is important. The doctor then should explain the procedure and what benefits the patient will get from the filler treatment. There are vast uses for fillers and they have to be used appropriately and wisely in order to have impeccable and successful results,” he adds.

The good thing about having a reputable doctor administer this filler to patients is that he/she can tell the latter when to continue or stop having treatment depending on the facial areas that require it.

“The most unwanted result is over-correction. A prudent and highly trained physician will be cautious not to ‘overfill’ his/her patient. As an injector, it is of utmost importance that we are well-versed with facial anatomy, aside from being well-trained with filler injections, so as to avoid adverse effects such as skin necrosis and ulcerations. Choose the right doctor, as well as the right product,” stresses Dr. Angeles, who uses Juvederm Voluma with Lidocaine for replacing volume loss in the temples, cheeks, and on the nose and chin.

While aging is inevitable, we can prevent its signs from manifesting with a little help from our doctor and Juvederm Voluma with Lidocaine.

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Allergan is a multi-specialty health care company established more than 60 years ago with a commitment to uncover the best of science and develop and deliver innovative and meaningful treatments to help people reach their life’s potential. Today, we have more than 9,000 highly dedicated and talented employees, global marketing and sales capabilities with a presence in more than 100 countries, a rich and ever-evolving portfolio of pharmaceuticals, biologics and medical devices, and state-of-the-art resources in R&D, manufacturing and safety surveillance that help millions of patients see more clearly, move more freely and express themselves more fully. From our beginnings as an eye care company to our focus today on several medical specialties, including ophthalmology, neurosciences, obesity, urologics, medical aesthetics and dermatology, Allergan is proud to celebrate 60 years of medical advances and proud to support the patients and physicians who rely on our products and the employees and communities in which we live and work.