It is important to do your research before having dermal filler treatments. Make sure your injector is experienced and check their credentials. Any doctor can buy the product, so be careful. However not every doctor has the same training. Some doctors inject a few patients a week, while others, like myself, inject hundreds of patients a month, teach filling techniques locally and nationally and have extensive experience with and have in their office all the dermal fillers available. There are several different fillers to choose from. As a first time patient, I would suggest an HA filler. The reason is that HA fillers are reversible or can be "melted" if you don't like the result. There are other nice fillers like Radiesse and Sculptra made of different materials, but these cannot be removed, so I reserve these for patients that already have experience with fillers. For the HA fillers, you could chose from Restylane, Perlane, Juvederm or Belotero. The Juvederm brand has Ultra, Ultra Plus and now Voluma. Which filler to choose really depends on the area you are having treated and I would leave this choice up to your injector - assuming they are experienced. Without seeing you in person or even pictures, it difficult to give you more specific advice. When you have your evaluation, don't be surprised if the injector suggests having injections in areas that are not specifically in the areas that you are concerned about. For instance, many patients point to their nasolabial creases (folds around their mouth and nose), however, having the injection along your cheek bone instead can help lift the skin around your mouth and make those creases smoother while maintaining a more natural result than having too many injections around the month leading to a puffy look. Another consideration is that you may also benefit from a neuromodulator such as Botox, Dysport or Xeomin around your eyes and/or forehead as well as the dermal filler treatment. Often doing a Botox Cosmetic treatment at the same time can help improve the overall aesthetic of your face and maintain the most natural result. Taking a global approach to your face instead of a pinpoint treatments helps maintain an overall balance and facial harmony. Good Luck.
