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  • Filler Techniques: Reasons Why Your Doctor Should Use a Microcannula Instead of a Needle
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Dr. Mabrie: Hello. I'm Dr. Mabrie, and today I'm going to talk to you about the Microcannula. This is a new tool for applying fillers to the face. Microcannula has multiple advantages over traditional needle technique, including smoother application and less trauma to the face. But the big advantage is the decrease in the amount of bruising. So in this video I'm going to talk you about how this Microcannula works, and will actually get to see me use it on a couple of patients.

Traditionally a needle is used to make small injections around the area that you're treating. And the same needle is then used to apply the filler. If this needle happens to encounter a vessel under the skin, then you could get a bruise. With the newer Microcannula technique, a small poke is made with a needle. And then through this hole a Cannula is introduced and placed under the skin. The risk for bruising is much less because there is not a sharp edge that's traveling under the skin. And in this way you can treat a large area like the tear trough with only that one small poke.

We're going to poke far away down here. So you'll feel a little poke here. Okay. And then we take the Microcannula. Feel it? Yeah, now you just got to watch. Before, when we finished we had several needle marks here, but I was able to actually treat this area through this poke. Pretty cool, right?

And this technique can be used for many areas of the face. It can be used for the tear trough, it can be used for the cheeks. It's a great technique for the nasolabial fold. And it's really excellent for the lips. And it can be used for the oral commissure area as well.

I’m going to poke here. One thing I like with the technique is I can actually leave the lips closed together while I inject. Your kiss-ability factor is, like, rising.

Woman: Rising? That’s good.

Dr. Mabrie: On the left you can see the multiple injection sites that you would need to treat the entire face as opposed to you can treat the entire face with a Microcannula technique with about five injection sites. A little poke here. I'm going to put the Microcannula through that poke. Okay. Open your mouth. Good.

Because the tip is blunt and not sharp, there's less injury to vessels under the skin. And a question that some patients ask is with the needle pokes. Are those holes any larger, and do they stay open long? And the answer is no, especially when we're injecting restylane, I still use a very small needle. And these little pokes will be closed in an hour or so. Okay. So that's our Microcannula technique.

Woman: Looks very nice. Thank you.

Dr. Mabrie: Yeah.

Woman: Looks great.

Dr. Mabrie: Yeah. I hope this video was helpful and good luck in your search for information.

Filler Techniques: Reasons Why Your Doctor Should Use a Microcannula Instead of a Needle

Dr. David Mabrie describes the microcannula and how it decreases bruising and allows for smoother injection of fillers to the face.