Fillers

Dermal fillers answer a different question from a wrinkle relaxer. A relaxer calms movement; a filler replaces what the face has lost. From roughly the mid-thirties, fat pads in the cheek slide and shrink, bone around the eye socket and jaw remodels, and skin loses the hyaluronic acid that holds water. The result is a face that looks tired rather than old: flatter cheeks, shadows under the eyes, deeper folds from nose to mouth and a jawline that blurs. At Lux Medical Aesthetics in Richmond Hill, hyaluronic acid fillers are used to put that structure back in small, measured amounts.

Different areas need different products and different techniques. A firm, cohesive gel is used deep on the cheekbone, chin and jaw where it must hold shape; a soft, light gel goes in the lip and under the eye where it must move naturally and stay smooth. Placement is made with a fine needle or a blunt-tipped cannula, which glides under the skin and reduces bruising in delicate areas. The appointment usually takes thirty to forty-five minutes with topical numbing, and most fillers contain lidocaine, so the second half is more comfortable than the first.

You see the change immediately, then it improves. Swelling for the first two or three days is normal, especially in the lips, and bruising can last about a week. Avoid heavy exercise, alcohol, saunas and pressure on the treated area for the first day. How long the result lasts depends on the area and the product: lips move constantly and fade faster, while deep structural filler in the cheek or jaw lasts longer. Nothing here is permanent, and that is an advantage, because hyaluronic acid can be dissolved with an enzyme if you dislike the result. Serious complications are uncommon but real, which is exactly why the injector, the product and the setting matter. Products used in Canadian clinics are regulated by Health Canada, and any Ontario physician can be verified with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.

Filler is often only one part of a plan. Movement lines still need Botox, dull or uneven skin responds to BBL and filler together, thin and dehydrated skin to Jalupro and Profhilo or PRP and mesotherapy, and skin that has truly dropped usually needs an Aptos thread lift rather than more volume. If the mid-face is heavy rather than hollow, ask about buccal fat removal instead. See the full list of treatments, the payment plans for procedures over $1,000, read about our doctors, or book a consultation.