As one of the most popular cosmetic treatments in the world, dermal fillers can do a lot more than you think. What’s in them, and what are they for?

What’s In a Dermal Filler?

Dermal fillers come in several different forms. The most popular type of dermal filler contains hyaluronic acid, a molecule that binds moisture in your skin to plump and improves hydration. The Restylane® family and Juvederm® clan of dermal fillers all contain hyaluronic acid but in slightly different formulas. Each of these product lines includes flexible, soft fillers perfect for the lips and denser, sturdier fillers for lifting deep lines and wrinkles, as well as everything in between. 

Other filler materials include polylactic acid (brand name Sculptra®), which works by stimulating your body’s own collagen production to provide the filler, and calcium hydroxylapatite (brand name Radiesse®), which is found naturally in the human body and has been used in surgery for decades. Fillers work either by adding material under the skin to boost volume or by promoting collagen development. 

What Can Dermal Fillers Treat?

No matter how they do it, dermal fillers all work by adding volume. Age tends to steal away the subcutaneous fat that gives our faces their fullness, and dermal fillers can replace that lost volume. Dermal fillers can replace lost volume in the cheeks, around the eyes, and in the lower part of the face. They can also fill out lines and wrinkles by lifting them from beneath, softening their appearance. 

Lips get thinner with age as well, but you don’t have to reach any particular age to want fuller, softer, plumper lips. Both families of hyaluronic acid dermal fillers have one or more formulas designed just for the lips. Dermal fillers that work for the lips can also work for lines around the mouth, where the filler still needs a lot of flexibility. 

If you’ve never heard of a liquid facelift, you have now. Liquid facelifts use dermal fillers and sometimes a neurotoxin such as Botox® to lift and firm the face as well as diminish lines and wrinkles. While it can’t mimic the results of a surgical facelift, it also doesn’t require all the surgery, recovery time, and expense. 

Dermal fillers can also work to diminish the appearance of recessed or sunken scars by lifting them up from underneath to make them more even with the surrounding skin. One place this can make a huge difference: acne scars. Many of us walk around with a few acne scars, but some people have pits and recessed scars that make them self-conscious. Dermal fillers can improve the appearance of these scars.