As we age, our skin changes. Over time, the natural volume of youthful skin begins to diminish as wrinkles and folds form. But, with Juvéderm™ injectable hyaluronic acid gel, you don’t have to just sit back and let it happen!
Hyaluronic acid plays an important role in the way your skin looks, feels, and functions. A natural complex of glycoproteins found in all mammals, it is a major component of the connective tissue matrix in the dermis—the dense, inner layer of skin beneath the epidermis. This important layer of tissue functions like carpet pad under a carpet giving your skin a soft supple cushion-like feel. It consists mainly of hyaluronic acid plus collagen and elastin, the body’s two major connective fibers.
Hyaluronic acid retains water like a sponge, absorbing more than 1,000 times its weight. This helps to attract and maintain water within the extracellular space, hydrating your skin and increasing its volume and density. Hyaluronic acid is also involved with the transport of essential nutrients to the skin’s viable cells. Hyaluronic acid provides volume, helping to contribute to the skin’s overall appearance.
As you age and your skin is exposed to environmental pollutants and the sun’s ultraviolet rays, your cells gradually lose the ability to produce hyaluronic acid. Studies have shown that older skin typically has lower levels of hyaluronic acid than younger skin. As you age, your skin tissue becomes dehydrated and the collagen and elastin fibers lose their structure, resulting in a loss of skin volume and the formation of the facial wrinkles and folds that are common characteristics of aged skin.
Hyaluronic acid dermal fillers like Juvéderm™ injectable hyaluronic acid gel can help to temporarily replace the lost hyaluronic acid and restore your skin’s volume and smooth, natural appearance.
Juvéderm™ gel is gently injected under the skin or into the lips to instantly restore volume and smooth away facial wrinkles and folds, like your “smile lines” or “parentheses” (nasolabial folds—the creases that run from the bottom of your nose to the corners of your mouth).
Juvéderm™ provides a smooth, natural look and feel—so everyone will notice (but no one will know)! In fact, studies show superior results of Juvéderm™ compared to a collagen-based dermal filler.†
- Almost 90% of all study volunteers who were treated with both Juvéderm™ injectable gel and another dermal filler† preferred Juvéderm™!
- Juvéderm™ injectable gel is the first FDA-approved hyaluronic acid dermal filler that is proven to be safe and effective for persons of color.
Benefits of JUVÉDERM™ Injectable Gel
Hyaluronic acid dermal fillers like Juvéderm™ injectable gel offer a safe and effective nonsurgical option for smoothing facial wrinkles and folds. In fact, they are the fastest growing nonsurgical aesthetic procedure in the United States according to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.1 But all dermal fillers are not the same!
Choosing JUVÉDERM™ injectable gel makes a difference:
- Juvéderm™ is the ONLY hyaluronic acid (HA) filler FDA approved* to last up to 1 year. Our unique manufacturing process provides a high concentration of cross-linked hyaluronic acid for long-lasting results. It also creates a smooth consistency gel that flows easily into the skin and provides a smooth, natural look and feel—so everyone will notice (but no one will know)! Only Juvéderm™ is so smooth—other hyaluronic acid fillers currently on the market are made of granular consistency gels.**
- Juvéderm™ is a “next-generation” non-animal dermal filler that is made from hyaluronic acid—a naturally occurring substance that plays a vital role in hydrating your skin and replenishing its natural volume. No allergy skin tests are needed prior to receiving treatment.**
- Proven safety and effectiveness: Juvéderm™ injectable gel is the first FDA-approved hyaluronic acid dermal filler proven safe and effective in persons of color.
- Quick and easy procedure: Juvéderm™ injectable gel is a nonsurgical physician-administered treatment that requires no allergy skin test and minimal recovery or downtime.
- Personalized treatment: Juvéderm™ injectable gel is available in two formulations— Juvéderm™ Ultra for versatility in contouring and volumizing facial wrinkles and folds, and Juvéderm™ Ultra Plus, a more robust formulation for volumizing and correcting deeper folds and wrinkles. This allows your doctor to tailor treatment to meet your unique needs.
What to Expect During Treatment
Because Juvéderm™ injectable gel is a simple, nonsurgical wrinkle treatment, there is minimal recovery or downtime. So you can make an appointment to stop by your healthcare professional’s office for treatment on the way home from work or the gym, or even while the kids are at soccer practice—and get right back to your life. Here’s what to expect when you visit your healthcare professional’s office for treatment. (Please note that although this experience is typical, the routine at your healthcare professional’s office may be different.)
Before you go: Some doctors recommend that you avoid any medications that can prolong bleeding, such as aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), for at least a week prior to treatment in order to reduce the risk of bruising and bleeding at the injection site. Ask your healthcare professional what he or she recommends.
When you arrive: If this is your first visit, your healthcare professional will ask about your medical history, including any allergies you may have or medications you may take, and will tell you more about wrinkle treatment with Juvéderm™. Juvéderm™ injectable gel does not require an allergy test.
Determining your treatment needs: Your healthcare professional will examine the soft tissue of your face to assess the depth of wrinkles and folds to determine your treatment. Juvéderm™ injectable gel is available in two formulations—Juvéderm™ Ultra for versatility in contouring and volumizing facial wrinkles and folds, and Juvéderm™ Ultra Plus, a robust formulation for volumizing and correcting deeper folds and wrinkles. This allows your healthcare professional to better tailor treatment to your unique needs. They may even take pre-treatment photographs so you can see the difference after treatment!
Before the procedure: Although anesthesia is not required, your healthcare professional may use topical or injectable anesthesia to numb the treatment area first.
The procedure: Your healthcare professional will ease the Juvéderm™ injectable gel under your skin to augment, or fill, wrinkles and folds. Following the injection, your healthcare professional may gently massage the treated areas. The procedure is quick and easy. The injection itself usually takes only about 15 minutes.
After the procedure: With Juvéderm™, there is minimal recovery or downtime.
For the first 24 hours following treatment, you should avoid strenuous exercise, excessive sun or heat exposure, and consumption of alcoholic beverages in order to help minimize the risks of temporary redness, swelling, and/or itching at the treatment sites. After the treatment, some temporary injection-related reactions may occur, including redness, pain, firmness, swelling, and bumps. Studies have shown that these are usually mild to moderate in nature and clear up on their own in 7 days or less. If you experience swelling at the injection site, you can apply an ice pack for a brief period. Your healthcare professional will tell you when makeup may be applied after your treatment.
Seeing results: You should see an immediate improvement in the treatment areas. Most patients need one treatment to achieve optimal wrinkle smoothing. And one treatment could smooth your lines and wrinkles for up to 1 year! However, results may vary and correction is temporary. Supplemental “touch up” treatments may be required to achieve and maintain optimal results.