When it comes to wrinkles, a person could either stay indoors their entire life to try and ward off the effects of the sun and environment on the skin. Or, because we live in a great outdoor area such as Bend, we prefer to try and address the wrinkles after we’ve had our fun in the sun on the mountain, river, trail, golf course, or wherever!

That’s what Deschutes is here for — to help you address your skin issues, whether the dermatology is medical or cosmetic. In the cosmetic sphere, dermal fillers are very popular with our patients for, as their name implies, “filling” wrinkles on the face. Two of the most popular are Restylane and Juvederm. Both are very similar hyaluronic acid fillers.

What is hyaluronic acid and why do I care about it?

Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance in the body that is responsible for skin hydration and plumping. Hyaluronic acid binds with water molecules to hydrate and add volume to the skin. Unfortunately, as with many other things as we age, hyaluronic production decreases the older we become. Because of this the skin becomes less supple, more leathery. Also, it has less support so things like wrinkles, creases, and volume loss all begin to show themselves.

Fillers fill it back up

That’s where dermal fillers come in. When injected beneath a wrinkle or crease, the filler “fills” in the wrinkle by plumping the area. In the case of Juvederm and Restylane, hyaluronic acid is the mechanism. Other fillers are made of synthetic materials, often calcium hydroxylapatite, and those materials push the wrinkle up from underneath.

Restylane vs. Juvederm

Although Juvederm and Restylane are very similar, Juvederm is slightly smoother and less likely to form a bump when compared with Restylane. For unforgiving areas such as the lips and tear troughs (where the skin is thinner), Juvederm could be a better choice. For forgiving areas such as nasolabial folds, marionette line, frown lines, and the like, both are very comparable. Restylane can be less expensive because, while the costs are about the same per syringe, Restylane offers larger syringe sizes 1.2 cc versus 0.8 cc.

If you’re looking to fill those wrinkles, hyaluronic acid fillers are great options. Call us at (541) 330-0900 and let’s talk about Juvederm and Restylane.