Biostimulators vs. Traditional HA Fillers
Recently the Aesthetic industry has taken more interest in biostimulators. Some of the more common treatments in this category are smooth pdo threads, microneedling, PRP/PRF, Sculptra and Radiesse. Biostimulators help the body regenerate, increase collagen, encourage the body to heal itself. Now more than ever, our patients are also coming in asking for more treatments that help them promote growth of their own collagen and tissue.
Traditional HA fillers have been a favorite in aesthetics for decades. Fillers are very predictable when creating volume throughout the face. With the high safety profile and ability to neutralize, HA fillers are one of our most popular treatments in the office. Although extremely versatile, we do get patients looking for alternative options besides the traditional fillers. Some areas are also not ideal for HA fillers or trickier to treat. This is where biostimulators help bridge the gap.
Sculptra has been a wonderful addition to our practice. Placing Sculptra in a deeper plane allows us to create more robust volume, while placing it superficially helps to thicken the skin and add a glow. Volume is replaced with your own body creating collagen around the poly- L lactic acid particles gradually over the course of 6-8 weeks. Since volume replacement is over time, patients don’t have to worry about an immediate dramatic change that others will notice.
PRF and EZgel allow use of your own platelets, growth factors, cytokines to be placed back into your skin and tissues to promote healing. This was once popularized as the ‘vampire facial’, but it has evolved over the years. PRF is a higher concentration of what is normally extracted from PRP, and can be injected as mesotherapy or infused topically during microneedling/laser treatments. EZ gel allows us to heat the PRF to create an albumin gel which can be injected into the tissues to promote a more prolonged exposure of growth factors, platelets and cytokines vs. liquid PRF.
Microneedling is another treatment that induces collagen production by controlled damage to the skin. Treatments come in the form of pens, stamps, rollers but also in laser platforms combined with radiofrequency to emit energy at the same time. The added benefits of RF energy include skin tightening, and at even higher energy can target fat breakdown.
In our practice we like to incorporate a balance of biostimulators with traditional HA fillers for our patients with customary treatment plans. Utilizing the strength of both modalities allows us to deliver the most natural and optimal results to our patients. We encourage you to visit our practice and book a one-on-one consultation with an Aesthetic Team member and see what option works best with you.