Dermal Fillers
In addition to facial plastic surgery, Dr. Stella specializes in non-surgical facial enhancement and rejuvenation. She is a skilled artist when it comes to using dermal fillers to give Seattle women and men a variety of improvements. With today's fillers like RADIESSE®, Restylane®, and JUVEDÉRM®, Dr. Stella can soften wrinkles, enhance the lips, sculpt the nose, and restore lost facial volume to help her patients look younger and more attractive.
To learn more about injectable fillers or other treatments offered at the Stella Center for Facial Plastic Surgery, request a consultation or call our office at (206) 682-3223. We look forward to helping you with any questions or concerns you may have and getting you on your way to looking and feeling your best!
Injectable Fillers Before & After Photos
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Why should I choose Dr. Stella for filler treatments?
Dr. Stella Desyatnikova is skilled and experienced at performing soft tissue filler injections and has a great artistic eye for giving you the best results. She has advanced training in facial plastic surgery and is board certified in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, as well as Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. She is also on the teaching faculty for Allergan, Medicis, and Palette aesthetic courses and has been training other doctors and nurses how to administer fillers for years, serving as an authority on the best and most effective ways to improve facial appearance.
Which filler is best?
The best filler for your treatment depends on your cosmetic goals and needs as so many of these products are formulated for specific treatment areas and benefits. Dr. Stella offers the following fillers, each with unique benefits and made without animal products:
- JUVÉDERM® Ultra XC & JUVÉDERM® Ultra Plus XC contain hyaluronic acid (HA), which is a natural substance in the body that gives the skin volume and fullness. This versatile filler is used for fine lines, deeper facial folds, and the lips. Results can last up to 1 year.
- JUVÉDERM VOLUMA XC is an HA filler that restores volume to the entire cheek area for a natural-looking lift of the midface and can be used for creating better balanced cheekbones, chin, and jawline. It contains lidocaine for enhanced comfort during treatments. Results can last up to 2 years.
- JUVÉDERM VOLLURE™ XC is a great option for superficial and deep lines and wrinkles around the nose and mouth, especially the nasolabial folds (sometimes called the "parentheses"), and for lip augmentation. Its results can last for up to 18 months.
- JUVÉDERM VOLBELLA™ XC is intended for the correction of superficial lines and adding subtle volume and definition to the lips, to add fullness and smooth the lines that can develop around them. Formulated to add subtle and natural-looking changes, VOLBELLA is a soft HA filler that creates very natural-looking results for attractive, younger-looking, and well-defined lips.
- Restylane® is an HA filler that can be used for correction of dark circles and hollowness under the eyes and is commonly used for nonsurgical rhinoplasty.
- Restylane® Lyft, formerly known as Perlane®, uses larger particles of hyaluronic acid for more dramatic improvement of deep lines and creases. It's also appropriate for adding volume to areas such as the chin and cheeks, and its results can last for up to 1 year.
- Restylane® Silk adds volume and shape to the lips. It's FDA-approved for patients 21 and older. Its smooth, soft formulation also makes it a good choice for small, fine lines around the mouth.
- RADIESSE can be used to lift the midface, add volume to the cheeks and chin area, and correct deeper smile lines and marionette lines. It differs from HA fillers because it contains tiny particles of calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA), a substance found in the teeth and bones, which help increase the production of a patient's own collagen over time. Results can last up to 1 year.
During your consultation, Dr. Stella will ask you to describe the changes you'd like to make and develop a personalized treatment plan that will give you the most satisfying results. She may suggest a combination of filler treatments, another non-surgical option, or facial plastic surgery.
Dermal Filler FAQ
What are filler treatments like?
Injectable filler treatments are performed in our office and are usually complete in 30 minutes. For enhanced comfort, patients can choose to have a topical anesthetic applied before the treatment begins. Dr. Stella then uses a fine needle to inject the filler beneath the area being addressed. Because the results are immediate, Dr. Stella will talk with you throughout the treatment to ensure you attain the look you want.
Can filler treatments be used instead of surgery?
Many people are not ready for surgery but still want to look younger or improve their facial features. Dr. Stella can provide results that are similar to many cosmetic surgery procedures, such as in nonsurgical rhinoplasty, with injectable fillers. She has extensive experience using fillers to take the place of a variety of surgical procedures including those listed in the table below.
| Instead of: | Dr. Stella Can Use Fillers to: |
|---|---|
| Rhinoplasty | Define the bridge of the nose to make it look narrower or even out a hump or bump Sculpt the tip of the nose to make nostrils look smaller or smooth an overly upturned nose |
| Lower eyelid surgery | Fill out sunken tear troughs and reduce under-eye bags |
| Cheek lift | Make the cheeks look rounder and more youthful and give a slight lift to sagging jowls |
| Lip implants | Sculpt and plump up thin or flattened lips |
How do I know which filler is right for me?
With so many dermal fillers available, it can be confusing to know which one is right for you. Through years of experience using fillers for facial rejuvenation and sculpting, Dr. Stella is an accomplished specialist. During your consultation, she will ask you to show her the areas you'd like to improve and describe what you'd like to change. Today, fillers can be used for everything from wrinkles to rhinoplasty. The right filler for you will depend on the improvements you want to gain. Dr. Stella uses her expertise to guide you in your choice.
What's the difference between fillers and BOTOX® Cosmetic?
While both BOTOX Cosmetic and fillers are injectable treatments that can be used to smooth away wrinkles, they each treat a different type of wrinkles in a different way. As the name implies, fillers soften wrinkles by filling them. These treatments are used around the mouth and nose, and they provide immediate results. BOTOX is used for "dynamic wrinkles," such as horizontal forehead lines and crow's feet around the eyes, which are caused by the contractions of facial muscles. BOTOX treatments actually relax the muscles that cause the wrinkles, and they take a few days to show results. Dr. Stella often uses both types of treatments together for an even more refreshed look.
Are injectable fillers safe?
Yes. All of the fillers we offer have been approved by the FDA and used by dermatologists and plastic surgeons worldwide for years. Because there is minimal risk of allergic reaction, allergy testing is not required for these fillers.
Do filler injections hurt?
Most patients find our filler injections very tolerable. To minimize discomfort during the procedure, Dr. Stella numbs the area with topical and local anesthetic before performing the treatment. Some fillers contain lidocaine for increased comfort. Patients may experience slight redness or puffiness at the site of the injection for the first day or 2.
How much do fillers cost?
Injectable fillers are usually priced by the syringe, and the cost varies by product. The number of syringes needed depends on the desired improvement. No one wants to overpay, but it's important to consider the qualifications and experience of your injector over getting a good price.
Can fillers be used in place of facial plastic surgery procedures?
Dr. Stella uses fillers to provide many types of improvements that are similar to facial plastic surgery results; for example, she offers nonsurgical rhinoplasty, as well as an alternative to lower eyelid surgery. The advantages of fillers over surgery include:
- Significantly less expensive
- Immediate results
- Little to no downtime
- No anesthesia
- Very short treatment time
The main disadvantage of fillers is that the improvements do not last nearly as long as those from plastic surgery.
I'd like my thin lips to be fuller. Can you use fillers?
Yes. While the improvements are temporary, an injectable filler such as JUVÉDERM® can be used to sculpt and plump up the lips. Dr. Stella's skill and experienced eye enable her to make the lips look naturally fuller, not overdone.
What is the best treatment for upper lip lines?
Choosing a treatment to get rid of lines around the upper lip depends on the depth of the lip lines.
- Deeper lines may be best filled in with an injectable filler.
- Fine lip lines can be smoothed away with a surface treatment such as ActiveFX™ laser resurfacing.
I've heard that fillers can be used to improve the look of my nose. Is that true?
Yes! Dr. Stella uses injectable fillers to achieve a "nonsurgical nose job." This approach is useful for people who are bothered by issues such as a low or wide nasal bridge in Asian patients, nasal hump, a wide or low nasal tip, and a narrow or crooked bridge. Because the results of a nonsurgical nose job are temporary, some people choose this option to "test drive" the more permanent results of a surgical rhinoplasty. You can learn more about nonsurgical rhinoplasty here.
How often should I have injectable filler treatments?
Treatments are typically scheduled twice a year but vary by filler. Most patients visit Dr. Stella for a touch-up treatment before the product has fully dissipated to maintain their improvements.
