Aging is a process none of us can avoid whether we want to or not, but this does not mean we can’t do anything about it. As fine lines and wrinkles start to appear around the face, many women begin to wonder what they can and should do about them. Here at Shenandoah Women’s Healthcare in Harrisonburg, VA, we know just how to treat these signs of aging with products like Belotero Balance.
How Long Does Belotero Take to Settle?
In short, it takes about two to three weeks for the full results to appear and balance out. But this isn’t the be-all-end-all of your results. To fully understand this product and how long it takes to settle, a few other facts and questions must be covered first.
What Is Belotero?
If this is your first time looking into this treatment, you may not be entirely clear on what exactly it is. Don’t worry, the explanation is straightforward and relatively easy to understand.
Belotero Balance (the product’s full name) is a hyaluronic acid-based dermal filler, meaning it works because of the way its hyaluronic acid interacts with your body. It is injected, much like many other cosmetic anti-aging treatments, and can help bump out wrinkles and fine lines.
How Does It Work?
The way hyaluronic acid works is actually quite simple. It is a naturally occurring material in the body that helps moisture molecules bind together to create soft, padded areas of volume. When dermal fillers like this one are injected, the body reacts to the newly introduced hyaluronic acid much in the same way it does to that which your body produces naturally – it binds together moisture molecules, causing an increase in volume.
Because this filler can be injected in site-specific areas, it can cause an increase in volume and a decrease in fine lines and wrinkles just there without spreading into unwanted or untargeted areas. Instead of affecting the whole face, it can be localized to treat just the areas that bother you the most. What’s different about this treatment from other fillers is its proprietary Cohesive Polydensified Matrix.
The Matrix
You may be wondering about this Cohesive Polydensified Matrix or CPM for short, and what exactly it is. Basically, it is the way in which this filler works differently than any other dermal filler; even from other fillers that use similar ingredients.
The matrix produces a flexible, smooth gel that blends right in with your skin. And, since no other filler can use this matrix, no other filler can get results quite like Belotero.
What Is It Best Used For?
This treatment works differently for some symptoms of aging than others. It doesn’t immobilize the injected areas like Botox or other neurotoxins and should not be used like them. So, it’s important to understand not only how Belotero works best, but the ways in which the face ages.
Aging in the Face
As the body and the face age, the materials that provide springy support and natural moisture retention in the body, such as collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid, are produced in smaller and smaller quantities. This can often make the skin appear less full, and, additionally, let wrinkles and folds appear in the face where our muscles most often expand and contract.
Seeing as the root of an aging appearance lies in volume loss, a relatively quick and effective way to fight against aging is to bring back the lost volume. That being said, not all areas of the face age in quite the same ways.
Aging in the Cheeks
One of the changes people notice in their faces as they age is a loss of definition in the cheeks. As volume starts to decrease along the cheeks, the cheekbones become less prominent, and the skin laxity caused by this can make the whole face appear less contoured.
Luckily, just as volume loss causes this problem, volume restoration can fix it. Restoring the lost volume can bring the definition of the face back into focus.
Aging in the Lips
The lips and mouth are one of the most expressive areas of our faces. Because of this, wrinkles and fine lines become more prominent here than elsewhere. Smile lines, laugh lines, wrinkles caused by smoking – all are rooted in repetitive motions that etch lines and creases into our skin.
To counteract these lines and wrinkles, fullness can be added to the area to bump out the indentations and bring back tension and softness.
Aging in the Eyes
Similar to the lips, the root of aging in the eyes comes from how expressive they are. Every time we expand or contract our eyes or move our eyebrows, crow’s feet and other fine lines can begin to appear around the outer eye, just as smile lines and laugh lines pop up around the mouth.
Luckily, since aging in the eyes is similar to that in the mouth, it can be treated similarly too. Just return some volume to the area and the tension and youthful plumpness should come right back as well.
Using Belotero
As each area of the face ages differently, each area should be treated slightly differently as well. Luckily, this treatment can effectively handle aging in any area of the face.
Because it produces a flexible gel that gets along perfectly with your skin and other naturally occurring body materials, it can be injected almost anywhere in the face. The question then is how it works in each of these areas.
In the Lips
One of the most popular areas for this product is the lips. Because it can balance subtlety and effectiveness so well, this product is great for the areas around the mouth because it can pop out small wrinkles and creases without looking unnatural.
Additionally, if nasolabial folds (the lines that come down from the nose and frame the mouth) are something that bother you, you can use this treatment there as well.
In the Eyes
Since the eyes are another popular place for fine lines and wrinkles, it’s another place well suited for this treatment. The smooth gel can bring back volume into the areas that have begun to crinkle, plumping them up and reducing wrinkles.
In the Cheeks
You guessed it: this product works well in the cheeks too. Though designed with subtlety in mind to help with areas like the eyes and lips, it can and often is used in the cheeks as well. If you’ve noticed a little droopiness, laxity, or loss of definition along your cheekbone, it can bring this contour back, and some youthfulness along with it.
The Treatment Process
If you’ve decided this filler is something that interests you, you may be curious about how it’s administered. Since it’s a medical treatment, it’s perfectly natural to be slightly apprehensive about the injection process, but it’s important to remember the entire process is straightforward and non-invasive.
A typical patient trajectory might look like this:
Consultation
Just like any other medical or cosmetic treatment, it’s a good idea to meet with a professional like those at Shenandoah Women’s Healthcare and discuss what is bothering you before rushing into any treatment.
At your consultation, you should point out certain areas of the face that you would like addressed – for instance, maybe you have some fine lines growing around your mouth. Your doctor will then look at your problem areas as well as your face as a whole and discuss what to do.
Consultations are an important step of any medical or cosmetic process because it ensures that you as the patient and the professional are in agreement about what will be treated, how this will be done, and what the results will be.
Treatment
Whether it’s during the same appointment as the consultation or at a later date, the time will eventually come to receive your treatment. Though this is a medical treatment, it is simple, quick, and non-invasive.
All in all, your appointment most likely will not be over an hour. Some women report the injection process lasting closer to fifteen minutes. And the best part is, results can be seen immediately.
Recovery
Luckily, there is little to no recovery time. Most women can return immediately to normal daily activities. As soon as you leave, you’ll start to notice an increase in volume and a decrease in wrinkles in your treated areas.
Settling In
Though results can be seen immediately, the full extent of your results will not likely show up until two or three weeks after your treatment. If you think about it, this makes a lot of sense: hyaluronic acid works in the proprietary matrix to smooth the face, but this cannot happen instantly. As more fluid bonds with the hyaluronic acid, more volume is created.
Eventually – and by eventually we mean just two or three weeks later – effects will begin to plateau and taper off. But don’t worry! This doesn’t mean they’re going away, just that they’re settling firmly in place.
FAQs
1. Is It Safe?
Yes, this treatment is completely safe. As we said before, this treatment is based on hyaluronic acid, a material that occurs naturally inside the body. Once injected, the body knows exactly what to do with it. If done correctly by a medical professional, it should be completely safe.
2. Will I Look Natural?
Any trained professional administering this treatment will know just how to balance bringing youth back to your face with a natural, not overdone appearance. Remember, this product is designed to bring about subtle change, not a drastic, pulled-tight look.
3. How Long Will Results Last?
Results can last up to around six months. In high movement areas like the mouth and eyes, results might not last quite as long. This may not seem like a very long time, but remember that Belotero works gently to smooth lines, not by adding large amounts of volume back all at once.
4. Can It Be Done More Than Once?
Yes. You can return for more treatments when you start to notice the effects of the previous one wearing off. Repeat injections are perfectly safe. Just make sure to discuss a regular schedule with your doctor so you stay safe and still look natural.
5. Is It Just for Women?
No, though this is a common misconception. We at Shenandoah Women’s Healthcare gear our practices to women, but this product works just as well in men as it does in women. Because both men and women age, both men and women can desire to do something about it.
A Smoother, More Youthful Face
Aging is a natural, unavoidable process that everyone goes through. Though we can’t stop or prevent aging, we can do something about how it affects our faces. Belotero is a straightforward, non-invasive treatment that takes under an hour and has no downtime, making it perfect for counteracting volume loss and fine lines that pop up through the years.
If you or a loved one is interested, contact us at Shenandoah Women’s Healthcare in Harrisonburg, VA today!