Hylaform
What is "Hylaform"?
Hylaform is a hyaluronic acid. It is a form of dermal filler that is injected to take care of both dynamic and static wrinkles. It's injected underneath the skin into the dermal layer. It's been around since April of 2004, and it's safe and effective for use.
Who can administer Hylaform?
I think when you go to your medispa and Hylaform is on the spa menu, it's important that the doctor be the one doing the injections. It does require an injection and can require local anesthetic and that means it's important that the doctor at the medical spa performs the injections. I know that there are certain spas in certain states where either a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant may do the injections, but I believe it's important that the doctor does the injections.
Who should not receive Hylaform treatment?
Almost anyone can receive a Hylaform injection. I think patients that don't have wrinkles where they're not going to show any improvement with the procedure are probably better off not having the injections. Other types of people that should not have injections include patients that are pregnant and any patient taking a blood thinner such as aspirin or Coumadin. Those are the patients who should wait about two weeks to stop their medications before having any injection. It's important that they determine that if they are going to have the injections, it's important that it's safe to stop the medications they're on. Patients that are taking herbal medications should make sure that there's no bleeding issues with the herbs that they're taking prior to a Hylaform injection.
What areas of my body can be treated with Hylaform?
When we started to use Hylaform, it was mostly used in the lower face area, specifically the nasal labial fold. That's the line that runs here and is very common as we get older. Other areas where Hylaform can be used are both the upper and lower lips, the puppet or marionette lines. And, subsequently, we started to use Hylaform in the upper face around the eyes as another area were it really works very nicely.
What pre-treatment do I need prior to a Hylaform injection?
Really the only pre-treatment should be removing any makeup so the doctor can see where those wrinkles are. It's also important to stop taking any medications which might lead to bruising or bleeding, aspirin or any blood thinners for example. For the most part though, almost no restrictions for patients with Hylaform injections.
How long does a Hylaform procedure take?
When you go to your MediSpa, the injection itself shouldn't take more than about ten or fifteen minutes. Usually either a local anesthetic or topical anesthetic will be applied and that may add another ten or fifteen minutes to the procedure. This is something that can certainly be done within half and hour or forty-five minutes at a time. It's also important that you see the physicians doing the injections before you have a procedure.
Can I have more then one area treated with Hylaform at the same time?
There is certainly no reason that you can't have Hylaform injected in more than one area of your face at one time. For many patients I'll inject it into numerous parts of the face, specifically the lines around the mouth, the lips, and the eye area. There's really no reason that you can't have more than one injection at one time.
What should I expect my skin to look and feel like after a Hylaform treatment?
I think when you go to your medi-spa for a Hylaform injection, you can expect to have some great-looking skin after. What I love about Hylaform is it really works right away. It will fill up those wrinkles, both the dynamic and static wrinkles, in almost no time. It really is safe, effective, with no down-time, and a real immediate improvement in the way your skin looks. In terms of side-effects or complications, there's really almost nothing. There can be some bruising at the injection sites, but that goes away rather quickly. Patients have been extremely happy with the way that Hylaform works.
Once started, how often will I require Hylaform treatment?
Hylaform usually lasts anywhere from 6 to 9 months. So, what does that mean? When the material is injected, it is injected into those wrinkles, and over the course of that time, the material will eventually dissolve in the body. There's no side-effects; it'll just basically go away. Some patients start to see the loss of volume and they'll come in earlier, usually around 6 months. Other patients may wait until a year and all of the Hylaform is gone before they come in. For the most part, patients come in around 9 months for further injections.
How much will a Hylaform treatment cost?
Hylaform prices usually depend on the doctor involved, the spa involved, and where you live. Prices for hylafoam can usually range anywhere from $500 to $1,500, again, depending on the doctor and the medi-spa involved. Obviously if you're in one of the bigger urban areas, you'll probably pay some more for hylafoam. I'd be less concerned about paying more for hylafoam than about paying almost nothing. You want to make sure that it is actual hylafoam. If somebody's offering it to you for less than $500-600, then I would be concerned that it's not actual hylafoam.