Juvederm^® XC

One of the great things about Juvederm^® is that clients find the treatment sessions to be easy and comfortable. Not including your initial consultation, the entire injection process will take a matter of minutes, as the smoothness of the gel allows it to flow easily into the skin.

All of our Juvederm^® products contain a very small amount of lidocaine, which is a medication used to reduce sensation in a specific area. The localized anesthetic is intended to make the injection process more comfortable for clients.

The professionals at Western Dermatology Consultants will talk with you about how Juvederm^® can help you make the improvements you desire in areas showing the effects of collagen and hyaluronic acid loss. As always, your health, safety, and confidence are our ultimate goal, and we look forward to supporting you on the journey to beautiful skin.

Even though Juvederm^® is injected in small amounts, the results of a session are noticeable as soon as the gel goes in. This does not mean it will be immediately obvious that you had a treatment done, especially when it is handled by a specially trained and experienced injector, but the added volume will have a skin-smoothing effect that will be visible right away. The results will “settle” in the following days, providing a natural-looking rejuvenation that can last for months or years, depending on the injection site, which specific filler was used, and other factors. Studies have shown that Juvederm^® XC results can last for up to one year under ideal conditions.

Injections of any sort, including Juvederm^®, can cause some redness, swelling, irritation, or slight bruising where the needle entered the skin. These are temporary and should subside on their own in just a few days, if not hours.

As the effects of a Juvederm^® session fade, clients who want to continue to enjoy more youthful-looking skin can return to Western Dermatology Consultants for maintenance treatments.

The healthy roundness that marks a smooth, youthful face is a combination of fat, moisture, and structure-providing collagen—all of which can diminish in the skin over time. A loss of fat can lead to harsher angles and a thinner, more hollow look. Collagen loss can have a similar effect on the shape of everything from lips to the face as a whole, but it can also lead to the formation of wrinkles.

Since collagen is a flexible and strong protein, it gives support to facial contours while also forming a framework for hyaluronic acid molecules, a major component in keeping skin hydrated and pliant.

Collagen and hyaluronic acid are both regularly broken down and replaced in an ongoing cycle. Unfortunately, this cycle slows over time, with the crucial elements breaking down faster than they are replaced. Eventually, their increasing absence in the skin leads to noticeable changes, including the appearance of lines and wrinkles, such as nasolabial folds.

Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring sugar found in the human body. It helps the skin maintain its elasticity and fullness by retaining moisture.

Hyaluronic acid works like a sponge that soaks up nearby water, as it is able to absorb and retain more than 1,000 times its own weight. But during the aging process, the levels of hyaluronic acid reserves in the body plummet, leaving the skin thinner, sallower, and less elastic. Existing reserves and new production of the acid are also damaged by environmental pollutants and excessive exposure to UV rays.

Juvederm^® is not a collagen injection, but is made from hyaluronic acid (which some studies show can also trigger an acceleration in collagen production in the skin).

Juvederm^® maker Allergan employs an advanced dermal filler manufacturing technology known as Vycross^®, which works to blend together different molecular weights of hyaluronic acid to create a smooth, easy-to-work-with consistency. Our injectors can physically shape it once it’s in place to restore definition and balance to facial contours. This allows our Juvederm^® clients to achieve results customized to their unique facial profile.

It’s the perfect solution when you want smoother, plumper, and healthier-looking skin. Unlike most collagen, the hyaluronic acid mix used as the active ingredient in Juvederm^® products is non-animal derived, and the smooth gel filler looks and feels completely natural, offering results that can last for six months, or even up to a year depending on where it’s injected, the skill of the injector, and other factors.