About JUVÉDERM VOLUMA™XC In Wilmington, DE
See "Selfies" from one of Our Delighted Voluma Patients
Juvéderm Voluma™ is the newest HA (hyaluronic acid) soft tissue filler to join the family of FDA approved Juvéderm products in the USA. It was cleared for marketing in the US on October 29th, 2013. Juvéderm Voluma has been available in Europe since 2005 and is used in over 60 countries worldwide. At Delaware Valley Dermatology Group, we think it is the most exciting development in facial rejuvenation since Botox® -- another Allergan product, by the way – and once again, a complete game-changer. As proponents of the patient management approach, we call Continuum of Care™, anything that offers real benefit and alleviates patient discomfort or concern is something we are proud to provide. Since we know that patients absolutely hate feeling old and haggard, we are thrilled to be able to offer to provide Juvéderm Voluma™. Voluma can and should be combined with other facial rejuvenative modalities for the most satisfying results.
Voluma Offers Benefits Even A Facelift Can't.
What most affects our appearance as we grow older in the loss of the fat pad across the mid-section of the face. This is what contributes to drooping jowls, hollows beneath the eyes, and the deep naso-labial folds running from cheek to mouth. It is called mid-face volume loss and it happens to everyone, making us look older even if your skin is taut and in excellent condition. You could make the comparison that mid-face volume loss is like sagging springs in the seat of an older chair. Even if you change the upholstery (like taking great care of your skin and rejuvenating it with lasers, peels, and an effective at-home skincare program) the underlying sagging is going to give away it’s age and adversely affect the way it looks. The same is true of facial aging. Even individuals with very dark skin who do not wrinkle still experience volume loss.
We know a youthful face by its round, fullness at the mid-face across the cheekbone area.
Facelifts can only do so much. The goal of surgical procedures such as facelifts is to ‘pull’ and thus tighten the skin, whereas Juvéderm Voluma™ ‘lifts’ by volumizing and pushing the skin up, thus lifting without removing skin surgically.
So the best way to create a natural-looking, youthful face – especially in people in the 30-50 age range – is to re-inflate and re-contour the face with volume restoration. Juvéderm Voluma™ is important because it offers dermatologists the ability to do just this – in a safe and efficient manner. It is a major new development for cosmetic medicine and it is going to profoundly change the way we treat many aging faces!
What exactly does it do?
Juvéderm Voluma™ is a reformulation of the hyaluronic acid product, Juvederm®, that we all know and have come to love. This formulation allows for a longer duration of action and the achievement of even greater volume, thus the name, Voluma. , This is especially important since the mid-cheek volume loss, as we have said, has a profound impact on how our faces age. Not only does it produce a sunken or hollow look to the cheeks, but perhaps, more importantly, the ‘fabric’ of the skin essentially ‘re-drapes’ as these central cheek fat pads diminish. In contrast, for people who still have very good skin elasticity, this re-draping may be more directed to the nose-to-mouth folds creating an overhang and accentuating the smile and marionette lines- and thus contributing significantly to the tired/sad/old look that some people experience (even though they don’t feel that way!). By restoring lost mid-cheek volume with Juvéderm Voluma™ the impact is seen not only in the mid-cheek area but also it can help ‘lift’ the skin upwards producing an overall more youthful effect in a very natural manner.
Who is it right for?
While theoretically, anyone with facial volume loss may be a candidate for Voluma, we believe in the ‘less is more’ concept for facial enhancement. So in that regard, probably the more dramatic results tend to be seen in patients in their 30s, 40s and 50s who have mild to moderate facial volume loss without significant skin laxity and sagging (when there is a lot of loose, lax, sagging skin, non-surgical options are typically adjuncts or alternatives to surgery such as a face, neck or brow lift). However, having said this, many of our patients do not want surgery for various reasons related to recovery time, exposure to anesthesia, existing health problems, or concerns about complications. For those patients, even though they have more severe volume loss and skin laxity, Voluma offers the opportunity for looking more rested and refreshed – albeit not the same result as if they had chosen surgery + volume loss correction with fat or fillers.
How does it work?
Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers are all made from long chains of sugars that occur naturally in your skin and which are cross-linked for support. Juvéderm Voluma is unique in that it has a special type of cross-linking called Vycross which, along with shorter chains, gives it very excellent lifting capacity. It also helps make Voluma last up to twice as long as current fillers (up to 24 months). Voluma is soft and silky smooth to inject and it can be gently shaped into desired contours and then it integrates into the skin along with your own natural HA and retains its shape.
What to expect.
Visible results are immediate and long-lasting, and Voluma is associated with fewer adverse events than other facial volumizer fillers such as Sculptra® or Radiesse®. Most people resume normal activities immediately (bruising and sometimes also slight swelling are typically the most common side effects).
Voluma is new to the US market, but in a study conducted by Klaus Hoffmann, MD and associates at the Dept. of Dermatology, Ruhr University in Bochum Germany found that nearly all the study participants who received Juvéderm Voluma would recommend treatment to a friend (98+%) and that most would be very or quite likely to return for treatment (~93%).
Are there any reasons why I should not receive JUVÉDERM VOLUMA™ XC?
Do not use the product if you have severe allergies with a history of severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), or if you are allergic to lidocaine or the proteins (gram-positive bacterial proteins) used to make the hyaluronic acid (HA) in JUVÉDERM VOLUMA™ XC.
What precautions should I be advised of?
- The safety of JUVÉDERM VOLUMA™ XC injectable gel for use during pregnancy, in women who are breastfeeding, or in patients with very thin skin in the cheek area has not been studied
- The safety for use in patients under 35 years or over 65 years has not been studied
- The safety and effectiveness of treatment in areas other than the cheek area have not been established
- The safety for use in patients with a history of excessive scarring or pigmentation disorders has not been studied and may result in additional scars or changes in pigmentation
- The long-term safety of repeat treatments has not been established
Patients who experience skin injury near the site of injection may be at a higher risk for side effects. Tell your provider if you are on therapy used to decrease the body’s immune response (immunosuppressive therapy). Use may result in an increased risk of infection. Tell your provider if you are using medications that can prolong bleeding, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or other blood thinners; as with any injection, this may result in increased bruising or bleeding at the injection site. Minimize strenuous exercise and exposure to extensive sun or heat within the first 24 hours following treatment
What are the other possible side effects?
- Side effects are moderate (uncomfortable) and generally last 2 to 4 weeks
- The most common side effects include temporary reactions at the treatment site such as tenderness, swelling, firmness, lumps/bumps, bruising, pain, redness, discoloration, and itching.
JUVÉDERM VOLUMA™ XC injectable gel is available by prescription only.
