Typically, used on deep folds between the nose and mouth.
Thursday, March 13, 2008 at 11:42 a.m.
Read more: Health, National
There are now dozens of ways to erase your wrinkles. One of the most popular is with a filler. But, how do you know which one is right for you?
It's a filler first for 57 year old Debbie Belenzon.
"I'm having injectable fillers right here, around my nasal folds," she said.
Sounds simple enough except there are a dozen FDA approved wrinkle treatments on the market. Each one, designed to work best on a different area of your face, explains cosmetic surgeon Johan Brahme.
"There's some that are better in the lips and some that are better in the nasal labial folds right here," he says.
To sort it out, we made this simple chart to show you where the top five wrinkle fillers work best, how long they'll last and the price you'll pay for younger looking skin. First, is Artefill.
"It's the first permanent filler," says Brahme.
Typically, used on deep folds between the nose and mouth. Artefill, is the longest lasting filler, up to five years. And it's the most expensive at about $1,500 a treatment. But, if there's a problem it's hard to reverse.
"You have to actually surgically remove it," says Brahme.
Second is cosmoderm and cosmoplast , temporary fixes. Both treat scars and fine lines around the eyes. Results lasts just 3 to 4 months, the cost: $350 to $500.
Third, the most popular and commonly used fillers in America. Juvederm, Restylane and Perlane, they share the same ingredient hyaluronic acid, which binds water up to a thousand times its weight. It'll plump lips, fill in deep folds, and lasts about six months to a year. At a cost of $500 to $700.
"I can already see it's puffed up," says Belenzon.
Number four is radiesse, made from bone. It fills in large areas on the face, hands and feet, results last up to 2 years and costs $800. Sculptra rounds out the top five. Used mainly in large areas like the cheek, or hands. Results last one to two years. The price, around $1,200.
So, what about botox? Well, it does work on wrinkles, but it's not a filler. Botox, blocks muscle activity. Wwhen the muscle doesn't move, neither will the skin, so wrinkles temporarily relax.
"Botox is excellent for the forehead, the crows feet, and so on, but it's not a filler, you can't use it around the lips so much," says Brahme.
Debbie skipped the Botox and says she'll stick with fillers.
"I want to look as young as I feel," she says.
-Courtesy Peggy Pico, NBC News
