Thunder Bay Laser Clinic

Collagen is a natural protein which provides structure to your bone, cartilage, skin and tendons. It is an essential substance for skin strength and elasticity.

As one grows older, the natural collagen starts to break down, therefore causing skin to crease, wrinkle and droop. In order to combat these obvious signs of aging, many people come to the Thunder Bay Laser Clinic for dermal filler injections to replace their depleted natural collagen supply.

There are several types of dermal fillers: Dermalogen (made from donor tissue), Autologen (made from the patient's own skin), Fascia (made from donor tissue), HylaForm (made from a molecular component of the body), Restylane (injectable gel similar to what is found in the body), and Fibril (injectable gelatin powder mixed with the patient's blood). Click here to learn about the injectables we have available.

A dermal fill treatment is perfect for filling in facial wrinkles, including crow's feet, acne scars, smile lines, laugh lines and more. Dermal fillers may also be used to plump up lips or cheeks, for a more youthful appearance.

Your Thunder Bay Laser Clinic professional will administer a series of injections around the outer edge of the facial area to be treated. Usually, we will slightly overfill the area, as your body will naturally absorb the saltwater from the solution. This will provide optimum results. A few weeks after having received a dermal fill treatment, the production of your own natural collagen will be stimulated.

Upon your complimentary consultation with a Thunder Bay Laser Clinic technician, we will assist you in determining the correct injection for you. Oftentimes, a series of botox and dermal fill treatments may be recommended depending on your individual needs.

Dermal fill wrinkle therapy is perfect for those who want to smooth out the wrinkles around their mouth, or fill in the lines around their lips. The Thunder Bay Laser Clinic team will assess if you are a good candidate for treatment.

You can perform a stretch test yourself at home to determine the results you can achieve through dermal fill wrinkle therapy. Simply pull your skin tight on either side of the wrinkle or line. If the wrinkle disappears while the skin is pulled, then injections will most likely be able to fully treat the line or wrinkle.

Most clients are between 30 and 60 years of age and will undergo a series of both botox and injections. Dermal fillers are also popular among people who have undergone cosmetic surgery in the past, who want to touch up the effects from time to time.

Dermal injections usually take less than one hour, depending on the number of areas being treated. It is commonly referred to as a "lunchtime' treatment. A non-surgical and non-invasive procedure, dermal fillers do not require a local anesthesia.

Following treatment, you will be able to resume your normal daily activities.

Dermal fillers are relatively painless because the gel is injected directly into the skin in very tiny amounts using an ultra fine needle. Some patients may notice a slight throbbing or even stinging following injection, but this discomfort fades away shortly after. The procedure is very simple and convenient, with practically instant results!

You should be able to resume normal activities directly after collagen treatments.

There may be some slight redness at the site of injection following your treatment. Redness generally disappears after 24 hours. In some cases, there have been reports of temporary swelling or bruising, but it is not common. Other less likely possible side effects include: an allergic reaction (if an allergy test is performed, then this isn't an issue), itching, abscesses, open sores, peeling, scarring and lumpiness.

After receiving your treatment, you will notice the effects immediately. You may also notice some temporary mild swelling, because we slightly overfill the treatment area initially. How long the effects last vary from person to person. However, to maintain the effects, touch-up injections are usually recommended two to three times a year. Treatment may be required more often depending on your skin type. In some patients, the injection may stimulate the body's own natural production of collagen, producing improvements that can last more than a year.

During follow-up treatments, usually less product is used than in the initial treatment. If ongoing treatments are not maintained, the injected filler will gradually be absorbed by your body, causing your face to return to its original definition prior to collagen treatment.

Artecoll

ARTECOLL is a marvelous breakthrough in skin rejuvenation. An injectable long-lasting aesthetic filler, it restores your natural, youthful appearance - safely - for 10 years or longer.

Look younger in 15 minutes for years to come. Now you can improve your looks in less than a lunch hour. Rid yourself of unsightly acne scars, thin lips, sunken frowns and highways of laugh lines - practically once and for all.

ARTECOLL combines three key ingredients into one injectable implant. Microscopic PMMA beads are folded into just enough collagen to carry them through a fine needle. A trace of anesthetic, lidocaine is added to the solution to dull any discomfort during injection.

Think of it as icing, piped through the finest baker's tool, to add a touch of garnish.

ARTECOLL works by stimulating the growth of natural collagen, a vital skin protein lost over time. Collagen adds volume and structure to skin. Just as a grain of sand in an oyster transforms itself into a valuable pearl, the injected, tiny PMMA beads are enveloped by your own collagen, binding them into place under the skin. This process takes about 2 to 3 months, as the collagen carrier used to deliver the PMMA under your skin is absorbed and your body forms new collagen. Your lines and wrinkles diminish. Your laugh lines are refined once again.

PMMA is an inert substance used in ocular lenses, dental work, bone repair, artificial hips and limbs, and pacemakers since the early 1930's. It is a biocompatible substance - and it is safe.

SOURCE: CANDERM PHARMA INC., www.canderm.com

Perlane

Perlane is an exciting injection procedure that can get rid of wrinkles and enhances areas of your face immediately. Some of those areas include the lips, superficial lines around the mouth, forehead lines, and smile lines.

Perlane is a non-animal hyaluronic acid, manufactured by a unique method in the Q-Med Laboratories in Sweden. Hyaluronic Acid is a naturally occurring substance in the body so it naturally dissipates into the body with time.

All living organisms have Hyaluronic Acid in their bodies. In humans this is the substance that creates volume in ones face, giving it a healthy, young appearance. You can imagine what Hyaluronic acid does for a face when you consider the rounded face of a child, which forms into adulthood, and eventually recedes toward the skull causing furrow lines. When these are augmented by Perlane, this crystal clear Hyaluronic acid combines with your own to revitalize the face.

What about pre tests? There are no pre-tests! Some bio-degradable implants require a test because they have been extracted by animals, but Perlane is not, and therefore there is no risk of allergic reaction.

SOURCE: www.perlane-information.com

Restylane

Impressions of beauty change with time - as do our faces as we age. With RESTYLANE, you can have a natural beauty lift with the body's own material. RESTYLANE is a crystal-clear, non-animal, biodegradable gel based on a natural substance, called hyaluronic acid. The gel is injected into the skin in tiny amounts with a very fine needle. The result is instantaneous and produces a long-lasting, natural enhancement, gentle and safe to your skin.

Restylane is the first cosmetic dermal filler made of non-animal-based hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance that already exists in the human body and is used to provide volume and fullness to the skin. The hyaluronic acid in Restylane is a crystal-clear gel called NASHA, or Non-Animal Stabilized Hyaluronic Acid. NASHA is biodegradable and completely biocompatible with human hyaluronic acid.

RESTYLANE is made in Sweden, a nation known for health, nature and beauty. Since 1996, more than a million people have been successfully treated in more than 60 countries worldwide.

SOURCE: Q-MED AB, www.restylane.com

Juvederm

Juvederm is the latest dermal filler advance from Allergan Inc. Juvederm is a "next generation' smooth gel, non-animal dermal filler offering a natural look/feel and long-lasting results for up to six months or longer. Juvederm dermal filler lasts long because it's the only dermal filler currently available with the highest concentration of hyaluronic acid and a special formulation process. This process creates a smooth gel that flows easily into the skin, creating smooth, natural looks.

All other currently approved hyaluronic acid dermal fillers use a gel particle suspension formulation. These gel particles can be visibly seen as opposed to the smoother formulation used in Juvederm. The smooth consistency of Juvederm dermal filler also may help to minimize the discomfort that can sometimes occur during the injection procedure.

SOURCE: ALLERGAN INC., www.juvederm.com

Evolence

EVOLENCE is a breakthrough in the treatment of the effects of aging. It provides long lasting treatment for soft tissue deficiencies, especially facial lines and wrinkles.

For the first time you can choose a totally natural solution that doesn't need costly repeat treatment every few months. EVOLENCE is for people who care about how they look and want to bring back the structure of much younger skin for at least 12 months.

EVOLENCE is made from one of natures most abundant building blocks collagen. We have perfected a technique by which organic collagen is purified and transformed to produce a compound that is safe, natural and capable of smoothing out wrinkles for longer than has previously been possible in common biodegradable injectable treatments.

Our unique Glymatrix' technology effectively mimics the action of the body's own collagen providing the strength and elasticity found in young skin yet breaking down slowly and naturally over time leaving no harmful residue.

SOURCE: EVOLENCE, www.evolence.com

Radiesse

Radiesse is the newest non-surgical facial contouring filler that delivers an immediate, longer lasting result.

Whether you're longing to reverse the common signs of aging or address a health issue that otherwise would require an invasive treatment, you have more options in looking and feeling better with Radiesse". Developed with safety and longevity in mind, Radiesse is a new generation injectable filler that offers superior versatility for both cosmetic and reconstructive use without surgery.

What sets Radiesse apart from other dermal fillers? The answer is in its durability, longevity, and versatility. The unique composition of Radiesse provides immediate visual improvement common with other fillers, along with the benefit of long-lasting results. This is because Radiesse is made of very tiny, smooth calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) microspheres. The microspheres (particles) form a scaffold through which your body's own collagen grows, and this produces the desired long-term effect. These unique advantages make Radiesse the ideal choice for facial shaping and contouring along with other therapeutic applications .

SOURCE: CANDERM PHARMA.INC., www.canderm.com

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The Thunder Bay Laser Clinic can offer you professional advice on our series of specialized treatments. We realize that your needs are unique to you, and will assist in recommending the best treatments to address your individual needs.

Please request a complimentary consultation to discuss your needs.

We are dedicated to providing you with professional, expert care and services from start to finish.

We are your Thunder Bay Beauty Injectables Specialist!