'Wrinkle Fillers' Can Give A Whole New Look

Nov. 16 -- The face of aging is taking a dramatic turn with the booming number of injectable fillers. For years there was only one filler -- collagen. Now ABC7's Dr. Dean Edell looks at the explosion in products that will fill in your lines and wrinkles to turn back the hands of time.

There are facial fillers for every flaw -- and more on the way.

Richard Glogau, M.D., UCSF dermatologist: "We have over 100 products in Europe, all which are slowly making their way to the United States."

Richard Noodleman, M.D., Los Gatos dermatologist: "There's really been in the last two to three years a virtual explosion in the choices that people have."

Keith Denkler, M.D., Larkspur plastic surgeon: "Injectables are a big breakthrough because they allow us to fill what we haven't been able to do before."

Deanna Bartel, patient: "I just think that fuller lips would be a nice choice for me and so I want to try it and see what I think."

Deanna is a typical patient. She's going to a party tonight and would like to get fuller lips for the event.

Larkspur plastic surgeon Keith Denkler will use cosmoplast because he says it's good for "party lips." It doesn't require testing and will last about three months making it a good injectable for first-timers.

Dr. Keith Denkler, Larkspur plastic surgeon: "It has very little swelling, very little bruising and it has a nice immediate result."

After a few injections, Deanna's lips are fuller and she's pleased with her first filler experience.

UCSF dermatologist says the filler Restylane is a good all-purpose filler that lasts four to six months. It's made of hyaluronic acid, the same material our skin cells swim in. It's currently the most commonly used filler to plump lines and creases.

Dr. Richard Glogau: "And at the moment represents about 65 percent of the filler market both here and in Europe."

Today Dr. Glogau is injecting Restylane into Lauren's frown lines and nasal creases. And almost immediately the skin plumps up.

Eva Claiborne, patient: "I have some wrinkles around my lips and jaw area. I would love to take it away."

Eva has similar concerns and is going to try a newer, softer hyaluronic acid product called Juvederm, which just got FDA approval. Dr. Denkler was one of the investigators and likes it even better than Restylane.

Dr. Denkler: "Juvederm is wonderful. We can use it to fill in the skin and just under the skin to replace loss volume as we age."

Dr. Glogau: "It flows a little easier through smaller gauge needles. Some patients prefer the way that it feels in place."

Eva: "It's amazing."

Valerie Burniece, patient: "I've always had a narrow face. It fills it out. And when it plumps it up, it plumps out the wrinkles."

Valerie has suffered a loss of facial volume over the years. So one year after her first filler, she's back for a refill. Los Gatos dermatologist Dr. Richard Noodleman will inject a semi-permanent filler called Radiesse made from calcium.

Dr. Richard Noodleman: "It's very safe, and lasts, generally for most patients, for about a year, in some people a little bit longer, but usually about 12 months, sometimes 15 even 18 months."

But he warns that placement is critical.

Dr. Richard Noodleman: "If it's not put in smoothly there can be some little bumps connected with it. These go away as the material goes away."

For Valerie, the results are a success.

Nevertheless, one thing is clear with all these fillers -- wrinkles may soon be a thing of the past.

You're probably picky when it comes to the cosmetics you put on your face, but these experts caution, before you put any injectable substance in your face, do your own research. Talk to doctors about your choices and their results and carefully consider all the risks, as well as the benefits, of these facial fillers.

Experts say side effects are rare and can include temporary bruising and swelling.

There are several fillers we did not mention which are due on the market in the next few months. For more information about the injectable fillers and the doctors in this report, click here.

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