Bruce K. Barach, MD

Injectable fillers are used to smooth away wrinkles in your face, around your nose, between your brows, and around your eyes. In the old days (5 years ago), the only viable option was using collagen injections. Now however, there are other products such as Restylane and Juvederm that are available. These products last up to six months and don't require allergy skin testing.

Both Restylane and Juvederm are transparent gels that are injected under the skin to tighten areas where wrinkles appear. They contain hyaluronic acid, an important ingredient in human connective tissue. Once injected, these fillers can absorbs up to 1000 times their volume of water. They can also maintain this extra volume for up to six months, which is much longer than traditional collagen injections can last.

According to a study by the University of Michigan, these hyaluronic acid fillers not only maintain volume, they actually stimulate the production of your body's own collagen. The expansion of the gel stretches skin cells called fibroblasts, as these cells stretch more collagen is produced giving you even younger, more natural looking wrinkle prevention.

If you are looking to eliminate wrinkles, and you live in Albany, Schenectady, Troy, or Saratoga Springs, New York, please contact Dr. Barach for an initial consultation to see if Restylane and Juvederm are right for you.