Minimally Invasive Treatments in Tempe and Scottsdale, AZ
Many of the signs of aging can be attributed to a loss of volume. The fat that keeps the cheeks full and youthful shrinks, and the bone underneath loses density. You may notice your face looking more tired or aged before you start to see deep lines, and lost volume is usually the reason. At Perfect Skin Center in Tempe and Scottsdale, AZ, we can restore this lost volume without surgery, using injectables and collagen-building treatments that are customized for each patient.
What Is Facial Volume Loss?
Facial volume loss is the gradual flattening and hollowing of the face as the tissue under the skin shrinks and shifts downward. Some signs of aging, like fine lines, are on the surface, but volume loss affects the structure underneath. The face is built from layers of fat, muscle and bone that each do their part to give it shape. Aging affects each of these and can make the face look more tired and gaunt even when the skin is still smooth.
Why We Lose Facial Volume
Fat Pad Atrophy and Descent
The face has pockets of fat called fat pads that give it its full, lifted shape. With age, these pads both shrink and descend downward, so the cheeks flatten and the folds around the mouth deepen, while the lower face looks heavy and begins to sag. The fat does not always shrink evenly, so one area may look hollow while another looks heavy.
Bone Resorption
The facial skeleton supports the skin and the fat above it. Hormonal shifts and other factors can cause a loss of bone mass and density, often around the eye sockets and on the cheeks and jawline. Without a strong foundation for facial tissues, the face will look less defined and more sunken.
Collagen and Elastin Decline
Collagen keeps skin firm, and elastin lets it spring back after movement. The body makes less of both starting in the mid-20s, and this decrease speeds up after menopause. Thinner, weaker skin sags more, and this can be exacerbated when there is volume loss because of other factors.
Risk Factors of Early Volume Loss
Sun Damage
One of the biggest factors of early facial aging is the amount of sun exposure the skin has had over the years. UV rays break down collagen and elastin faster, and years of unprotected sun exposure eventually thin the skin and speed up volume loss. This is common in Arizona, where the sun is particularly harsh and strong.
Smoking
Smoking cuts off proper blood flow to the skin and breaks down collagen. Those who smoke may notice a loss of facial volume earlier as the skin loses its full ability to repair itself. Smoking also tends to increase aging on the surface, with more fine lines.
Weight Loss
Significant or fast weight loss, such as weight loss using GLP-1 medications, removes facial fat along with body fat. It can also cause a decrease in skin elasticity. This can leave the face looking more hollow and aged even if overall health has improved.
Genetics
Your genes will affect how much fat and bone you start with and how fast you lose them. If your relatives have early hollowing and other signs of aging, you may notice it sooner, too. You can be proactive with your care and find treatments that keep your skin healthy for longer.
Menopause or Other Hormonal Changes
Falling estrogen levels can reduce collagen by 30 percent in the first five years of menopause. One of the changes you may notice during this stage of life is thinner, weaker skin and deepening hollows on your face.
Signs You May Be Experiencing Volume Loss
- Sunken Cheeks: The midface looks flat or hollow instead of full and rounded, and the face can start to look longer.
- Hollow or Shadowed Under-Eyes: A sunken look or dark shadows under the eyes that make you look tired even after a full night of sleep. Concealer often fails to cover it because the cause is structural.
- Deepening Nasolabial Folds and Marionette Lines: The creases from the nose to the mouth and from the mouth to the chin grow deeper as the cheeks fall. These folds are driven by lost cheek support.
- Hollow Temples: The area beside the eyes narrows or sinks, making the upper face look drawn and the brow look older.
- Early Jowling: Skin along the jawline starts to sag as it loses the fat and bone support beneath it.
- Thinning Lips: Lips lose fullness and definition and may have fine lines around the edges. The space between the nose and upper lip can also lengthen.
Treatments for Facial Volume Loss at Perfect Skin Center
Volumizing and Biostimulatory Injectables
Injectables are a direct way to restore lost volume. Some products add volume right away by filling the space under the skin with a hyaluronic acid gel. Others, called biostimulators, prompt your body to build its own collagen. We offer several options for our patients:
- JUVÉDERM®: JUVÉDERM is a collection of hyaluronic acid fillers that add volume to the cheeks, lips and folds. Hyaluronic acid is a substance that the body already makes, so the gel feels natural under the skin and provides immediate results that last for up to 18 months.
- Restylane®: Restylane is another family of hyaluronic acid fillers with a range of formulas. Firmer products suit areas like the cheeks and chin, while softer ones smooth the tear troughs and add subtle fullness to the lips.
- Radiesse®: Radiesse is a calcium-based filler that adds volume and prompts new collagen at the same time. Results last about a year and keep improving as fresh collagen forms.
- Sculptra®: Sculptra is made with poly-L-lactic acid that rebuilds your own collagen over several months. It restores volume in the cheeks and nasolabial folds for an authentic result that can last up to two years.
- Bellafill®: Bellafill is a long-lasting filler that adds volume and supports collagen at once. Results can last up to five years, the longest of any synthetic filler available.
- Renuva® Adipose Matrix: Renuva Adipose Matrix is an injectable that replaces lost facial fat, the exact tissue that volume loss takes away. It gives the body a scaffold to grow new fat in hollow areas.
Nonsurgical Lifting
- Y Lift: This is a same-day treatment that places filler at the bone level to rebuild structure and lift the midface. Results are visible right away with little downtime and no surgery.
- PDO Thread Lift: PDO thread lifts are dissolvable threads placed under the skin to lift sagging tissue and stimulate collagen as they dissolve. The lift is immediate, and the collagen keeps building for months afterward.
Collagen-Stimulating and Skin-Tightening Support
These treatments firm and thicken the skin so it holds restored volume better and ages more slowly. They often pair well with injectables.
- Sofwave™: Sofwave uses ultrasound energy to lift and firm skin on the face and neck.
- Thermage CPT: Thermage CPT uses radiofrequency heat to tighten loose skin on the face and around the eyes in a single session.
- Microneedling: Microneedling creates tiny controlled channels in the skin that trigger natural collagen production and improve skin firmness.
- Morpheus8: Morpheus8 combines microneedling with radiofrequency heat to tighten skin and rebuild collagen to treat texture concerns and loose skin.
- Exosome Facials: Exosome Facials apply growth factors after treatments like microneedling to speed healing and boost collagen for a stronger result.
Laser Genesis: Laser Genesis is a wrinkle treatment that can improve signs of aging by stimulating collagen production. It uses 1064nm Nd:YAG laser energy to heat the skin without removing surface layers.
What to Expect During Your Appointment
We will start by mapping out the areas where you have lost volume. If you would like, you can bring pictures of yourself when you were younger so we can compare and make results as natural-looking as possible. Most injectable sessions only take 30-60 minutes, so you may be able to fit your treatment into a lunch break. With filler and Renuva, you will see some results right away. Other treatments will take time and collagen stimulation to provide results. With each of our nonsurgical treatments, you can go back to work or other activities the same day, though you can expect some swelling, tenderness, redness and bruising, depending on the treatment.
How Long Results Last and How Often to Come In for Treatments
Hyaluronic acid fillers like JUVÉDERM and Restylane last 6 to 18 months. Radiesse lasts about a year and Sculptra up to two years across a short series of sessions. The longest-lasting injectables are Bellafill, which can last up to five years, and Renuva, which replaces fat long term. Skin-tightening treatments are usually done as a series with maintenance about once a year.
Schedule a Consultation in Scottsdale and Tempe, AZ
Perfect Skin Center is led by Richard Burgmeier, MD, who has dedicated his career of over 24 years to bringing out the natural beauty in his patients with minimally invasive treatments. He has built a team of caring professionals who train continuously on the use of injectables and energy-based technology.
Our patients have access to a wide range of options under one roof. We have locations in Tempe and Scottsdale, and we serve patients from the surrounding areas, including Phoenix, Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, and Ahwatukee, AZ. Call 480-418-8277 to learn more or book a consultation online.