Dermal fillers and Biostimulators

Dermal Fillers

Dermal fillers is the most popular and effective non-surgical aesthetic treatments for restoring a youthful, refreshed appearance.

Dermal Fillers—most commonly made of hyaluronic acid (HA)—restore lost volume, enhance facial contours, and improve skin elasticity. They can soften deeper lines, plump lips, define the jawline, lift the cheeks, and smooth hollowness under the eyes. The result is a natural-looking, youthful fullness that enhances facial harmony.

Depending on the type of filler and treatment area, results can last anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. Treatments are customized to each patient’s anatomy and aesthetic goals for balanced, beautiful results that still look like you—just refreshed.

FAQ’s About Dermal Fillers:

Dermal fillers, offered at Serene Skin and Wellness Medspa, are injectable treatments that restore volume, smooth lines, and enhance facial contours. Unlike Botox, which relaxes muscles, fillers typically contain hyaluronic acid (a naturally occurring substance in the skin) or other biocompatible materials to plump areas with volume loss or deep lines. They are injected beneath the skin to fill wrinkles, add volume to cheeks or lips, or improve facial symmetry, providing immediate results.
At Serene Skin and Wellness Medspa, dermal fillers can be used to enhance various facial areas, including cheeks, nasolabial folds (smile lines), marionette lines, lips, under-eye hollows, and jawlines. They can also be used for non-surgical nose reshaping or to restore volume in the hands. Our experts customize treatments to achieve natural-looking results tailored to your goals.
The longevity of dermal fillers at Serene Skin and Wellness Medspa varies by type and treatment area but typically lasts 6-18 months. Hyaluronic acid fillers, such as Juvederm or Restylane, may last 6-12 months in high-movement areas like the lips or up to 18 months in areas like the cheeks. Maintenance treatments can help sustain results.
Yes, dermal fillers offered at Serene Skin and Wellness Medspa are FDA-approved and safe when administered by our trained professionals. However, as with Botox, patients who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have certain medical conditions should consult with our team to determine eligibility.
Dermal filler treatments at Serene Skin and Wellness Medspa are minimally invasive and typically involve minimal discomfort. Many fillers contain lidocaine to enhance comfort, and we may apply a topical numbing cream. The procedure is quick, often completed in 15-30 minutes, with no downtime, allowing patients to resume normal activities immediately.
Side effects from dermal filler treatments at Serene Skin and Wellness Medspa may include temporary swelling, bruising, redness, or tenderness at the injection site. These typically resolve within a few days to a week. Our team provides aftercare instructions to minimize risks and ensure optimal results.
Unlike Botox, dermal filler results at Serene Skin and Wellness Medspa are visible immediately after treatment, though slight swelling may temporarily affect the appearance. Final results settle within 1-2 weeks as any swelling subsides.
Similar to Botox preparation, our physicians at Serene Skin and Wellness Medspa recommend avoiding alcohol and blood-thinning medications or supplements (e.g., aspirin, ibuprofen, Gingko Biloba, or Ginseng) for a week before your dermal filler treatment to reduce the risk of bruising.
  • Avoid blood thinners: Refrain from taking aspirin, ibuprofen, or other blood-thinning medications for a period before the procedure (typically 72 hours to a week) to reduce the risk of bruising.
  • Alcohol avoidance: Avoid alcohol consumption for at least 24 hours before the procedure, as it can also increase the risk of bruising.
  • Topical irritants: Discontinue use of topical products like retinoids or acids for a few days before treatment, as they can irritate the skin.
  • Cold sore history: Inform your provider if you have a history of cold sores, as they may prescribe antiviral medication beforehand.
  • Vaccinations and dental work: Avoid dental work, vaccinations, and other invasive procedures for a specified period (typically 2 weeks) before and after filler injections.
  • Post-Care Instructions: Avoid touching the treated area: Refrain from touching or massaging the treated area for a period (typically 4-6 hours, or as directed) to prevent filler migration.
  • Ice packs: Apply ice packs (wrapped in a cloth) to the treated area for 15-20 minutes at a time, intermittently, to minimize swelling and bruising.
  • Elevated head position: Sleep with your head elevated (on your back) for a few days to help reduce swelling.
  • Avoid strenuous activity and heat: Refrain from strenuous exercise, hot showers, saunas, and sun exposure for a period (typically 24-72 hours) to minimize swelling and bruising.
  • Makeup application: Avoid applying makeup or other skincare products to the treated area for a day or two, or until any redness or swelling has subsided.
  • Pain relief: Use acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain relief if needed. Avoid NSAIDs (ibuprofen, aspirin) as they can increase bleeding and bruising.
  • Signs of infection: Be vigilant for signs of infection, such as increasing pain, redness, swelling, or blistering, and contact your provider immediately if they occur.
  • Follow-up appointments: Schedule a follow-up appointment with your provider to assess the results and address any concerns.

Rebuild Collagen. Restore Radiance. Stay You.

At Serene Skin & Wellness Medspa, beauty is not about adding what is not yours. It is about awakening what your skin already knows how to do. Sculptra® and Radiesse® are collagen-stimulating biostimulators — treatments that work with your body to rebuild structure, firmness, and glow from within.

Unlike traditional hyaluronic acid fillers such as Juvéderm® and Restylane®, which add immediate gel volume, these regenerative injectables train your skin to produce new collagen over time. The result is gradual, natural enhancement that looks like you — rested, lifted, and quietly radiant.

Every plan is designed by our physician-led team under Dr. Tina R. Singh, MD, Medical Director and Cofounder, together with our experienced aesthetic providers. We blend medical precision with a mind-body approach to wellness so results feel as serene as they look.

What Are Biostimulators?

Biostimulators are injectable treatments that restore the skin’s underlying support rather than simply filling a line. After placement, the product is gradually absorbed while your fibroblasts lay down new collagen (and, with Radiesse®, elastin as well). Volume and quality improve over weeks to months and can last well beyond a typical hyaluronic acid filler.

This philosophy sits at the heart of Serene’s regenerative aesthetics menu — the same thinking behind our PRP/PRF, EZ Gel, microneedling, and collagen-induction therapies. Sculptra® and Radiesse® extend that regenerative approach into deeper structural support for the face and, when appropriate, selected body areas.

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Sculptra®

What it is

Sculptra® is an FDA-approved injectable made of poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA-SCA™) — a biocompatible, biodegradable material long used in medicine. It is the original proven regenerative biostimulator. Rather than sitting as a gel, Sculptra® microparticles signal your skin to rebuild collagen across multiple layers, restoring the scaffolding that time, weight change, and sun have quietly thinned.

How it works

After injection, PLLA is gradually absorbed. In its place, your body deposits new Type I collagen. Improvements are progressive: early radiance and firmness may appear within about a month, with more visible volume and contour unfolding over 3–6 months. Results commonly last up to two years.

What we use Sculptra® for
  • Hollow temples and a tired upper face
  • Flattened or sunken cheeks and midface
  • Nasolabial folds and lower-face shadows
  • Overall facial structure and “deflated” appearance after weight loss
  • Skin quality — thickness, bounce, and glow
  • Selected body areas when clinically appropriate (discuss off-label vs. labeled use in consultation)

A typical series is 2–3 sessions spaced about 4–6 weeks apart. We never overfill. Sculptra® is meant to under-correct and let collagen do the finishing work — which is why the result looks like healthy tissue, not product.

Radiesse®

What it is

Radiesse® is an FDA-approved injectable of calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) microspheres suspended in a gel carrier. CaHA is a mineral found naturally in bone. In the face and hands it provides immediate lift and structure; as the gel resorbs, the microspheres stimulate new collagen (and elastin), so the improvement continues after the gel is gone.

How it works

Radiesse® is the first and only biostimulator in the U.S. with FDA approval spanning face and selected body areas, including the dorsum of the hands and, when diluted 1:2, wrinkles of the décolleté.

What we use Radiesse® for
  • Cheeks, temples, piriform aperture, nasolabial folds
  • Chin and jawline definition (including Radiesse® (+) where indicated)
  • Hands — restoring youthful volume on the back of the hands
  • Décolleté wrinkles with FDA-cleared 1:2 hyperdilution
  • Hyperdilute protocols for neck, chest, upper arms, abdomen, knees, or buttocks when appropriate

Hyperdilute treatment is commonly planned as a short series (often 2–3 visits, 4–6 weeks apart), with optimal correction around 4–6 months.

Which one is right for you?

There is no single “best” biostimulator — only the best match for your anatomy, timeline, and goals.

Sculptra® may be favored when you want
  • A slow, global rebuild of facial volume and skin quality
  • Prevention and structure in the 30s–50s before deep folds set in
  • Correction after medication-related or lifestyle-related facial deflation
  • A result that unfolds so gradually colleagues notice you look well, not “done”
Radiesse® may be favored when you want
  • Some immediate lift plus collagen stimulation
  • Jawline, chin, or cheek structure with a firmer scaffold
  • Hand rejuvenation
  • Chest/décolleté or other skin-quality work with hyperdilute technique

During your visit we assess bone, fat pads, skin thickness, and how you age as a whole — not a single wrinkle in isolation. Many treatment plans at Serene layer Sculptra® or Radiesse® with neuromodulators, hyaluronic acid fillers, PRP/PRF or EZ Gel, microneedling, and medical-grade homecare (ZO®, Skinbetter Science, Ourself, EltaMD) so collagen work is supported inside and out.

Your visit

Preparing
  • Pause aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and similar blood-thinners for about one week if your physician agrees it is safe.
  • Hold alcohol for 24–48 hours before treatment.
  • Hold vitamin E, fish oil, omega-3s, and many herbal supplements that increase bruising, unless medically required.
  • Share all medical conditions, medications, and allergies — including history of keloids, autoimmune disease, or prior filler.
  • Arrive with a clean, makeup-free face when treating the face.
  • Tell us if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning procedures such as dental work or vaccines around the same time.
During treatment

Plan on about 30–45 minutes after photos and mapping. The skin is cleansed; topical or local anesthetic is used as needed. Injections are placed with fine needles or cannulas using advanced, conservative technique. You may feel pressure or a brief pinch. Comfort add-ons such as PRO-NOX™ are available, consistent with our other injectable and regenerative visits.

Recovery

Downtime is typically minimal. Mild redness, swelling, tenderness, or bruising can last a few days. Most patients return to normal activity the same day.

  • Avoid strenuous exercise, heat, saunas, and alcohol for 24–48 hours.
  • Protect treated skin from sun; use EltaMD or another medical-grade SPF daily.
  • For Sculptra®, we will teach the “5-5-5” massage: five minutes, five times a day, for five days (or the protocol we customize for you) so product distributes evenly and nodules are minimized.
  • Sleep slightly elevated the first night if the face was treated.
  • Call us for unusual pain, blanching, growing firmness, or any concern — our team is here.

Full results are collagen, not calendar math. Expect a quiet improvement that keeps unfolding for months. Maintenance is individualized — often a yearly or every-other-year touch rather than the 6–12 month cadence of many HA fillers.

Why choose Serene for biostimulators

  • Physician-led care. Dr. Tina Singh, a board-certified family physician with advanced training in dermatology and aesthetic medicine, directs medical standards. Treatments are performed by our credentialed team — including PA and NP colleagues with dermatology and aesthetics backgrounds and our aesthetic RN.
  • A regenerative mindset. We already build collagen with SkinPen®, Procell, PRP, PRF, and EZ Gel. Sculptra® and Radiesse® belong in that same philosophy: restore the matrix, do not mask it.
  • Natural, never overdone. We plan for your bone structure, ethnicity, and how you want to age — enhancement that photographs as health, not product.
  • Holistic framing. Nutrition, hormones, weight change, sleep, and skincare all affect collagen. Because Serene also offers IV nutrition, Biote hormone optimization, and medically supervised weight management, we can talk about the whole picture.
  • A calm room. Luxury meets tranquility in Green Valley. You are not rushed through a mill. You are heard.

Who is a good candidate?

Healthy adults who want gradual, natural restoration of volume, firmness, or skin quality — and who can accept that the best version of this treatment is patient, not instant — are typically excellent candidates. Biostimulators are not ideal if you need same-week event volume, have certain active infections or uncontrolled autoimmune conditions, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a history of problems with similar products. Sculptra® labeling is for immune-competent patients. We will review FDA-labeled uses versus any off-label recommendations transparently so you can consent with full information.

Frequently asked questions

Radiesse® in its standard form can give an immediate structural change. Sculptra® and hyperdilute Radiesse® are quieter at first. Early fullness you see on day one is often fluid or carrier gel and settles; the real result is collagen weeks later. That delay is a feature, not a flaw.
Yes. Neuromodulators and HA fillers remain part of many Serene plans. Sequencing and spacing are customized so products complement rather than compete.
Not quite. You are investing in your own collagen matrix. That is why duration is longer and the look is more “skin quality plus structure” than a discrete pillow of gel.
It depends on the canvas — temples, midface, jaw, hands, chest — and how depleted the tissue is. We estimate honestly at consultation and would rather stage treatment than overtreat.
All injectables carry risks: bruising, swelling, tenderness, asymmetry, nodules, and, rarely, vascular events. Sculptra® requires diligent aftercare massage. Radiesse® is not used in the lips or glabella in the way some HA fillers are. We use cannulas when appropriate, map vessels, and treat conservatively. You will receive written aftercare.

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